Cart

Inside Mortgage Finance

April 11, 2008

View Archived Issues

Lenders Pick Apart Fed’s HOEPA Proposal, Call for Critical Changes to Meet Lofty Goals

Mortgage lenders expressed deep concerns about the Federal Reserve Board’s proposed rules under the Home Ownership and Equity Protect Act, which they say could lead to overregulation, significant or disproportionate liability, reputation risks... Read More

Democrats’ Proposed Expansion of FHA Strongly Opposed by HUD, Mortgage Servicers Put on Notice

Rep. Barney Frank, D-MA, said this week that he thinks he has reached “a substantial amount of agreement” with the Bush administration on a proposed expansion of FHA. Frank pointed to the administration’s loosening of standards for FHASecure this... Read More

Senate’s Housing Stimulus Bill Seen as Starting Point In Congress’ Efforts to Help Troubled Borrowers

The Senate this week approved a housing stimulus bill that was so watered down neither Democrats nor Republicans were happy with it. The debate now shifts to the House, which could pass a markedly different and more ambitious version in the coming weeks... Read More

HUD Tweaks FHASecure Eligibility, Asks Lenders to Bail Out Underwater Borrowers

The Bush administration this week expanded the potential borrower pool for its much touted FHASecure program but kept to a cheerleading role on what many believe to be the biggest challenge in the housing market: mortgages to distressed borrowers that... Read More

Chicago FHLBank Faces Bleaker Prospects As Merger Talks With Dallas Are Called Off

The Dallas and Chicago Federal Home Loan Banks called off their merger discussions this week, suddenly making the Chicago FHLBank more vulnerable at a time when the system is enjoying a renaissance in advance business and relevance to a troubled mortgage finance... Read More

FHLBanks May Help Refi Subprime/Alt A

The Federal Housing Finance Board is considering allowing the Federal Home Loan Banks to refinance up to $75 million of subprime and nontraditional loans this year. The proposed rule is similar to authority received by the FHLBank of San Francisco in... Read More

IMF-Sponsored Study Identifies Steps Servicers Should Take to Reduce Losses on REO Sales

Mortgage servicers are inadvertently driving up the costs associated with selling foreclosed properties by failing to recognize the new realities of the real estate owned or REO market, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance study on lender and... [Includes two charts] Read More

Freddie Orders Mortgage Insurers to Devise Remediation Plans as MI Earnings Sink

In response to ratings downgrades due to weaker-than-expected results for the fourth quarter of 2007, Freddie Mac is requiring remediation plans from four mortgage insurers. With concerns of rising unemployment and falling house values, Standard & Poor’s... Read More

Ginnie Mae Business Stages Modest Rally in Declining Housing Market

Ginnie Mae quietly reached a milestone in the early months of 2008 as the agency saw its new mortgage securitization volume surpass the level of issuance in the non-agency MBS market for the first time in more than seven years. A total... [Includes one chart and one graph] Read More

Latest Imf News

More Imf News

Featured Data

More Featured Data

Featured Reports

More Latest Reports

Featured Poll

As homeowner equity continues to build, more and more lenders are launching home equity lending products. Are you thinking of joining this market?

View Results