Tag Archives: OCC

Federal regulators have revised new appraisal rules set to take effect in January to include exemptions for some higher-priced mortgage loans, according to a press release from six federal financial agencies. Officials described the updated exemptions as ""appropriate,"" and added loans less than $25,000, streamlined refinances, and loans secured by a manufactured home and land as exempt.

A recent bulletin from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) recommends new guidelines for national banks and federal savings institutions regarding their third party vendors, including appraisal management companies (AMCs). Banks and mortgage lenders are cautioned to choose their appraisers and other vendors wisely, as regulators will hold lenders accountable of the quality and accuracy of their vendors' work.

The CFPB's mortgage servicing standards--including the Qualified Mortgage (QM) definition and the Ability-to-Repay rule--take effect in less than 90 days. Some bankers have indicated they might limit their offerings to only QM products as the transition is made, and many are concerned that as a result, their operations may run counter to the Equal Credit and Opportunity Act, implemented by the Federal Reserve's Regulation B. Those fears, however, are unfounded, regulators say.

Citigroup reported a third quarter net income of $3.2 billion Tuesday, slipping somewhat as higher interest rates took a bite out of mortgage revenues. The bank also suffered from $635 million worth of incremental mortgage charge-offs required by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's guidance on the treatment of loans where the borrower has gone through Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Default servicing technologies are solving the most foreboding of challenges and revolutionizing the way business is conducted. From enabling process servers to validate their work straight from the field to standardizing background checks for property preservation vendors, today's solutions reinforce the mobile nature of the business and demonstrate a commitment to regulatory compliance and consumer protection.

Speaking at an industry conference in Phoenix, Arizona, this week, Darrin Benhart, the OCC's deputy comptroller for credit and market risk, said the changing regulatory environment requires mortgage lenders to consider a number of potential risks on different fronts. Benhart acknowledged the list of mortgage-related reforms is extensive. ""These reforms mean you will need an even greater emphasis on risk management techniques that not only look at credit risk but also encompass operational and compliance risk,"" he said.

Six federal agencies jointly released their proposed QRM rule that would require lenders to retain risk when selling mortgage-backed securities (MBS). The new proposal was created in consideration of the industry's response to the original proposal issued in 2011. That proposal required lenders to keep a stake in the loans they sold in which borrowers were spending more than 36 percent of their income on payments and in loans with down payments of less than 20 percent. Under the new proposal, the 36 percent income threshold has been raised to 43 percent, and the revised rule also eliminates the down payment requirement.

EverBank came to an agreement with federal regulators to provide $37 million in relief payments to certain borrowers, leading to an end to the Independent Foreclosure Review process for the bank, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) said Friday. The payment should cover 32,000 eligible mortgage customers whose homes were in any stage of foreclosure in 2009 and 2010, and checks should range from $1,050 to $125,000.

The Federal Reserve Board announced Friday a settlement with GMAC Mortgage that will end the complex and costly foreclosure reviews required through prior enforcement actions. GMAC will pay about $230 million in cash payments to mortgage borrowers as part of the foreclosure deal. According to a statement from the Fed, over 232,000 GMAC borrowers whose homes were in any stage of foreclosure in 2009 and 2010 will receive payment relief.

Distressed property sales have declined drastically in California over the last year, according to a recent report from PropertyRadar. In June, sales for distressed homes and condominiums plunged 46.5 percent year-over-year in June. On the other hand, non-distressed property sales shot up by 31.3 percent during the same time period. Government intervention is the main driving force behind the declines in distressed property sales, according to the report authored by Madeline Schnapp, director of economics research at the firm.