Lenders will face higher penalties for violations of agency rules and regulations as the FHA and the Department of Veterans Affairs adjust their respective maximum civil monetary penalties for inflation. The adjustments are mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, which also requires publication of an interim final rule showing the current and adjusted penalty amounts. Effective June 22, 2016, VA’s maximum civil monetary penalties for false loan guaranty certification increased from $10,000 to $21,563, and from $5,500 to $10,781 for fraudulent claims or statements in any VA program. Comments on the VA interim final rule must be received on or before Aug. 22, 2016. Meanwhile, the FHA also is making inflation adjustments for its maximum civil penalties through an interim final rule that will take effect Aug. 15, 2016, the day before the ...
The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to conduct computer-based training for appraisal managers to improve the way they assess the VA Home Loan Guaranty program’s appraisal process. The VA said it hopes to garner more positive feedback from staff appraisal reviewers this year by having them train with LoanSafe Appraisal Manager (LSAM). LSAM, an appraisal risk-analysis tool from CoreLogic, automatically evaluates all the data and form fields in an appraisal, quickly returning an easy-to-use summary of key valuation, market-risk factors and compliance issues. In June last year, the VA announced an automated Appraisal Management Service (AMS) that includes the LSAM product for use in enhancing the appraisal review process prior to issuance of the Notice of Value. The AMS system provides lender and servicer appraisal processing programs and staff appraisal reviewers (SARs), which will ...
HUD Secretary, IG Issue Authority Letter. As the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s independent internal watchdog, the HUD Inspector General sometimes produces audit findings that are at odds with existing policy or practice, causing friction between the IG and the department. Industry sources, who asked not to be named, say IG and HUD staffs are cordial but not friendly to each other. This perceived hostility has created an atmosphere of non-cooperation that sometimes interferes with the job at hand. There have been instances where HUD staff denied or sat on IG requests for information, citing national security, privacy or attorney-client privilege. Recently, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and HUD Inspector General David Montoya issued a joint a letter calling on HUD employees to be supportive of OIG activities. “This should be a collaboration that is built on mutual respect, ... [ 3 charts ]
A new 1 percent home loan product has quietly hit the market to help qualified, cash-strapped borrowers overcome one of the biggest obstacles to homeownership: downpayment. With significant variation in details, the 1 percent down mortgages offered by Quicken Loans and Guaranteed Rate stem from their partnerships with Freddie Mac and are structured as part of Freddie’s Home Possible Advantage program. In Quicken’s version, the borrower pays...
There’s a growing concern about price discounts on Ginnie servicing rights, and a strong belief that the agency is once again getting anxious about so many nonbanks being such large players in the market.
Exclusive data compiled by Inside Mortgage Finance show the FHA’s share of the primary MI market was 39.9 percent in the first quarter of 2016, compared to 33.5 percent in the first quarter of last year.
A few weeks back, Walter Investment CEO and vice chairman Denmark Dixon resigned, but was given a $2.25 million cash payment as part of a separation agreement from the company.
Outreach and lender-education efforts by industry groups, such as the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Home Builders, have boosted refis as well...
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