Tag Archives: HUD

DecisionReady, a provider of default servicing compliance solutions, released a pre-foreclosure review module for the DecisionReady Compliance Suite on its cloud-based technology platform this week. Operating like a compliance quality control checklist, the pre-foreclosure review module enables servicers to ensure they meet the requirements for reviewing a delinquent mortgage loan.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has issued a 28-page document that presents several alternatives it plans to consider for how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac compensate mortgage servicers. The agency says today's model does not provide the flexibility needed for the servicing of nonperforming loans during times of high defaults. Alternatives being considered include a fee-for-service compensation structure for nonperforming loans and reducing or eliminating the minimum servicing fee for performing loans.

The Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF) is the sole recipient of a $1 million Mortgage Modification and Mortgage Scam Assistance (MMSA) grant from HUD. The grant will enable HPF to continue as the primary ""call to action"" for HUD's anti-scam campaign to assist victims as well as educate and warn distressed homeowners about foreclosure prevention and loan modification scammers.

On Wednesday a House subcommittee held a hearing to examine private sector involvement in the housing market, in order to determine if the high amount of government participation is a hindrance to the sector's recovery. Rep. Judy Biggert, subcommittee chair, said government intervention in the housing market reached record levels during the financial crisis, resulting in a cost to taxpayers of hundreds of billions of dollars. The hearing examined options for removing barriers to private investment in the housing market.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is wasting no time putting at least one of the Obama administration's housing finance reforms into place. The agency announced this week that it is implementing a new premium structure for FHA-insured mortgage loans. The agency is increasing its annual mortgage insurance premium by a quarter of a percentage point on all 30- and 15-year loans. The new structure applies to new loans insured by FHA on or after April 18, 2011.

The budget proposal released Monday by the Obama administration calls for more than $3.7 trillion in spending for fiscal year 2012, and cuts of more than $1 trillion. The budget is centered around a theme of tough decisions that must be made, and the president says there must be efforts to cut or consolidate a number of programs. The proposal says the administration is committed to presenting a framework of principles that will build a new housing finance system that minimizes taxpayer exposure to financial risk.

On top of the more imminent reform measures laid out Friday to begin winding down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Obama administration's proposal outlines three options for long-term reform and structuring the government's future role in housing. One approach would pull the government completely out of the mortgage guarantee business except for insurance provided through FHA. A second option would add a backstop mechanism during times of crisis to the mix. And a third option would provide an FDIC-type insurance guarantee for certain mortgage securities.

The Obama administration says its plan for reforming the housing finance system will dramatically reduce the government's role in the mortgage market and bring an end to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac within seven years. Key actions for phasing out the GSEs include pricing their guarantees based on the same capital standards as private lenders and increasing down payment requirements to 10 percent. The proposal also outlines near-term reforms to correct problems in foreclosure processing such as setting national standards for mortgage servicing.

DecisionReady, a provider of default servicing compliance solutions based in California, announced this week that it has reviewed 1 million delinquent residential mortgage loans for loss mitigation and foreclosure process and policy compliance for leading servicers. DecisionReady technology offers compliance for early stage delinquency through loss mitigation, foreclosure, and the post-sale process to ensure regulatory rules and investor guidelines are met.

New Vista Asset Management has been approved by HUD to serve as a subcontractor to RiskSpan's oversight and review of the HUD Homes REO disposition program. RiskSpan selected New Vista to augment its team to support the HUD oversight contract activities, including review of the structure and content for key performance and process reports used to determine the effectiveness of HUD's third generation of Management and Marketing (M&M III) contractors.