State-licensed mortgage lenders originated $239.70 billion of home mortgages in the second quarter of this year, according to nonbank mortgage call report figures compiled by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System. The sector posted an 18.9 percent increase in origination volume from the first three months of the year, slightly more than the 17.1 percent rise in total first-lien originations over that period. As a result, the nonbank share of new production ... [Includes two data charts]

The Mortgage Bankers Association is working to reduce the speed talking and fine print that tend to accompany advertisements for mortgages. Currently, ad-disclosure requirements for mortgages vary by state. In August, Illinois became the first state to adopt a uniform ad-disclosure protocol supported by the MBA. Mortgage ads in the Prairie State must now include a reference to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry’s consumer access website and cite ...

The securitization and mortgage banking industries heaved a collective sigh of relief after aMaryland appeals court ruled earlier this month that state licensing requirements do not apply to “foreign” statutory trusts.

New York has enacted legislation redefining a reverse mortgage as a “home loan.” With the new law, statutory 90-day pre-foreclosure notices and certificates of merit would be required for all reverse-mortgage foreclosures in the Empire State. New York’s foreclosure settlement conference law has incorporated the new definition by reference, removing any doubt that such meetings are required in most reverse-mortgage cases, said industry attorneys. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D, signed the amendment into law on April 12, 2018, though it is deemed to have been in full force and effect as of April 20, 2017. However, the pre-foreclosure notice requirement for reverse mortgages has an effective date of May 12, 2018. For actions commenced after May 12, the new state law requires lenders, servicers or assignees to provide a pre-foreclosure notice at least 90 days before initiating legal action against the borrower at the ...

States are dedicating more resources for consumer protection in financial services to fill the vacuum of a potentially less aggressive CFPB. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, D, recently said in a press release that he and Gov. Phil Murphy, D, will “fill the void left by the Trump administration’s pullback of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,” and create what they referred to as a “state-level CFPB.” Murphy will name Paul Rodriguez as the director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs ...

Approvals by state regulators and federal agencies of mortgage-related mergers and acquisitions can drag on for a variety of reasons, but lenders and servicers can help speed the process by providing detailed disclosures, according to industry attorneys. Keisha Whitehall Wolfe, counsel at the law firm of Mayer Brown, suggested providing regulators with details about what is changing at a company due to pending M&A activity and what isn’t changing. She suggested providing a ...

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman this week announced a $500 million settlement with Royal Bank of Scotland to resolve allegations of misconduct in the sale and issuance of non-agency MBS leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.

Democrat Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut recently introduced legislation to allow state attorneys general and other state law enforcers to issue subpoenas during the course of investigations regarding compliance with state law by national banks. The Accountability for Wall Street Executives Act of 2017 would clarify that state attorneys general have authority to conduct visitorial oversight of federally-chartered national banks. It also would revise language in the National Bank Act that the Supreme Court interpreted as limiting the visitorial powers of state law enforcers when addressing compliance with state law by national banks. Additionally, the measure would permit subpoenas for suspected violations of real estate lending laws. “With ...

Democrat state attorneys general from 16 states and the District of Columbia wrote President Trump earlier this month, vowing to ramp up their enforcement efforts if the bureau backs off under Acting Director Mick Mulvaney, and taking issue with his appointment to the position. “As you know, state attorneys general have express statutory authority to enforce federal consumer protection laws, as well as the consumer protection laws of our respective states,” the AGs said. “We will continue to enforce those laws vigorously regardless of changes to CFPB’s leadership or agenda.” They reminded the president that, as attorneys general, they retain broad authority to investigate and prosecute individuals or companies that deceive, scam or otherwise harm consumers. “If incoming CFPB leadership ...

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors recently told the CFPB it is concerned that a rule expected from the bureau could erode the relationship lending model that community banks use with small businesses. “The proposed new data collection requirements will require lenders to compile and report a variety of data points regarding small business applications and loans,” the state regulators said in a recent comment letter to the bureau. “At a minimum, these new data collection requirements will impose additional and disproportionate compliance costs on smaller financial institutions with limited resources and unnecessarily raise the cost of originating small business loans by all lenders.” According to the CSBS, community banks exercise a substantial amount of discretion and expertise in the ...