CRA Newswire

FHFA: Use of Interest Rate Reduction Expanded to Help Borrowers with a COVID-19 Hardship Reduce Their Monthly Mortgage Payment

Changes to loan modification terms will help borrowers stay in their homes Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced changes to loan modification terms for COVID-19 impacted borrowers with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) needing payment reduction for successful home retention. The updated terms are specifically for borrowers with…

FHFA: New and Expanded Statistical Products Announced for the National Mortgage Databse

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released a set of new and expanded statistical products from the National Mortgage Database (NMDB®). FHFA expanded the national statistics for new residential mortgage originations to include monthly, quarterly, and annual series for home purchase and refinance mortgages in all major market segments. FHFA also added a new…

CDFI Fund: Application Demand for FY 2021 Round of CDFI Program and NACA Program Released

The fiscal year (FY) 2021 application round for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund’s (CDFI Fund) Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program) and Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program) closed on May 3, 2021. At this time, it is expected that the Technical Assistance (TA) awards and Financial Assistance (FA) awards will be…

FEMA: COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Policy Amended

FEMA is amending the agency’s COVID-19 funeral assistance policy to assist with COVID-19 related fatalities that occurred in the early months of the pandemic. This policy change will allow applicants to submit a statement or letter from the death certificate’s certifying official, medical examiner, or coroner that attributes the death to COVID-19 fatalities that occurred…

FHFA: House Price Index Up 1.8 Percent in April; Up 15.7 Percent from Last Year

House prices rose nationwide in April, up 1.8 percent from the previous month, according to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (FHFA HPI®).  House prices rose 15.7 percent from April 2020 to April 2021. The previously reported 1.4 percent price change for March 2021 was revised upward to a 1.6 percent increase. For the nine census…

FHFA: New Protections Announced After COVID-19 Foreclosure and REO Eviction Moratoriums End

Servicers of Enterprise-backed mortgages will be prohibited from making most first filings for foreclosure before new CFPB rules take effect August 31 Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) servicers will not be permitted to make a first notice or filing for foreclosure that would be…

CFPB: Report Issued Highlighting Supervisory Findings of Wide-Ranging Violations of Law in 2020

Examiners found violations in areas including consumer reporting accuracy, redlining, foreclosure, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today issued a report highlighting legal violations identified by the Bureau’s examinations in 2020. The report also highlights prior CFPB supervisory findings that led to public enforcement actions in 2020 resulting in more…

OCC: New Report Indicates Mortgage Performance Declined in First Quarter 2021

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) reported that the performance of first-lien mortgages in the federal banking system declined during the first quarter of 2021. The OCC Mortgage Metrics Report, First Quarter 2021 showed that 94.2 percent of mortgages included in the report were current and performing at the end of the quarter, compared…

CFPB: Rules Issued to Facilitate Smooth Transition as Federal Foreclosure Protections Expire

Regulations Will Help Prevent Surge of Foreclosures and Protect American Economy The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today finalized amendments to the federal mortgage servicing regulations to reinforce the ongoing economic recovery as the federal foreclosure moratoria are phased out and which will help protect mortgage borrowers from unwelcome surprises as they exit forbearance. The…

FDIC & Federal Reserve: List of Distressed or Underserved Nonmetropolitan Middle-Income Geographies Released

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation today announced the availability of the 2021 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies. These are geographic areas where revitalization or stabilization activities are eligible to receive Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) consideration under the community development definition. Distressed nonmetropolitan…