A regional inspector general report found “material underwriting deficiencies” in a clump of FHA loans originated by Countrywide Financial, and though Bank of America may end up paying about $1 million to settle the charges, the case could be a harbinger of bigger losses to come. The Department of Housing and Urban Development inspector general for five upper midwest states singled out Countrywide for an audit because the company’s average default-to-claim rate was high for the region. The IG audited just 14 FHA loans, but half of them contained material underwriting deficiencies, mostly failing to...

Two strongly pro-consumer mortgage lending initiatives underway at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are nearing completion, top agency officials told industry representatives recently. One project nearing the finish line is the ability-to-repay rulemaking the bureau inherited earlier this year from the Federal Reserve Board. The final rule will be unveiled “early next year in order to provide clarity to the market as quickly as we can, without sacrificing the quality of our analysis,” said Raj Date, special advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury for the CFPB, in comments before attendees at a conference sponsored by SourceMedia. “I’m a real believer in...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is looking for public input on two separate proposals that could change the way Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac servicers are compensated.This week, the FHFA issued a discussion paper detailing proposed alternatives for a GSE servicing compensation model that will benefit servicers, consumers and investors.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is seeking comments and suggestions as it prepares for an upcoming, mandated review and revision of its existing regulations.

The average fee charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to lenders rose last year, while payments collected on the Home Affordable Refinance Program contributed to the GSEs’ bottom line, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.The third-annual FHFA study found that the average total guarantee fee charged by Fannie and Freddie on single-family mortgages was 26 basis points in 2010, compared to 22 bps in 2009. When HARP loans were excluded, the FHFA said the total average g-fee increased to 25 bps in 2010 from 21 bps in 2009.

Mortgage lenders need to get a better understanding of their business in today’s economic and regulatory environment and be able to make important decisions quickly in order to stay competitive, according to industry experts. Having more thoughtful insight into the mortgage business lies in the ability of a lender to go deep into its mortgage portfolio and see the risks and opportunities. The key to improving portfolio performance, experts say, is better analytics and using solutions to maximize the value of the portfolio. Today, banks are forced to redefine their loan accounting reporting in light of new regulatory requirements and expectations of...

States are moving quickly to implement laws and regulations facilitating “eExamination” of mortgage lenders, leveraging technological innovation to bring the industry closer towards the goal of self-examination and self-regulation. “We are close to 30 states that are doing eExaminations, and we’re trying to bring on additional states as we move forward,” said Michael Chan, vice president of technology vendor Compliance Ease. “One of the reasons why I would say we’re reaching a tipping point is that state regulators are conducting limited-scope electronic exams,” he added. The idea behind that is...

In a proposal that could reshape the economics and competitive landscape of the mortgage industry, the Federal Housing Finance Agency this week proposed two alternatives for servicing compensation on future Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac business that could end up being the model for the market beyond the government-sponsored enterprises.“As the recent problems in managing mortgage delinquencies suggest, the current servicing compensation model was not designed for current market conditions,” said FHFA Acting Director Edward DeMarco. “The goal of this joint initiative is to explore alternative models for single-family mortgage servicing compensation that...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency found itself on the defensive this week following a rapid-fire series of highly critical reports issued by its inspector general that questioned the agency’s capacity to oversee Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac effectively, as well as its decisions in specific cases. The FHFA Office of Inspector General said late last week that the FHFA’s examination program, the primary means by which it supervises and regulates the government-sponsored enterprises, faces “capacity and transparency shortfalls.” “The agency has too few examiners to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of...

As state regulators ratchet up their examinations of licensed mortgage companies, lenders are beginning to look for a way to raise concerns and ask questions during the evaluation. Such a mechanism might take the form of an ombudsman or neutral feedback loop that would allow for clarification. “The exam process is supposed to be about regulatory compliance and operation soundness. Right now, there’s no way for licensed mortgage companies to go back to the [Conference of State Bank Supervisors] to get questions answered or provide real-time feedback,” noted Donald Lampe, the leader of Dykema’s financial...