New USDA Chief. Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue was sworn in as Secretary of Agriculture on April 25, shortly after the Senate confirmed him. At the same time, President Trump signed an executive order creating a task force on growing housing, among other things, as an economic driver in rural communities. Improved Lender Search List Launched. The FHA last week announced an improved lender list-search capability to help the public search for FHA-approved single-family and multifamily lenders. The search engine allows search on a variety of criteria, including lender name, city, state, servicer-originator type, and recent Home Equity Conversion Mortgage or 203(k) rehabilitation mortgage experience. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s new Lender List Search web page replaces the previous Lender List lookup page on HUD.gov. While search criteria have not ...