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…
HUD: FHA 2018 Annual Report to Congress Released
Capital Reserves remain above statutory minimum for fourth straight year The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today released its 2018 Annual Report to Congress on the economic condition of the agency’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMI Fund). FHA reports that at the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the MMI Fund had a total Economic Net…
FHFA: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Refinance Volume Decreases in Third Quarter 2018
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today reported that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed 253,135 refinances in the third quarter of 2018, compared with 299,460 in the second quarter. FHFA’s third quarter Refinance Report also shows that 1,865 loans were refinanced through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), bringing the total number of HARP…
FHFA: Progress Update on the Single Security Initiative and Common Securitization Platform for Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today published An Update on the Single Security Initiative (SSI) and the Common Securitization Platform (CSP) detailing activity and progress on the development of the CSP and toward the launch of a single, common security called the Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security (UMBS). Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) and…
FHFA: 2019 Multifamily Lending Caps Announced for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that the 2019 multifamily lending caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will be $35 billion for each Enterprise, unchanged from the 2018 caps. The caps are based on FHFA’s projections of the overall size of the 2019 multifamily originations market, which FHFA expects to…
BCFP & FHFA: National Survey of Mortgage Originations Dataset Released for Public Use
The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released for public use a new loan-level dataset collected through the National Survey of Mortgage Originations (NSMO) that provides insights into borrowers’ experiences in getting a residential mortgage. The NSMO is a component of the National Mortgage Database (NMDB®), the…
FHFA: Indices Show Little Movement in Mortgage Rates in September 2018
Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages were nearly flat from August to September, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.62 percent for loans closed in late September, down 1 basis point from 4.63 percent in August….
HUD: FHA Announces Streamlined Claim Payment Requirements in Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program
Action intended to speed reverse mortgage claim payments The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced revised requirements for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) servicers when they assign FHA-insured reverse mortgages to the agency for claim payment. Effective immediately, FHA-approved HECM servicers can use alternative supporting documentation in lieu of previously required materials that, in many…
CFPB: Fall 2018 Rulemaking Agenda
The Bureau’s general purpose, as specified in section 1021 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), is to implement and enforce Federal consumer financial law consistently for the purpose of ensuring that all consumers have access to markets for consumer financial products and services and that markets for consumer financial…
FHFA: Mortgage Translations Clearinghouse Launched to Help Borrowers with English Language Barriers
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Freddie Mac (OTCQB:FMCC), and Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) together announce the launch of Mortgage Translations – a centralized clearinghouse of online resources to assist lenders, servicers, housing counselors, and other real estate professionals in serving limited English proficient (LEP) borrowers. LEP borrowers make up a growing share of today’s mortgage…