Sandra Thompson’s elevation to acting director from her role as head of housing mission and goals presaged FHFA’s new focus on fair lending practices enforcement.

The changes: FHA has established a streamlined loan mod that servicers must offer to certain borrowers, GSE servicers have to follow the CFPB’s new standards a month earlier than intended, and Ginnie Mae and NCUA are allowing for a broader range of loan mods.

For the first time since QM standards took effect in early 2014, lenders can no longer rely on the government-sponsored enterprises to obtain QM status for a loan.

The Supreme Court’s decision in the long-delayed Collins case sets the stage for a swift change in leadership at FHFA but it may not end the shareholder lawsuits over the GSEs and the net worth sweep.

The industry mostly supports the SEC plan to update climate-related disclosures, but there are concerns about how the changes will play out.

Subservicing contracts continue to proliferate. The bad news? These vendors worry about an onslaught of COVID-related work and oversight. (Includes data chart.)

Fannie imposes a draconian 3% cap on NOO loans for some lenders to ensure it meets the 7% cap required under the PSPA. Freddie, already under the cap, puts its threshold at 6%.

Time to throw away the loss-mitigation toolbox in dealing with COVID-related delinquencies? Maybe not.

Not racial bias, but geographical incompetence is the reason appraisers mar home valuations, according to agents interviewed by IMF.

Fannie and Freddie have provided lenders with some flexibilities on construction-related loans. Also, they will pause acquisitions of refinances of mortgages with high loan-to-value ratios.