A Trump administration plan to roll the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural housing loan guarantee and rental assistance programs into the Department of Housing and Urban Development should not be too difficult, said HUD’s top executive. Absorbing the USDA housing programs “would not be a very difficult shift” for the department, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said during testimony on Capitol Hill this week. The proposal is part of the administration’s plan to reform and reorganize federal agencies to cut costs, eliminate duplications and overlap, and streamline regulations. However, Rep. Kenneth Lucas, R-KY, worried that rural communities face challenges that are far different and beyond those faced by typical FHA or VA homebuyers, adding that many rural homes may not meet FHA standards. Industry observers noted that even though USDA has expanded its definition of “rural areas,” FHA’s authority ...
The mortgage banking industry is backing a legislative proposal that would limit the government’s use of the False Claims Act to pursue hefty damages against FHA lenders. In a recent letter to the bill’s co-sponsors, the Mortgage Bankers Association expressed its strong support for H.R. 5993, the Fixing Housing Access Act of 2018. The MBA noted that originating FHA-insured loans has become very risky in recent years largely due to the civil actions brought by the Department of Justice under the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. Fifty-four FCA and FIRREA cases against financial institutions have settled for billions of dollars between July 2011 and January 2018, according to data compiled by the Buckley Sandler law firm. Four cases are pending and one civil penalty award was reversed on appeal. Those lenders who were on the ...
Black Knight Financial Services, which currently collects all servicing data for VA, will no longer do the job after March 2019, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. BKFS will stop providing the service when VA transitions to a new enhanced VALERI system. VA servicers currently use the VA Loan Electronic Reporting Interface system to upload servicing information. VALERI is undergoing a multi-phase restructuring for conversion to a fully automated system spanning loan application, origination and servicing. The enhanced servicing component of VALERI will be ready by late spring next year. As part of the transition, VA will ensure that all servicers are plugged into the new VALERI system before it becomes fully operational. VA’s transition plan covers all methods and procedures for reporting information to VALERI. These include use of a licensed servicing system or a proprietary in-house servicing system that automatically reports data to VALERI, or logging into the VALERI web portal to manually upload and enter data.
Internet retail giant Amazon.com is exploring the idea of buying a mortgage banking franchise and making a splash in this highly cyclical business. But two huge questions loom: Will it actually happen? And if so, will Amazon disrupt the residential lending landscape the way it has brick-and-mortar retailers at the shopping mall?
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