FHFA: U.S. House Prices Rise 1.3 Percent in Third Quarter 2018
U.S. house prices rose 1.3 percent in the third quarter of 2018 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI). House prices rose 6.3 percent from the third quarter of 2017 to the third quarter of 2018. FHFA’s seasonally adjusted monthly index for September was up 0.2 percent from August. The…
FHFA: Maximum Conforming Loan Limits for 2019 Announced
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Baseline Limit Will Increase to $484,350 The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2019. In most of the U.S., the 2019 maximum conforming loan limit for one-unit properties will be $484,350, an…
CDFI Fund: Application Demand for FY 2018 Round of Capital Magnet Fund Released
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) released today the application data for the fiscal year (FY) 2018 round of its Capital Magnet Fund program. A total of 116 organizations submitted eligible applications requesting more than $570 million in funding. The applicants propose to serve 49 states, the District…
OCC: New Publication Discusses the Importance of Bank Financing for Rural Broadband Initiatives
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today published the latest edition of its Community Developments Investments newsletter, “Expanding Internet Access: Bank Financing for Rural Broadband Initiatives.” This edition of Community Developments Investments discusses the important role national banks and federal savings associations can play in helping rural communities gain reliable, high-speed internet…
HUD: $30 Million Awarded to Help Children in Foster Care
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $30 million to public housing authorities nationwide, which will work closely with local public welfare agencies to identify youth at risk of homelessness and families whose lack of adequate housing is the primary reason their children are in foster care. This funding will make…
CFPB: Natural Disaster Assistance Is Reported on a Minority of Credit Records Among Potentially Affected Consumers
Today the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report, this time focusing on the reporting of natural disasters in credit reports. This report explores how financial institutions furnish natural disaster assistance to credit reporting agencies, and summarizes trends in natural disaster reporting for consumers in the Greater Houston area…
HUD and Census Bureau: Residential Construction Activity Report for October 2018
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for October 2018. Building Permits: Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,263,000. This is 0.6 percent (±2.4 percent)* below the revised…
FHFA: Final Rule Issued Amending Federal Home Loan Banks’ Affordable Housing Program Regulation
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has published a final rule amending its regulation for the Federal Home Loan Banks’ (FHLBanks) Affordable Housing Program (AHP). The final rule provides additional flexibility at the local level for the FHLBanks, in consultation with their Advisory Councils, to allocate their AHP funds and to design their project selection…
EDA: $749,000 Invested to Boost Workforce Training Opportunities in West Virginia
Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $749,000 grant to Bridge Valley Community and Technical College of South Charleston, West Virginia, to help establish the Bridge Valley Construction, Telecommunications, and Energy Workforce Training Center, which will be located on Bridge Valley’s Montgomery campus. “Bridge Valley Community and Technical College…
Joint Release: Agencies Announce Threshold for Smaller Loan Exemption from Appraisal Requirements for Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans
The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced that the threshold for exempting loans from special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans during 2019 will increase from $26,000 to $26,700. The threshold amount will be effective Jan. 1, 2019, and is based…