The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued guidance regarding documentation of allowable fees and charges under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Truth in Lending Act-Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act Integrated Disclosure Closing Disclosure, or TRID-CD form. Under the guidance, VA lenders must document all allowable fees and charges assessed against the borrower as well as any lender and seller credits on the TRID-CD. VA now requires documentation because it no longer accepts a separate, itemized list of credits and charges, as previously allowed with the HUD-1 form. In completing the closing-cost section of the TRID-CD, fees charged to the veteran must be listed in the “Borrower Paid” column. Lender credits should be listed in the “Paid by Others” column, the agency said. Closing costs that are paid for by either the seller or the lender must be placed in either the ...

The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued new guidelines and instructions for modifying VA-guaranteed mortgages in lieu of previous guidance regarding the agency’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). VA has a long-standing policy of encouraging servicers to work with borrowers to explore all reasonable options to help them keep their home or reduce losses through loss mitigation. The agency requires lenders to consider VA-guaranteed loans for a VA Affordable modification (VAAM) when traditional home-retention options are not feasible. A VAAM allows a new monthly, fixed-rate mortgage payment no greater than 31 percent of the borrower’s monthly gross income. It can cover principal, interest, property taxes, insurance and condominium or homeowner association fees The rate must not exceed the most recent Freddie Mac benchmark rate for ...

As of press time, Congress passed a one-week stopgap spending measure to keep the government open through May 5, averting a looming government shutdown. The House passed H.J. Res. 99 by a vote of 373 to 30. The continuing resolution has been sent to President Trump. The continuing resolution provides lawmakers sufficient time to negotiate an omnibus spending bill. The previous spending bill was scheduled to expire at midnight, April 28, which would have resulted in a government shutdown similar to the one that paralyzed the federal government in 2013. A shutdown can cause grief for sellers and homebuyers and severely delay processing of mortgage loans if lenders cannot verify a borrower’s tax data or Social Security number. This time, however, the FHA and VA are prepared for such an eventuality, said industry observers. A 16-day government shutdown in October 2013 sent millions of ...

MUFG Union Bank of California, which relies heavily on jumbos, saw loan production fall on a sequential basis by just 4.4 percent, the best showing among the top 50, Inside Mortgage Finance found.

Chuck Klein of Mortgage Banking Solutions said M&A activity is “hopping along pretty good these days.”

In general, 2016 was a banner year for loan production with some publicly traded nonbanks turning in their best results ever – and thus rewarding their top executives handsomely. According to an analysis of available proxy statements by Inside Mortgage Finance, Penny Mac Financial Servicers founder and Executive Chairman Stanford Kurland was the industry’s top earner at $9.12 million in 2016. His firm – the nation’s number-four ranked originator – had a good year: net income of $336 million, a 26.0 percent improvement from the year before. Back in 2015, Kurland took...[Includes one data table]

PHH Corp. releases its first quarter results the second week of May.

It’s still early in the reporting season, but when it comes to home lending, nonbank executives seem more optimistic than their depository peers…

Roughly $12.50 billion of agency mortgages securitized during the first quarter with some form of primary MI were tied to Golden State properties.

Arch reported primary mortgage insurance in force of $237.8 billion at March 31…