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.”
Category: Top National News
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.
Where GSE Reform Could Be Headed and What It Could Mean for Lenders
National Mortgage News, June 19, 2019–Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Since becoming Federal Housing Finance Agency director, Mark Calabria has sent ever clearer signals that the White House is prepared to take unilateral action that would at least start Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back on the path to private-sector ownership.
Fannie and Freddie’s Latest Push: Factory-Built Homes
Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2019–Ben Eisen, Nicole Friedman (subscription)Mortgage giants hope to help low- and middle-class Americans buy homes but programs’ narrow reach and consumer bias impede progress.
Former CFPB Official Criticized or Blog Posts Joins Ginnie Mae
National Mortgage News, June 19, 2019–Kate Berry (subscription)Ginnie Mae has hired Eric Blankenstein, a former political appointee at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau who sparked controversy over writings more than a decade ago in which he used a racial slur, sources said.