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Beaten-Down Subprime Mortgage Bonds Offered a Decade of Gains
Bloomberg, Oct. 1, 2018--Claire BostonFund managers that took a chance on beaten-down mortgage bonds sometime after Lehman Brothers collapsed have seen their money swell as the housing market has recovered. Home loans for even troubled consumers have turned out to be more solid than many investors had feared: borrowers that weathered the downturn are diligently paying their obligations and defaults at this stage are infrequent.
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FHA: We Saw Appraisal Issues on 37% of HECM Loans
HousingWire, Oct. 1, 2018--Jessica Guerin"We were trying to understand why, in a still relatively low interest rate market where house prices have returned in most major markets including in many of these states where reverse mortgages were, why were we still hemorrhaging money," FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery said. "We thought this was a contributing factor that required further due diligence."
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CFPB Official Vows to Stay in Job After Reports of Past Racial Remarks
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 1, 2018--Yuka Hayashi (subscription)Eric Blankenstein, the top enforcement official at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Monday expressed regret for "poor conduct" regarding past racial remarks he made on a blog more than a decade ago, saying he was "absolutely committed to carrying out the bureau's fair lending mandate."
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New Bill Clarifies VA Mortgage Eligibility in Ginnie Mae Securities
National Mortgage Professional, Oct. 1, 2018--Phil HallH.R. 6737, The Protect Affordable Mortgages for Veterans Act of 2018, would allow recently executed loans refinanced by the Department of Veterans Affairs home loans to maintain their eligibility for pooling in Ginnie Mae securities. Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO Robert Broeksmit, CMB, says the trade group supports the bill.
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Mortgage Industry Calls on CFPB to Rehab LO Comp Rule
National Mortgage News, Oct. 1, 2018--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)The Mortgage Bankers Association and nearly a dozen trade groups said that after more than five years under the LO Comp rule, changes to the order should be among the CFPB's top priorities in its review of the mortgage rules, according to a letter sent to acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney.
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Ocwen’s $360 Million Acquisition of PHH to Close Within Days
HousingWire, Sept. 28, 2018--Ben LaneOcwen Financial's $360 million acquisition of PHH Corp. is set to close within the next two weeks after the companies received approvals from all relevant regulatory agencies and governmental entities, the companies announced Friday morning.
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SEC Fines Former Ocwen Exec for Insider Trading Before CFPB, PHH News
National Mortgage News, Sept, 28, 2018--Brad Finkelstein, Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Bryan R. Ziegenfuse, who previously was a vice president of servicing at Ocwen, agreed to pay $128,130 plus interest, double the profits he made from the three transactions. He did not admit or deny wrongdoing.
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2nd Appraisal to Be Required on Some HECMs
Mortgage Daily, Oct. 1, 2018Ongoing losses in the FHA reverse mortgage program have led to a new policy that will require a second appraisal on some transactions.
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‘It is an Issue for All of Us’: Dissent Spreads at CFPB over Top Aide’s Writings
American Banker, Sept. 30, 2018--Kate Berry, Rachel Witkowski (subscription)Kirsten Donoghue, the CFPB's assistant director of enforcement, became the second senior leader at the agency to question the fitness of Eric Blankenstein, her boss as policy director of supervision, enforcement and fair lending, after his past writings were uncovered that used a racial slur for African Americans and suggested most hate crimes were "hoaxes."
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Supreme Court Clash Puts Regulatory Nominees on Back Burner
National Mortgage News, Sept. 28, 2018--Neil Haggerty (subscription)The protracted and hyperpartisan confirmation process for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has complicated the Senate's efforts to advance financial regulatory nominees before the midterm elections. Trump administration picks for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, National Credit Union Administration and Ginnie Mae are still in limbo.
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Lawmakers Urge Fed to Follow Through on Reg Relief for Midsize Banks
American Banker, Sept. 28, 2018--Neil Haggerty (subscription)Nearly 30 House Republicans are calling on the Federal Reserve Board to use new authority to relieve all banks with less than $250 billion of assets from enhanced supervision that was established after the crisis.
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Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Tighten Capital Rules for PMI Companies
National Mortgage News, Sept. 27, 2018--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac issued new capital requirements for private mortgage insurers that will create big swings in carriers' asset reserves.
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Commercial/Mortgage Debt Outstanding Up in Q2
National Mortgage Professional, Sept. 27, 2018--Phil HallCommercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding swelled by $52.3 billion in the second quarter, according to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The second quarter was 1.6 above the first quarter's debt outstanding.
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CFPB Report on Data Collection is Silent on Threat of Breaches
National Mortgage News, Sept. 26, 2018--Kate Berry (subscription)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week issued a report and a request for information as part of an effort to assess the effectiveness of how data is collected, used and reused.
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Sandler Law Group Buys Out McGlinchey Stafford Youngblood and Associates
HousingWire, Sept. 26, 2018--Jeremiah JensenSandler Law Group, a Texas-based firm that specializes in residential mortgages and owner of Asurity Technologies, acquired McGlinchey Stafford & Youngblood and Associates, a closing and fulfillment services provider for the mortgage lending industry.
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Freddie to Buy Shared Equity Mortgages
Mortgage Daily, Sept. 26, 2018In an effort to support homeownership in low-to mid-income markets, Freddie Mac will join its secondary mortgage cousin in purchasing shared-equity mortgages.
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10 Years After Lehman: This Time It’s Different
IPE Real Assets Magazine, Sept. 25, 2018--Christopher O'DeaReal estate investors learned painful lessons 10 years ago. With signs of a correction yet to materialize, can the market escape a repeat of 2008?
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Tax Reform Could Spell Trouble for Low-Income Affordable Housing
National Mortgage News, Sept. 25, 2018--Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)Lower corporate tax rates weakened the incentive for developers to use the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, which could prompt affordable housing construction to fall by as much as 40% by 2022, according to data aggregator Reis.
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loanDepot, AMC Settle Claims of Discrimination
Mortgage Daily, Sept. 25, 2018loanDepot.com LLC and an appraisal management company have reached an agreement to settle claims that borrowers were discriminated against because their properties were located on Indian reservations.
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