Provident Funding Associates, a major California-based wholesale lender, recently settled with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Justice to the tune of $9 million. The settlement was not for any violations made by Provident, but for lending discrimination by Brokers who originated loans for Provident. The discrimination came about in the form of higher rates being charged to…
In honor of David Letterman’s recent departure from television, I have compiled a Top Ten list of concerning policies in HUD/FHA’s draft 4000.1 Handbook. Number 10: The Mortgagee must re-verify, in writing or electronically if available, employment, income, assets, gift funds, source of funds and mortgage or rental payments as part of a pre-closing (or pre-funding) review. (Page 506) Although…
The Financial Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015 sponsored by Senator Richard Shelby, R-AL, was recently passed out of the Senate Banking Committee, chaired by non-other than Senator Shelby, himself. This is the first step in the long journey toward full passage of the Bill by the Senate and then the House. Will it make it? If so, will it be…
With rents on the rise in many areas, are renters looking to make to move to homeownership? Not so, according to a study commissioned by Freddie Mac (Study). In the past, many consumers rented a home or apartment until they could save enough money, and have sufficient income, to afford to buy a home. That is the American Dream. Is…
A major challenge ahead for the market is the transition central bankers policy. A few years ago the G-20 was fairly much in sync on their plan for aggressive stimulation, specifically quantitative easing (QE). The difficulty for some was determining how and how much. Now, the disparity of policy is larger because some have little left in their arsenal to…
Independent Mortgage Lenders are becoming major players as issuers of Ginnie Mae securities. Major banks like Wells Fargo, Chase and Bank of America have pulled back on FHA lending because of the increased risk plus past and potential enforcement actions from Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Department of Justice (DOJ). This opens the door for non-bank lenders to fill the…
