Push to Overhaul Fannie, Freddie Nudges Up Mortgage Costs

Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2019–Andrew Ackerman, Ben Eisen (subscription)Investor anxiety about a Trump administration push to overhaul housing finance is showing up in prices in the market for mortgage-backed securities.

Mortgage Bond That Vanished During Financial Crisis Is Back

Wall Street Journal, June 24, 2019–Ben Eisen (subscription)Cerberus Capital Management LP is bringing back a type of mortgage bond that went extinct during the financial crisis. A unit of the private-equity firm issued bonds Friday backed entirely by home-equity lines of credit.

Dozens of Nursing Homes With HUD-Backed Mortgages Have ‘Serious Deficiencies’

New York Times, June 25, 2019–Matthew Goldstein, Robert GebeloffSeventy-four nursing homes with mortgages insured against default by the agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, are among 478 homes identified this month by two United States senators as having “serious deficiencies.”

Banks Sail Through Year’s First Round of Stress Tests

American Banker, June 21, 2019–John Heltman (subscription)Despite facing tougher scenarios, the 18 banks undergoing the Fed’s stress testing program this year easily passed the first examination, known as the Dodd-Frank Act Stress test, posting similar capital losses as in previous years.

Ginnie Mae Removes loanDepot’s VA Loan Restrictions

HousingWire, June 21, 2019–Ben LaneAfter nearly six months of being restricted from participating in some of Ginnie Mae’s mortgage bond programs as part of the agency’s crackdown on lenders for Department of Veterans Affairs loan churning, loanDepot is back in the game.

The GSEs’ Distressed Mortgage Volume Remains High in Five States

National Mortgage News, June 21, 2019–Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Although the performance of the government-sponsored enterprises’ single-family loans continues to improve, the deeply delinquent totals remain significant in states with court-processed foreclosures.

How JPMorgan’s Plan to Send Customers to Arbitration Wound Up in Court

American Banker, June 21, 2019–Andy Peters (subscription)Since Congress and President Trump killed a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule banning mandatory arbitration, many banks have reintroduced the practice. Unless customers contact their bank to opt out of arbitration, they cannot dispute issues through a lawsuit. Consumer advocacy groups have criticized arbitration as unfair to consumers.

Situs Group Merges with American Mortgage Consultants

HousingWire, June 20, 2019–Jessica GuerinThe merged enterprise will rebrand as SitusAMC and offer services and tech services to commercial and residential real estate firms.

Mortgage Refinancings Poised to Speed Up, Challenging Traders

Bloomberg, June 19, 2019–Christopher MaloneyThough June speeds should come in flat or even slightly lower due to a reduced day count compared to May, the August report should show prepayments to be about 20% higher than current levels, according to a recent report by JPMorgan MBS strategists.