Faith Schwartz: New Era Borne of Pandemic to Upend Mortgage Costs

As longtime industry participants, we at Housing Finance Strategies contend that the pandemic has created a revolutionary opportunity that we must seize and leverage so that the mortgage business can emerge with higher quality prospective products funded through a drastically reduced cost structure.

Industry Briefs July 9, 2020

Rocket Companies Inc., Detroit, filed a long-speculated registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering of its Class A common stock.

CFPB Issues Proposed Rule on Reg Z Escrow Exemptions

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would amend Regulation Z to provide a new exemption available to certain insured depository institutions and insured credit unions from the requirement to establish escrow accounts for certain higher-priced mortgage loans.

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“It is critical that the Commission’s rules governing call-blocking practices protect consumers from the risk that they might not receive important, often time-sensitive, calls from health care providers, finance companies, banks, credit unions, other participants in the financial services marketplace, retailers and other legitimate businesses.”
–From an MBA/trade group letter to the FCC asking that final rules on robocalls and “spoofing” include safeguards for financial services providers conducting legitimate business.

CFPB Issues Proposed Rule on Reg Z Escrow Exemptions

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would amend Regulation Z to provide a new exemption available to certain insured depository institutions and insured credit unions from the requirement to establish escrow accounts for certain higher-priced mortgage loans.

Distressed Debt Monitor: Special Situations in Commercial Real Estate

As economies reopen against a backdrop of decreased consumer demand and continued government relief, commercial real estate investors are grappling with a double-edged sword: defending certain existing challenged debt and equity positions on one hand and seeking new opportunities given shifted market dynamics.