Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have reduced their dependency on U.S. government support, but there may be restructuring issues within the budget talks to resolve the looming fiscal cliff, according to Fitch Ratings. Fitch this week affirmed its AAA rating for both Fannie and Freddie even as its outlook for the two GSEs remains negative. However, the rating agency warned that its outlook for Fannie and Freddie depends upon the economy and the ability of political leaders to come to an accord on taxes and government spending before years end.
Commercial banks and savings institutions reported a record $9.38 billion in net income from mortgage banking activity during the third quarter of 2012, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Mortgage Trends. The call report data underscore what was already apparent in earnings reports from a broad cross-section of lenders: mortgage banking has been exceptionally profitable in 2012. Banks and thrifts generated a whopping $25.25 billion in mortgage banking income over ... [Includes one data chart]
A law professor says there is no quick solution to the mortgage industrys foreclosure mess and the resulting legal chaos, but moving to a single electronic note/mortgage transfer system would solve much of what caused the crisis to begin with. Massive originations of mortgage loans relying on the sell-to-distribute model, followed by massive foreclosures, have led to chaos in the legal processes to track who may foreclose and sell homes, said Alan White, professor of law at Valparaiso Law School ...
An examination of how quickly the distressed real estate inventory dissipates in three Northeast states suggests that federal policymakers need to pay much more attention to local mortgage market conditions when formulating policy, one researcher says. A critical issue in todays housing market concerns both the size of the distressed real estate inventory and the speed at which it will dissolve, said James Follain, principal of James R Follain LLC and contributing editor to ...
Portfolio lending by community banks could be treated differently than other types of lending under pending Basel III capital requirements, according to recent indications from federal regulators. The potential exceptions for community banks follow strong lobbying from lenders as well as bipartisan support in Congress. While we strongly believe that finalizing the regulations is critically important for certainty and planning, we also believe there are merits to considering alternative, simpler approaches to ...
The Department of Housing and Urban Development will raise the annual insurance premium on new FHA originations, reverse the agencys current policy on mortgage insurance premium cancellation and institute other policy changes to improve the health of the FHA insurance fund. The new measures aim to offset significant losses from FHAs legacy loans, which have caused significant stress to the agencys Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Results of a new FHA actuarial audit showed that the stress has plunged the MMI Fund into a deep hole, revealing negative capital of $16.3 billion (negative $13.5 billion excluding Home Equity Conversion Mortgages) on a $1.13 trillion FHA portfolio. The capital reserve ratio fell ...
Mortgage lenders will be facing tougher enforcement if Congress decides to act on a series of proposals to hold lenders accountable for noncompliance with FHA policies and regulations. In the wake of an adverse actuarial report regarding the health of the FHAs Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, Acting FHA Commissioner Carol Galante announced that the agency will seek new powers to recoup losses from lenders that originate bad FHA loans. The proposals are designed to provide the FHA with greater flexibility to revise policies and procedures to avoid unnecessary losses before they occur. They will also improve the agencys ...
Reactions were mixed in the mortgage industry and on Capitol Hill on the heels of an independent actuarial study that projected a deficit of $16.3 billion in the FHA insurance fund and a negative1.44 percent capital reserve ratio. The FY2012 annual actuarial report to Congress on the condition of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund reignited the debate on whether the FHAs solvency issues may be resolved without a taxpayer bailout. The capital reserve ratio dropped from 0.24 percent at the end of FY2011, which is already way below the ...
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is taking aggressive actions to mitigate the negative impact of future Home Equity Conversion Mortgage books of business on the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. HUD said changes in borrower use of the HECM program, particularly among younger users, and the modeling changes in the FY2012 actuarial review of the MMI Fund show substantial stress in the HECM program. Besides softening the impact of HECM losses on the fund, the department wants to ensure that consumers are better protected and able to sustain their reverse mortgages. While the MMI Funds economic value fell to ... [1 chart]
Some real estate agents are refusing to accept offers from buyers using FHA financing prompting minority rights advocates to question whether racial discrimination is causing the problem or some other factors. While illegal flipping and steering that targeted minority communities appear to have abated, bias against borrowers using FHA financing continues in the real estate market, according to Janis Bowdler, director of the Wealth-Building Policy project of the National Council of La Raza. Bowdler expressed her concern during a recent panel discussion of an FHA Working Paper on the FHAs role in the housing finance market hosted by the Urban Institute. She said there have been reports of ...