FHFA: Refinance Volume Continued to Slow in Fourth Quarter
Washington, D.C. – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today reported that 13,220 borrowers refinanced their mortgages through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) from October through December. FHFA’s fourth quarter Refinance Report also shows that total refinance volume fell in December, as mortgage interest rates increased. Total HARP refinances now stand at 3,447,671 since…
FHFA: Deadline Extended for Public Input on Potential Chattel Loan Pilot in Duty to Serve Program
Washington, D.C. – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is extending the deadline, from Feb. 17, 2017 to March 21, 2017, for stakeholders to respond to a request for input on potential manufactured home chattel loans pilot initiatives for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) as part of the Duty to Serve underserved markets. …
CFPB: How to Decide How Much to Spend on Your Down Payment
One of the toughest parts of buying a home for the first time is coming up with a down payment. You may have heard that in order to buy, you should have 20 percent of the total cost of the home saved up for the down payment. Actually, you can choose how much to put…
FHFA: Public Input Requested on Duty to Serve Program
Washington, D.C. – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is requesting public input on chattel loan pilot initiatives for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) and the proposed Evaluation Guidance under the final rule on Duty to Serve Underserved Markets. FHFA issued a final rule on Dec. 13, 2016 to implement the Duty to…
CFPB: Buy a Home? The First Step is to Check your Credit
Buying a home is exciting. It’s also one of the most important financial decisions you’ll make. Choosing a mortgage to pay for your new home is just as important as choosing the right home. You have the right to control the process. Check out our other blogs on homebuying topics, and join the conversation on Facebook…
HUD: American Housing Survey Results for 25 Metro Areas Released
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau released the results of the 2015 American Housing Survey focusing on 25 metropolitan areas across the country. The data released today includes detailed information on everything from monthly housing costs, hunger, and neighborhood characteristics including crime and the…
CFPB: Fall 2016 Rulemaking Calendar
An important part of the CFPB’s statutory mandate from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) is to make rules governing consumer finance markets more effective and to create new rules when warranted. Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, federal agencies must publish regulatory agendas twice a year. As an independent regulatory…
FDIC: New Resource Announced for Community Banks – Affordable Mortgage Lending Guide Part II
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) published a new guide to help community bankers learn more about grant and mortgage loan programs offered by State Housing Finance Agencies. The Affordable Mortgage Lending Guide, Part II: State Housing Finance Agencies describes programs offered by State Housing Finance Agencies across the country. The guide focuses on first-lien mortgage…
CFPB: FFIEC Announces Availability of 2015 Data on Mortgage Lending (HMDA)
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) today announced the availability of data on mortgage lending transactions at 6,913 U.S. financial institutions covered by the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). Covered institutions include banks, savings associations, credit unions, and mortgage companies. The HMDA data made available today cover 2015 lending activity and include: applications, originations,…