Not a Normal Mortgage Crisis: How the Mortgage Industry Weathered the Pandemic
As interest rates drop, the CFPB is exploring ways to streamline mortgage rules to make the refinancing process easier and closing costs less expensive, Director Rohit Chopra said at a housing conference sponsored by the...more
Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) announced it had entered into a consent order with NewDay USA, a Florida-based non-bank direct mortgage lender, over allegations that the lender misled...more
2023 and the start of 2024 presented challenging economic conditions to the market, with debt costs at a historic high. Following a series of increases over the last two years, the Federal Reserve’s federal funds rate is...more
As previously reported, in November 2022 the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a proposal to update its rules for interest rate reduction refinancing loans (often referred to as “IRRRLs”) to conform with VA loan...more
A lengthy decision recently issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania by Shapiro v. Mariner Fin., LLC, No. CV 22-3253, 2024 WL 169654 (E.D. Pa. Jan. 12, 2024) (Hodge, J.), may...more
On December 18, the CFPB posted a blog entry regarding cash-out refinance mortgages and their borrowers between 2013 to 2023. According to the entry, which noted reflects the authors’ views, and not those of the CFPB,...more
The CFPB recently released results of a study of residential mortgage refinance loans from the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2023, focusing on differences between cash-out and non-cash-out (or rate and term)...more
The commercial real estate (CRE) market is in a transformative period as remote work has reduced occupancy levels at the same time that financing costs have risen rapidly. The changes have created opportunities for investors...more
It’s been the summer of the pop star—with nonstop news of Taylor Swift and Beyonce selling out stadium after stadium. Don’t let it “break your soul” as you’re “shaking off” summer and sending the kids back to school. We hope...more
The CFPB brought a lawsuit against installment lender Heights Finance Holding Company f/k/a Southern Management Corporation and several of its subsidiaries (collectively, “Southern Management”) over alleged violations of the...more
Our Distressed Debt & Claims Trading Team discusses trading issues related to DQ provisions in broadly syndicated credit facilities and trends providing borrower/sponsor friendly terms creating potential pitfalls for...more
Like many of you, we are seeing a significant increase in commercial real estate (“CRE”) loan workouts. The magnitude of the swell in distressed CRE loans remains unclear, although one thing is certain: appreciating the...more
High yield bond activity in key global markets showed signs of life in Q1 2023, with quarter-on-quarter issuance improving despite ongoing macroeconomic challenges. In the US, high yield bond issuance in Q1 2023 came in at...more
“Call protection” (which you may also hear referred to variously as a “prepayment fee”, “prepayment premium”, “call premium”, “prepayment penalty”, “non‑call”, “hard call”, “soft call” or “make‑whole”) is a core economic term...more
In Circular 26-23-06, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced reduced funding fees for purchase, construction and cash-out refinance loans guaranteed by the VA that are closed on or after April 7, 2023. ...more
European leveraged finance markets have been completely reconfigured in the past 12 months. Inflation, rising interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty have squeezed liquidity and seen high yield bond and leveraged loan...more
This article discusses a common type of mortgage foreclosure fraud and how borrowers can protect themselves against scams. The facts in this article, as well as the location and names of companies and individuals, are...more
Europe's CLO market and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) objectives are converging at pace, providing unique opportunities for CLOs to access the vast and rapidly expanding pools of capital earmarked for...more
A rebound in European corporate transactions has driven a double-digit acceleration in leveraged finance earmarked for M&A (excl. buyouts), with a robust pipeline setting the stage for an active 2022. In the summer of...more
European leveraged finance markets roared back to life in 2021, sparked by a combination of attractive pricing in the first half of the year and buoyant M&A activity in the second half. The result? High volumes of refinancing...more
Yesterday, Ginnie Mae clarified in an industry forum that its APM 21-06 seasoning requirements for the VA IRRRL Refinance of a Modified Loan are measured from the contracted first payment due date under a modification...more
On April 21, 2021, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will extend certain loan origination flexibilities, including alternative appraisals on purchase and rate-term refinance...more
The financial markets are hoping collateralized loan obligations can strike back in 2021 after the menace of 2020. Our CLO team examines various mechanisms for adjusting CLO funding costs and deal terms....more
In the News. On the heels of a lawsuit challenging the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) recently issued Madden fix/valid when made rule, eight state attorneys general filed suit challenging a similar rule...more
In the News. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to create a new category of “seasoned” qualified mortgages; the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of...more