As previously reported, in August 2020 the CFPB issued a proposed rule to create a new seasoned loan qualified mortgage (QM) under the Regulation Z ability to repay rule. Initially, comments on the proposal were due by...more
In Loan Guaranty Circular 26-20-33, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs temporarily authorized the use of deferments as a loss mitigation option for borrowers with a COVID-19 forbearance....more
9/17/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Department of Veterans Affairs ,
Forbearance Agreements ,
Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan (IRRRL) ,
Loan Guaranties ,
Loan Modifications ,
Loss Mitigation ,
Mortgage Servicers ,
Mortgages ,
VA Loans ,
Veterans ,
Veterans Administration
Since late July, the CFPB has issued seven consent orders against mortgage companies in which the CFPB asserts that the companies engaged in false and misleading advertising to service members and veterans. ...more
9/10/2020
/ Consent Order ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Mortgages ,
Regulation Z ,
Title X ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Veterans Administration
As previously reported, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced the extension of various Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac origination flexibilities due to COVID-19 to September 30, 2020. Fannie Mae, in updates...more
On August 27, 2020, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the extension of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac moratorium on single-family foreclosures from August 31, 2020, to December 31, 2020. The moratorium on...more
8/28/2020
/ Department of Veterans Affairs ,
Eviction ,
Fannie Mae ,
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) ,
FHA Loans ,
FHFA ,
Foreclosure ,
Freddie Mac ,
HUD ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Mortgages
As previously reported, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently announced that there are no plans to extend the eligibility for purchase of loans in a COVID-19 forbearance for loans with note dates after August 31, 2020....more
On August 21, 2020, the CFPB announced the release of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Filing Instruction Guide (FIG) for data that must be collected in 2021 and reported in 2022. The CFPB also announced the release of...more
As promised by the CFPB when it issued two Regulation Z ability to repay rule qualified mortgage (QM) loan proposals in June 2020, the CFPB recently issued a proposal to provide for a new seasoned QM loan. Comments will be...more
8/21/2020
/ Banking Sector ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Creditors ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Mortgage Servicers ,
Mortgages ,
Proposed Rules ,
Qualified Mortgage Rule ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Regulation X ,
Regulation Z ,
Safe Harbors
As previously reported, subject to conditions, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will purchase loans in a COVID-19 forbearance if the eligible loans have note dates through August 31, 2020. One of the conditions is an additional...more
Companion bills were recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 6794) and the U.S. Senate (S. 4260) to create the Promoting Access to Credit for Homebuyers Act of 2020. The Act would require Fannie Mae and...more
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac previously announced that, subject to conditions, the agencies will purchase loans in a COVID-19 forbearance. Also, in June 2020, the agencies extended eligible loans to those with note dates...more
The CFPB recently updated its Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) FAQs to add two items regarding multiple data points....more
On July 29, 2020, Freddie Mac updated its COVID-19 Selling FAQs. ...more
On July 27, 2020, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued Circular 26-20-27, dated July 22, 2020, to address COVID-19 precautions for Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) project stakeholders....more
On July 15, 2020, the CPFB filed a complaint in federal court against Townestone Financial, Inc. (Townestone) representing the first ever redlining complaint against a non-bank mortgage lender. ...more
7/21/2020
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disparate Impact ,
ECOA ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equal Access to Credit ,
Fair Housing Act (FHA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
HUD ,
Mortgages ,
Non-Bank Lenders ,
Redlining
On July 16, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an updated 2020 Complaint Bulletin and again focused on complaints related to COVID-19....more
On July 15, 2020, Fannie Mae in an update to Lender Letter 2020-02 and Freddie Mac in Bulletin 2020-29 updated their COVID-19 servicing guidance to address insurance loss requirements and other matters. Fannie Mae also issued...more
On July 9, 2020, Fannie Mae in updates to Lender Letters 2020-03 and 2020-04 and Freddie Mac in Bulletin 2020-27 announced the further extension of origination guidance based on COVID-19 (the Freddie Mac action extends the...more
In Mortgagee Letter 2020-22, dated July 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) addresses the COVID-19 Loss Mitigation Options for FHA Title II single-family, forward mortgage loans. ...more
In Loan Guaranty Circular 26-20-25, dated June 30, 2020, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) addresses the effect of a CARES Act forbearance, or some other COVID-19 credit relief, on the eligibility of a veteran for...more
7/4/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Eligibility Determination ,
Forbearance Agreements ,
Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan (IRRRL) ,
Loan Guaranties ,
Mortgages ,
Popular ,
VA Loans ,
Veterans ,
Veterans Administration
In Mortgagee Letter 2020-20 dated June 29, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the extension of FHA temporary guidance regarding employment verification and appraisals due to COVID-19. The...more
The CFPB recently proposed a temporary extension of the qualified mortgage (QM) that is based on a loan being eligible for sale to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (often referred to as the “GSE Patch”). ...more
6/29/2020
/ Ability-to-Repay ,
Annual Percentage Rate (APR) ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Fannie Mae ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Freddie Mac ,
GSE ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Mortgages ,
Qualified Mortgage Rule
On June 23, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) posted on its website an interim final rule that creates a temporary exception to certain loss mitigation obligations of mortgage loan servicers under...more
On June 24, 2020, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) announced the release of the 2019 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data. ...more
On June 18, 2020, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Circular 26-20-23 (dated June 17, 2020) extended the eviction moratorium for properties secured by VA guaranteed loans from June 30, 2020 to August 31....more