The FHA’s proposed supplemental method for measuring lender performance is “a step in the right direction” and would help compare lenders to an FHA acceptable rate, rather than an industry average, according to the National Association of Realtors. The supplemental performance metric is crucial in an environment where lenders are instituting credit overlays on FHA-insured mortgages, the NAR said in a comment letter. The FHA proposes to use the metric along with the compare ratio to determine whether a lender with an unusually high default rate should be terminated from the FHA single-family program. This reflects the FHA’s view that factors other than the compare ratio might also influence a lender’s performance. Currently, the FHA compares a lender’s early seriously delinquent (SDQ) performance in a geographic area to other lenders in the same area. The number derived from this ...
The FHA’s Homeowners Armed With Knowledge (HAWK) pilot program is getting strong public support, particularly from first-time homebuyers and housing counselors.Based on comments received by the Department of Housing and Urban Development so far, the HAWK pilot is already taking hold in the public’s mind despite its limited publicity. -Rachel Andreyo, a new college graduate who was turned down recently for a mortgage loan pre-approval, said HAWK not only would educate potential first-time homebuyers about homeownership but also raise their hope of becoming a homeowner before the age of 30. “The knowledge this program would provide could be a game changer for young people and struggling Americans everywhere,” she wrote. Shawanda Walker, a single mother, sees HAWK as an opportunity for her to learn how to negotiate her first home purchase, learn about property taxes and ...
FHA jumbo loan originations fell significantly in the first quarter of 2014 due primarily to higher mortgage insurance premiums and a decrease in the mortgage loan limits, particularly in high-cost areas of the country, according to Inside FHA Lending’s analysis of agency data. FHA lenders reported a meager $2.4 billion in jumbo originations during the first three months of the year, a decrease of 21.2 percent from the previous quarter and down a whopping 55.7 percent from the same period a year ago. Purchase loans accounted for 81.0 percent of new originations while fixed-rate loans comprised 86.8 percent. FHA jumbo loans are those over $417,000 and they comprise a very small slice of the FHA’s overall loan portfolio. Citing FHA data, Brian Chappelle, a mortgage industry consultant, said that of the FHA loans originated in the last 12 months, roughly 11,000 loans were above $500,000, down from ... [ 2 charts]
NY Passes Bill to Reduce Number of FHA Loans that Would Fall Under Subprime. The New York Assembly recently passed legislation that would result in fewer FHA loans being classified as “subprime” under state banking law, according to the law firm Ballard Spahr. Already passed by the Senate, the bill would make permanent prior emergency rules issued by the Department of Financial Services, which raised the subprime threshold 75 basis points for those loans subject to the revised FHA mortgage-insurance premium cancellation policy. Although the emergency rules were set to expire on Dec. 31, 2013, the DFS granted an extension to allow the state legislature additional time to find a permanent solution, said Ballard Spahr attorneys. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and strong industry backing, and is expected to ...
In a few weeks, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will release second quarter results, likely posting positive earnings, but the revenue figures will not include any major boost from legal settlements or the recapture of previously set-aside loan loss reserves. In short, what the two government-sponsored enterprises report in earnings for the second quarter should reflect what their operating profits might look like going forward, given normal market conditions. However, over the past six months, the CEOs of Fannie and Freddie and top officials at the Treasury Department – the owner of its senior preferred shares – have consistently argued...
But the CFPB's Richard Cordray said people are misinterpreting the formal Federal Register notice which unveiled the expansive scope of the database project.
The CFPB's Steve Antonakes revealed that the agency did not start training many of its examiners about the new rules until the first half of this year.
Home-equity lending fell off sharply during the first quarter of 2014, but the sector may be poised for a rebound in the months ahead. Home-equity originations totaled an estimated $13 billion during the first three months of this year, down 18.8 percent from the previous quarter. That was up 8.3 percent from the first quarter of 2013, and a handful of lenders reported increased home-equity activity in early 2014. Most closed-end seconds and home-equity lines of credit are retained...[Includes three data charts]
The market for large packages of “legacy” mortgage servicing rights is ice cold these days, throwing a monkey wrench into the aggressive growth plans of Ocwen Financial, Walter Investment Management and Nationstar Mortgage. The reason is simple: regulatory scrutiny from the New York Department of Financial Services of Ocwen’s planned purchase of $39 billion in highly delinquent MSRs from Wells Fargo has dampened both auctions and sales. “Legacy packages are still out there,” said one buyer of mortgage receivables, “but I don’t see many of them and they’re not very large.” He added...
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