The Federal Housing Finance Agency will soon unveil capital rules for private mortgage insurers, introducing a risk-based standard based on loan-to-value ratios and other factors, while requiring parent companies to pledge assets to their MI subsidiaries if necessary, according to officials close to the matter. “Financial strength will be measured by comparing insured risk, on a risk-adjusted basis, against available assets,” said one official commenting under the condition he not be identified. The phrase “available assets” is key because it portends that liquidity must reside at the MI level and not at an affiliate of a parent company. It’s...
The anxiously-awaited Spring surge in purchase-mortgage lending finally arrived at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during recent months, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis of loan-level data from the two government-sponsored enterprises. The two GSEs issued $141.83 billion of single-family mortgage-backed securities during the second quarter, an encouraging 9.8 percent increase from the dreary levels recorded in the first three months of 2014. During the first quarter of this year, Fannie/Freddie MBS production set a 14-year low of just $129.21 billion. Clearly, the market isn’t...[Includes three data charts]
The Federal Housing Finance Agency agreed to provide guidance to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on how to manage the risks arising from their work with nonbank special servicers, the FHFA’s Office of Inspector General said in a report issued this week. The OIG said the FHFA and the government-sponsored enterprises “have responded well to specific problems at nonbank special servicers.” However, it said the FHFA “has not established a risk management process or overall oversight framework to handle some general risks” such servicers pose. The report cites...
U.S. Bank became the latest casualty in the government’s offensive against lax underwriting and improper origination of FHA mortgages after the bank to pay $200 million to settle all related charges. The Minneapolis-based bank became the seventh FHA lender since 2012 that has entered into settlement agreements with the Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to resolve alleged violation of the False Claims Act and the Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act, according to Inside FHA Lending’s analysis of government data. The government lawsuits allege that the banks’ certification of loans as eligible for FHA insurance under the direct endorsement program violated the FCA. The banks’ misconduct allegedly contributed to the legacy losses that crippled the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund and placed the ...
The Treasury Department announced late last week that it is working to develop market practices and standards that would be necessary “to support a safe and sustainable non-agency MBS housing finance channel of significant scale.” As part of the effort, the Treasury posed nine questions to industry participants and is accepting comments on the issue until Aug. 8. Michael Stegman, counselor to the Treasury for housing finance policy, said regulators have addressed most of the problems seen in the non-agency MBS market before the financial crisis. “The last remaining piece of the puzzle is putting in place standards and mechanisms to protect investors in residential MBS, while also clearly defining issuer responsibilities so that they have the confidence to return to the market at scale,” he said. Regulators may have “addressed”...
The FHA is seeking comment on two new sections of a proposed single-family handbook for mortgage lenders. The handbook is in development. Once completed, it will serve as the centralized source of current and future FHA policies. Agency staff is collating policies from several handbooks, rules, mortgagee letters, notices and other sources to incorporate into the handbook. The FHA is publishing two new sections, “Doing Business with FHA – FHA Lenders and Mortgagees” and “Quality Control, Oversight and Compliance,” for comment. The “Doing Business” section lays out the requirements for FHA lender approval, including eligibility requirements, application processes, operating requirements and post-approval changes. The section also contains the recertification process as well as processes for applying for ...
The issue of eminent domain is rearing its head again, compelling mortgage and securitization industry groups to once more mobilize their resources to deep-six the latest initiatives. The most recent manifestation of a resurgent interest in eminent domain is in California, where John Avalos, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, has sponsored a resolution seeking to enter the city into a joint powers authority agreement with Richmond, CA, a vehicle by which both cities could seize underwater but performing mortgages using eminent domain. Avalos’ resolution targets...
Senate Banking Committee Approves HUD, FHFA IG Nominees. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs recently approved the nomination of Julian Castro as the next secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Castro, D, is the incumbent mayor of San Antonio, TX. The panel also approved the nomination of Laura Wertheimer as inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The Senate has yet to confirm their nominations. Meanwhile, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan’s nomination for director of the Office of Management and Budget was approved by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Reform on June 25. FHA Policies on Arm’s Length Transactions and Compliance with State Laws. The FHA is developing guidance to address concerns that laws in certain states may conflict with its arm’s length transaction requirements for preforeclosure/short sales. Until the guidance is issued, FHA lenders should seek guidance and assistance from the FHA National Servicing Center in matters of ...
Freddie Mac announced this week it has obtained insurance to cover some $285 million of losses on a pool of home loans as part of a risk-sharing effort encouraged by the government-sponsored enterprises’ regulator. The performance of these deals has been “stellar,” according to one analyst. The policies, tied to loans the GSE bought or guaranteed in the second quarter of 2013, were obtained under Freddie’s Agency Credit Insurance Structure. First rolled out in November 2013, this week’s most recent ACIS deal – the largest to date – demonstrates...
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