Government

Fannie Mae announced Thursday that homebuyers can now receive up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance. The help is available within the FirstLook period of Fannie Mae’s HomePath properties in 27 states. The incentive will offer qualified buyers up to 3.5 percent of the final sales price to pay closing costs.

The New York regulator who put a hold on Ocwen’s latest mortgage servicing rights (MSR) deal with Wells Fargo expressed on Wednesday his concerns about the rapid growth of non-bank servicers in the industry—and his belief that regulators should step in when necessary.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report Wednesday, outlining conclusions drawn from a study done on the Servicing Alignment Initiative (SAI). The assessment of servicers provided by the FHFAOIG was far from glowing, citing specific areas of improvement for servicers of Government-Sponsored Enterprise (GSE) mortgages, specifically those who service Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In prepared remarks for the House Financial Services Committee, newly installed Fed chair Janet Yellen echoed much of what analysts have seen in recent Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statements, with references to a recovering (but still weakened) labor market, a slowing housing market, restrictive fiscal policy, and the usual prediction of a “moderate” expansion in the nation’s economic activity.

In a report released Monday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have reached the milestone of 3 million refinances under the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP)."Three million HARP refinances is an important accomplishment and represents real help to families and communities still struggling as a result of the mortgage crisis," said FHFA Director Mel Watt.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) unveiled a new tool Friday aimed at making Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data more user-friendly. In a report released the same day, the CFPB said it collected HMDA data from 7,400 financial institutions in 2012 on 18.7 million loan applications. Not all new information would be made publicly available, and the new reporting guidelines would largely be in line with current industry standards.

While the housing market made great strides toward recovery last year with improvements in foreclosures, home prices, and homeowner equity, the economy is “still healing” from the effects of the recent downturn, according to the latest Housing Scorecard from the Obama administration. Released Friday, the January report found several improving indicators and particular strength in the San Francisco metro area, which has benefited from significant government support.

Ocwen Financial Corporation announced Thursday that plans to purchase the mortgage servicing rights of a portfolio worth $39 billion from Wells Fargo Bank have been halted by the New York Department of Financial Services (NY DFS). The Atlanta-based business serves as a financial services holding company. The transaction has been halted indefinitely, and any timeline for the completion of the deal remains undecided.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Friday jobs report shows another disappointing month of growth in January—and this one can’t all be blamed on the weather. With the next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting to be held in March, it remains to be seen how January’s data will influence the Federal Reserve’s stimulus program.

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act's (MFDRA) expiration may lead to negative pressure on liquidation timelines and recoveries for legacy U.S. mortgage investors if the act is not renewed, according to Fitch Ratings. Recently expired as of January 1, the ...