The Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development called for civil and administrative actions against loanDepot for allowing ineligible “gifts” on FHA-insured loans.Acting on a referral from HUD’s Quality Assurance Division, the IG focused on FHA loans originated by loanDepot that included downpayment assistance from the Golden State Finance Authority. A review of 75 loans endorsed from Oct. 1, 2013, to Jan. 31, 2015, determined that 62 loans involved gift funds that did not comply with FHA requirements. In addition, the privately held nonbank lender “inappropriately charged borrowers $25,700 in fees that were not customary or reasonable, as well as $46,510 in discount fees that did not represent the purpose of the fee,” the IG said. The IG blamed loanDepot’s overreliance on Golden State’s Platinum Downpayment Assistance Program as well as ...

The majority of higher-priced first-lien loans in 2014 were FHA-insured, according to the latest Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. Approximately 45 percent of FHA-insured, first-lien purchase mortgages had annual percentage rates in excess of the reporting threshold, similar to the percentage in the latter half of 2013, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council noted. Higher-priced loans are those with APRs that exceed the average prime offer rate by at least 1.5 percentage points for first-lien loans and at least 3.5 percentage points for subordinate-lien loans. The data on the incidence of higher-priced lending show that about 8 percent of first-lien purchase loans originated in 2014 have APRs that exceed the loan-price reporting thresholds, up from about 5 percent in 2013, the FFIEC said. The higher APRs for FHA loans were due to a slight increase in ... [ 1 chart ]

VA loan servicers have until Nov. 1, 2015, to review and comment on the new VA Servicer Handbook and ensure compliance with the established policy and guidelines. The servicer handbook combines guidance issued via circulars and news flashes over the years. In addition, the agency has started hosting biweekly servicer calls to update VA servicers on policy changes and new developments, according to Andrew Trevayne, assistant director of loan management with the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program. VA-guaranteed loans are serviced through the VA Loan Electronic Reporting Interface (VALERI) system. The handbook also discusses roles and responsibilities for VA loan-administration staff and servicers. It does not change or supersede any regulation or law affecting the loan program. Servicers may submit comments on the updated handbook to ...

VA lender Michigan Mutual in Southfield, MI, gives new meaning to “service above and beyond,” which makes it unique among its VA peers. Michigan Mutual, a national wholesale mortgage lender, ramps up its service to members of the military by having a representative conduct yearly outreach to American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Every year, since 2009, Rick Roque, managing director at Michigan Mutual, has been volunteering to spend a few weeks conducting mortgage-related seminars for soldiers in U.S. bases in the two countries. During those seminars, Roque talks about the benefits of a VA-guaranteed mortgage loan for those thinking of purchasing a home after their deployment. “Soldiers in combat zones are constantly under severe stress and hardly have time to think about homeownership,” said Roque. “Their priority is survival and ...

The FHA has a number of rulemakings in the regulatory pipeline and other policy topics related to mortgage origination and servicing, all lined for action in the fall. The program changes are geared towards FHA single-family priorities, such as expanding first-time homebuyers’ and underserved creditworthy borrowers’ access to credit, ensuring the long-term viability of FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund and making it easier to do business with the FHA. Agency data show that, as of July 31, 2015, first-time homebuyers accounted for 82 percent of FHA purchase loans compared to 72 percent in the prior year. FHA officials attributed the surge in purchase loans to the half percentage point reduction in the annual mortgage insurance premium, which they translated into a yearly savings of $900 for a household with an average mortgage-loan size of $180,000. On Sept. 15, the ...

Mortgage loans with a Section 502 guarantee are a great deal for first-time homebuyers in rural areas, said Michelle Corridon, deputy director of the Single Family Housing - Guaranteed Loan Division with the U.S. Department of Agricultures’ Rural Development. No downpayment is required on a 30-year fixed-rate, USDA-backed mortgage loan, Corridon noted. Loan closing is fast because closing is fully automated, she added. Approximately 99 percent of USDA lenders are using paperless, automated loan closing, for which they pay a certain fee. Loan-note guarantee is also available online. USDA loans are typically purchase transactions. Of these, 85 percent are first-time homebuyers. There are few refinances, Corridon noted. Approximately 10 percent of purchase loans are for new construction. The product caters to low- and moderate-income households in ...

Ginnie Mae has announced revised rules for issuers seeking approval of changes in their business status due to an adversarial relationship with agencies, mergers, asset transfers or a change in ownership or control. The agency has been receiving many issuer requests and they are getting complicated, according to Ted Tozer, Ginnie Mae president. Issuers must comply with the updated guidance in order to remain an eligible participant in the Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities program. The guidance took effect immediately. Previously, issuers were required to notify Ginnie Mae in writing within five days of any material adverse change in their business relationships with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, Rural Development, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Public and Indian Housing or any other regulatory agency. Under the revised guidance, the ...

The FHA has revised the required time frame for mortgagees to submit the original promissory note associated with a partial claim and laid out the penalties for noncompliance. The guidance became effective on Sept. 1, 2015. On the same day, The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued letters demanding full reimbursement of all amounts associated with overdue partial-claim documents after Sept. 1. The guidance also reminded lenders of the procedures for preparing and submitting partial-claim documents to HUD’s loan-servicing contractor. Proper recordation and submission of partial-claim documentation will ensure HUD’s interest is protected, according to the guidance. Currently, FHA has a high volume of missing partial-claim documents due to lenders’ failure to follow rules for recording and submitting security instruments. The revised guidance also contains directions for executing partial-claim docs and reconciling ...

HUD Announces New Mortgagee Compliance Manager. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has hired Information System & Networks Corp. (ISN) as its new mortgagee compliance manager. ISN took over from Michaelson, Connor & Boul, which was awarded the first MCM contract in 2010, when HUD reorganized its Management and Marketing (M&M) I and II programs under a new M&M III. As mortgage compliance manager, MCB performed real estate acquisition-to-disposition servicers for HUD, among other things. ISN effectively took over Oct. 1, assuming all pre- and post-conveyance activities including the following: requests for more time to convey; processing of occupied conveyances; approval of reimbursable expenses for preservation and protection, particularly amount in excess of allowable P&P expenses (including Home Equity Conversion Mortgages); and requests to ...

The IG was actually looking into possible down payment assistance violations at another lender and decided to audit loanDepot because of its high volume of loans with those features.