Up until recently, if a mortgage joint venture of Wells Fargo asked its partner if the megabank was still feeling the love for joint ventures, the answer would’ve been yes. At least that’s the word from one JV executive who received the news recently that Wells was tossing all of its origination JVs overboard. Earlier in the year, the bank told its two largest JVs – HomeServices Lending and Prosperity Mortgage – that everything was hunky dory. Well, apparently not. Of course, both Home and Prosperity needn’t worry...

With the prospect of the qualified mortgage right around the bend for the mortgage lending industry, it could be easy for lenders to be so focused on getting their points-and-fees calculation to a point of near-perfection. But don't lose sight of your third-party vendors. Michael Chan, vice president at ComplianceEase in Burlingame, CA, gave some attendees at a recent Inside Mortgage Finance webinar on the QM a list of features and characteristics that should be part of a lender's every due diligence effort to vet and review a...

House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-CA, sent a letter to CFPB Director Richard Cordray recently, expressing concerns that senior employees have left the bureau in order to profit from the very rules they helped create. “Simply put, it appears that former CFPB employees are now offering financial products in a market sector created by the very rules they were in a position to influence while working in senior leadership positions...

A group, including State National Bank of Big Spring, TX, and 11 state attorneys general, have appealed a recent district court dismissal of their lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of the CFPB as well as President Obama’s recess appointment of Richard Cordray as the bureau’s director. “The district court’s opinion is deeply flawed,” C. Boyden Gray, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said in announcing the appeal. “It is disturbing that the opinion – and the government – ignored the very real harm Dodd-Frank has...

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appears to have come out in support of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But will other elected officials follow suit?

The guidance, effective October 15, applies to manually underwritten FHA loans and requires lenders to document reasons for approving a mortgage when the borrower has collection accounts or judgments.

HUD Seeks Comment on Proposed Multifamily Rule. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking comment on proposed changes to regulations covering contract rights and obligations of FHA multifamily lenders. When a lender finances multifamily loans through bonds or bond anticipation notes, it uses the FHA insurance claim funds to pay off the remaining bond debts. At times, the claims payments are greater than the remaining bond debts. The proposed rule would require lenders to return to the FHA the excess bond funds that remain after ...

The VA home loan program was up 23.5 percent in the first six months of 2013, although activity slowed by 1.5 percent from the first quarter, according to Inside FHA Lending’s analysis of VA data. The VA reported $74.4 billion in purchase and refinanced loans during the first six months, with refis accounting for 52.9 percent of total volume. The program’s share of the overall mortgage insurance market fell to 22.2 percent in the second quarter from 24.3 percent in the previous quarter. Combining their year-to-date results, the FHA and VA reported a combined ... [1 chart]

The FHA’s FY 2013 commitment authority for its multifamily programs will run out on Aug. 15, forcing loan applicants to suspend their projects until Congress can approve a new funding commitment for FY 2014. The FHA has informed multifamily, risk share and healthcare program participants that the $25 billion commitment authority allotted by Congress for FY 2013 is nearly gone. The agency said it does not have enough funds for all applications currently in the pipeline. The agency continued to ...

Continued abuses has caused single-family loan originations to remain a top priority for reviews and targeted audits, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General. A specialized audit program has been developed to target lenders, considering a number of high-risk indicators, the OIG said. Although the agency did not elaborate, it did note Congress’ keen interest in FHA solvency and in eradicating policies and practices that contribute to the agency’s current financial woes. The OIG said it plans to ...