Category: Top National News

Washington Post, Feb. 22, 2018–Michele LernerPushback against overly tight credit after the housing crisis, a shrunken proportion of first-time buyers and worry about affordability as home values rose led to some tweaks to guidelines that could ease financing pressures for home buyers this year.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 22, 2018–Kate Berry (subscription)Companies that have been investigated for wrongdoing by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are giving acting Director Mick Mulvaney an earful about how he should roll back enforcement practices. The big question is: Are they seizing on a golden opportunity to reshape the regulatory landscape, or are they shooting themselves in the foot?

National Mortgage News, Feb. 22, 2018–Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Total insurance-in-force for mortgage insurers–which included the three companies no longer actively underwriting–grew 10.6% last year over 2016, according to a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods report. FHA grew by 4.7% year-over-year.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 21, 2018–Kate Berry (subscription)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking comment on how to engage the public in field hearings and town hall meetings as part of a broad review of all of the bureau’s processes under acting Director Mick Mulvaney.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 21, 2018The Internal Revenue Service issued a clarification about the deductibility of interest that is paid on home-equity and junior-lien products.

Bloomberg, Feb. 20, 2018–Greg Stohr, Joe LightThe U.S. Supreme Court dealt hedge funds and other big investors a blow Tuesday by refusing to revive core parts of lawsuits that challenged the federal government’s capture of billions of dollars in profits generated by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

HousingWire, Feb. 20, 2018–Caroline BasileAs part of the transaction, Flagstar will bring on Santander’s existing relationship managers, adding the employees to its warehouse business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 20, 2018–AnnaMaria Andriotis (subscription)Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent a letter to Equifax on Tuesday asking the company to extend its offer of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to at least three years for breach victims.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 20, 2018In an effort to cut operational costs, increase efficiencies and address the declining number of real estate appraisers, home lenders are expected to use more appraisal alternatives.

National Mortgage News, Feb. 16, 2018–Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)Servicers continue to face data management challenges, particularly during loan onboarding and transfers. Blockchain technology may hold the key to resolving those issues, said panelists at the recent Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Mortgage Servicing Conference.