The new standards are a result of a collaboration between Ginnie and the Federal Housing Finance Agency to align rules for their counterparties. Most of the new standards take effect Sept. 30, 2023.

The most popular option is when another veteran assumes the VA loan and trades the benefit eligibility, said John Bell, executive director of VA’s Loan Guaranty Service.

The share of Ginnie Mae loans in forbearance remained flat at 1.26% in July compared to the previous month.

Housing counselors can play a greater role in helping delinquent borrowers understand the menu of loss-mitigation tools, according to trade group and government officials speaking at a recent HUD conference.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT, chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-SD, recently introduced the Native American Direct Loan Improvement Act to boost homeownership among Native Americans.

Housing-related funding was largely absent from the Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden signed into law this week.

Ginnie supports FHA multifamily risk-share initiative; rulemaking on private flood insurance for FHA borrowers moving forward; webinar on student loan debts and mortgage underwriting; the Community Home Lenders Association and the Community Mortgage Lenders of America merge; FHA updates multifamily guidance; VA extends recission for COVID-19 partial claim payment program; and more.

Private mortgage insurance companies are raising premiums on a targeted basis, in part so they can better manage risk in an increasingly volatile economy.

Changes in the housing market and economic outlook could impact how FHA officials consider whether, when and how to make changes to FHA’s mortgage insurance premium.

The Senate last week approved $70 billion in budgetary resources for the Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of its fiscal 2023 appropriations package.