A deeply divided House Financial Services Committee took on FHA solvency this week as critics and defenders clashed over the agency’s practices, financial health and future role in the nation’s housing market. The distinctly partisan tone of the hearing quickly raised doubt as to whether the Republican majority and their Democratic opponents can come to some compromise to strengthen the FHA and reduce its risk to taxpayers. Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, echoed complaints by Republican colleagues that the FHA is ...

An announced 10 basis-point hike in the FHA mortgage insurance premium (MIP) may bolster the health of the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund and speed up shrinkage of FHA market share, but it will also make FHA-insured loans costlier for borrowers. The increase is the latest in a series of premium hikes imposed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the past three years to strengthen the MMI Fund’s capital reserves, which lately have fallen to a negative position. Simultaneously, HUD announced other measures to ... [1 chart]

The FHA this week has proposed to set a 95 percent maximum loan-to-value ratio for FHA-insured loans over $625,500, effectively raising the minimum downpayment for jumbo loans from 3.5 percent to 5 percent. In a Feb. 6 Federal Register notice, the FHA said the proposed change is aimed at improving the health of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, whose statutory capital reserve ratio has fallen to a precarious level, raising the specter of a taxpayer bailout. Despite steps taken since 2009 to strengthen the MMIF, actuarial reviews of the fund have projected rising levels ...

Although unhappy about the demise of the popular, fixed-rate, standard Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, loan officers are not worried about any long-term adverse effect on their FHA businesses. In fact, members of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association, support the FHA’s decision, which is a part of a broad effort to strengthen and better manage the risk of the agency’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. They said they have other HECM products to offer in lieu of the standard HECM loan. Beginning April 1, borrowers who choose a fixed interest rate will be limited to ...

Responding to industry concerns over the impact of the new loan officer compensation final rule on reverse mortgages, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has clarified the phrase “amount of credit extended” for closed-end Home Equity Conversion Mortgage loans. For closed-end reverse mortgages, a loan originator’s compensation may be based on either (a) the maximum proceeds available to the consumer under the loan; (b) the maximum claim amount (if the loan is subject to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HECM rules); or (c) the appraised value of the property, as determined by ...

California and Texas took the honors for top FHA producers among states and other U.S. jurisdictions in 2012, with a combined $59.2 billion in new mortgage loans insured by the FHA. The combined output of the two states represented 25.5 percent of the $232.1 billion in new FHA originations reported by all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia for the entire year. Total FHA production by state was up a modest 5.2 percent in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter and a hefty 21.9 percent from the prior year. California, which accounts for 25 percent of the U.S. housing market, reported ...

Mortgage REIT Two Harbors continues to work away at a potential jumbo MBS deal.

Standard & Poor's, which had a huge ratings market share tied to subprime MBS, was sued by the government for negligence.

Ally Bank will originate and keep jumbo mortgages in the bank's portfolio.

Relatively new players to the world of Fannie Mae approvals are starting to gripe a little more about the “volume curbs” that the GSE is placing on its “newbie” customers. One mortgage banker, who spoke under the condition his name not be used, told Inside Mortgage Finance ...