Also in 2014, FHFA and the GSEs reviewed and made enhancements to requirements for foreclosure alternatives, forbearance plans, and rate-reset notifications. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced in July the expansion of home retention solutions for Standard and Streamlined modifications, enabling eligible borrowers with mark-to-market LTV ratios below 80 percent to obtain a loan modification.
Read More »Counsel’s Corner: Fast-Track Foreclosure Bill Will Put Ohio Housing and Economy On the Right Track
Counsel's Corner is an ongoing series in which DS News talks with default servicing attorneys around the country about the most pressing issues facing the default servicing industry. This installment features Linda Erkkila, General Counsel with Safeguard Properties.
Read More »HUD Secretary Castro Says There Is Some ‘Agreement’ Between Parties on Housing Reform
Royce then asked Castro about a reduction in FHA market share for large banks, which he said has been recently cut from 61 percent to 33 percent, and that non-bank financial institutions how have 51 percent of the market share compared to 24 percent several years ago.
Read More »Freddie Mac’s STACR Program Receives Prestigious RMBS Award
The STACR offering in late May priced at $425.6 million was Freddie Mac's fourth this year and 13th overall. Freddie Mac has laid off a substantial portion of credit risk for more than $280 billion in unpaid balances on single-family mortgages through STACR transactions.
Read More »Presidential Candidates Urged to Address Housing Crisis on Campaign Trail
Candidates talking about the housing crisis on the presidential campaign trail, the authors said, is an excellent way to raise national public awareness and is a step toward finding solutions to the problems surrounding the housing industry, which include rising rents and diminished access to homeownership.
Read More »FHA Revises Reverse Mortgage Program to Protect Non-Borrowing Spouses From Foreclosure
The revisions announced Friday allow for the deferral of due and payable status for reverse mortgages, hence protection from foreclosure, for certain eligible non-borrowing spouses upon the passing of the last surviving borrower for case numbers assigned prior to August 4, 2014. Last year, FHA's HECM policies were revised to include such protections for non-borrowing spouses on HECMs for case numbers assigned on or after August 4, 2014.
Read More »House Committee on Appropriations Aims For More Oversight, Transparency for CFPB
For the CFPB, the bill includes a provision that will bring the agency under the annual Congressional appropriations process. Currently, the CFPB is funded directly by the Federal Reserve. According to the Appropriations Committee, the change will allow for increased accountability and transparency of the Bureau's activities as well as the use of taxpayer money.
Read More »REO Share’s Continued Decline Indicates a ‘Healing’ Market
As has historically been the case, REO sales had the largest cash sales share in March, followed by resales (34.5 percent), short sales (31.6 percent), and new home sales (14.9 percent). All those numbers represented declines from February, according to CoreLogic.
Read More »HUD Secretary Castro Touts Success of Department’s Programs at Congressional Hearing
During his five-minute allotted period for questioning, Hensarling asked the Secretary for statistical evidence that HUD was achieving its original goal of eliminating poverty. Castro responded with the 33 percent drop in veteran homelessness and HUD's Jobs Plus Initiative, where he said individuals who go through program tend to earn 14 percent more than individuals who do not.
Read More »Freddie Mac Auctions Off First-Ever Extended Timeline Pool Offering of NPLs
EXPOs differ from Freddie Mac's Standard Pool Offerings in that the loans include smaller pool sizes and a longer marketing period. Freddie Mac is targeting smaller investors with its EXPO auctions, which are intended to give these investors extra time to secure funding to participate in the NPL sales. Freddie Mac began marketing the pool of loans on April 21 and encouraged private investors, minority- and women-owned businesses, non-profits, and neighborhood advocacy funds to bid in the auction, subject to meeting bidder qualification requirements.
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