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Tag Archives: FHA

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen FHA

The Senate Banking Committee unveiled on Monday a discussion draft of "The Federal Housing Administration [FHA]" Solvency Act of 2013," a new bill designed to provide the agency with tools to strengthen underwriting, make lenders more accountable, and bolster its reverse mortgage program. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota), who praised FHA's role in preventing a more severe housing crash but said action is needed to repair the agency's situation.

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Report: Potential FHA Losses Far Worse than Thought

A House panel is investigating what it believes is an attempt by Federal Housing Administration (FHA) officials to cover up the full details of the agency's financial troubles regarding its Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee reviewed emails between FHA and IFE Inc., the firm that conducted the agency's actuarial report. The messages reveal FHA's losses could be as high as $115 billion under the most extreme conditions.

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Report: Reverse Mortgage Trends Show Troubling Picture

While reverse mortgages can be a boon to seniors as they head into retirement, a new report from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) says trends show trouble in the market that may cost taxpayers billions of dollars. According to a 2012 MetLife survey, two-thirds of borrowers are now using reverse mortgages to pay down debt. Pamela Villarreal, a senior fellow at NCPA, expects the "troubling trend will increase as more baby boomers enter retirement."

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Obama Administration Budget Includes Potential FHA Bailout

The Obama administration released Wednesday its budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2014, revealing that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) may require a bailout of up to $943 million to reinforce its capital reserves. In a conference call with reporters, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan explained the agency has taken steps to ensure safer new business and to increase recoveries on the older, riskier loans that brought its Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund to a negative balance.

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Representatives Reintroduce Legislation to Restore Strength to FHA

The FHA Emergency Fiscal Solvency Act, introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) and sponsored by Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Massachusetts), is designed to give FHA more flexibility to take action against originators who engage in faulty underwriting or who have high loan losses. Additional measures include authorizing the agency to require indemnification for improperly written loans. The House committee has held several hearings recently to examine FHA following the news that the agency may require a taxpayer bailout.

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Origination Volume Climbs 30 Percent in 2012

Mortgage origination volume continued to climb in 2012, according to data from Mortgage Daily's 2012 Mortgage Lender Ranking. According to data collected from surveys, earnings filings, and other public disclosures, loan volume across all lending firms grew 30 percent annually in 2012. In the fourth quarter alone, Mortgage Daily reports residential originations coming in around 3 percent above third-quarter volume. Year-over-year, Q4 saw mortgage production grow 17 percent.

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Refinance Share Climbs to 73 Percent in January, Time to Close Falls

Refinance loan share jumped to its highest level in at least a year and a half, according to Ellie Mae's Origination Insight Report for January 2013. According to the report, refinances made up 73 percent of loans closed in January--the highest level recorded since Ellie Mae began tracking the data in August 2011. January's refinance figure is 4 percentage points higher than December's. Despite the rise in refinance share, the time it took to close a refinance loan declined in January, falling to 54 days.

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