Gross new issuance of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae single-family MBS declined by 6.3 percent from April to May, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS ranking and analysis. The agencies produced $113.46 billion of new single-family MBS last month. Though down from April, it was still significantly higher than at any time in 2014, when production averaged just $77.46 billion per month. The key to the drop-off in May was...[Includes two data tables]

Refinance lending fueled the growth in mortgage originations during the first quarter of 2015, although new data suggest that the purchase-mortgage sector is taking hold. Mortgage lenders originated an estimated $221.0 billion of refi loans during the first quarter, an increase of 51.4 percent from a revised fourth-quarter production estimate of $146.0 billion. Inside Mortgage Finance refi and purchase-mortgage estimates for all four quarters of 2014 were revised to reflect just first-lien mortgage originations. Refi loans accounted...[Includes three data tables]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is working on a new proposed rule to ease the backlog in FHA insurance claims filings as well as to revise the department’s “curtailment of interest” policy to relieve the burden on mortgagees. The FHA expects to finalize the proposed rule in August this year, according to HUD’s new regulatory agenda, although the agency rarely comes even close to its projected rulemaking timelines. Specifically, the proposed rule would establish...

A federal district court judge in Washington, DC, has granted Quicken Loan’s motion to stay a government lawsuit until another federal judge in Detroit decides whether to proceed with Quicken’s preemptive lawsuit against the government. The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton in Washington would give Quicken the opportunity to shine light on FHA compliance issues, loan sampling and the Department of Justice’s use of the False Claims Act to prosecute FHA lenders. Such enforcement actions have resulted in more than $4.5 billion in settlements with FHA lenders. In April, Quicken sued...

“Without nonbanks, today’s sluggish mortgage market would be much less vibrant,” according to research released this week by two researchers associated with Harvard University. Their working paper stresses that implementing bank-like standards for nonbanks isn’t the best strategy to mitigate risks in the housing finance system. The paper was authored by Marshall Lux, a senior fellow of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, which is part of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; along with Robert Greene, a research assistant at the same center. They called...

An FHA proposal aimed at clarifying loan-certification rules is a step in the right direction but it needs more work, according to industry observers. Lenders declined to comment on the proposed form changes but they all agree that the proposal does not go far enough. The revisions aim to make the language in Form 92900-A (HUD Addendum to Uniform Residential Loan Application) clearer for both borrower and lender. Applicants for an FHA or a VA loan sign the addendum to certify to the government that the information provided by the borrower on the mortgage loan application is correct. By signing the addendum, the borrower certifies that he or she will make payments on the home loan or become indebted to the federal government upon failure to repay the loan. For lenders, signing the form certifies that the loan application meets all of FHA’s insurance requirements. This is where lenders often ...

Security issuances backed by VA loans totaled $35.5 billion in the first quarter of 2015, with VA streamline refinance loans accounting for 57.7 percent, according to an Inside FHA/VA Lending analysis of Ginnie Mae data. Approximately $20.5 billion in VA interest rate reduction refinancing loans were securitized during the first three months as borrowers took advantage of lower interest rates.“For the last three to four months, rates have been bottoming out again, and if rates are lower it makes sense to refinance,” said Jon Shrum, vice president of Commerce Home Mortgage, a VA-certified lender in Huntington Beach, CA. An estimated $14.5 billion in VA purchase mortgages also were securitized during period. VA loans comprised 13.1 percent of all loans in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities. California, Virginia, Texas, Florida and Washington, ... [2 charts]

Whistleblowers that bring a False Claim Act claim against an FHA lender based on previous publicly disclosed information have no standing, according to a recent federal district court ruling. Judge Jack Zouhary of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio dismissed an FCA lawsuit against U.S. Bank because the whistleblower had neither direct nor independent knowledge of the bank’s alleged false claims – two basic requirements for standing in a whistleblower suit. The Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), an Ohio-based legal aid group, filed an FCA lawsuit against U.S. Bank for allegedly disregarding and violating FHA regulations. The group accused the bank of filing false claims and collecting payments without evaluating loss mitigation alternatives before foreclosing on properties. According to ABLE, it had consulted with “many people,” whose mortgage loans were ...

The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking into reports that a high percentage of VA loans are not closing on time, creating a disincentive for veterans who might want a VA loan. According to Jeff London, deputy director of the VA Loan Guaranty Service, his staff is researching the most recent closing times “to understand the reasons behind the increase for the industry as a whole” as well as how lengthy closing times are affecting veterans. “We have invested significant effort in reducing closing times so that our industry partners will seek to offer VA loans,” he said. Results of a recent Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey indicate that the share of VA loans closing on time fell to 55 percent in March 2015 from 70 percent in April 2014. The data suggest that 45 percent of VA loans are still experiencing serious delay. In addition, the average closing time for a VA loan was ...

The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a policy clarifying that VA lenders must treat veterans in same-sex or opposite-sex marriages equally and fairly when processing and underwriting their home-loan applications. The policy is effective immediately. Under the new policy announced on May 19, the VA will process all claims and applications involving same-sex marriages in the same manner as claims and applications based on opposite-sex marriages, “without any additional scrutiny or development.” Language on VA forms, web pages and other VA communication materials will be revised to ensure that all veterans, VA program administrators and personnel are aware of the equal-treatment policy. The new instructions require VA lenders to accept a claimant’s or an applicant’s assertion of ...