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Author Archives: Derek Templeton

Derek Templeton is an attorney based in Dallas, Texas. He practices in the areas of real estate, financial services, and general corporate transactional law. His experience includes time as an Attorney Adviser for the U.S. Small Business Administration and as General Counsel for a nonprofit organization in Dallas. A self-avowed "policy junkie," he has a keen interest in the effect that evolving federal policy has on the mortgage, default servicing, and greater housing industries.

Watt: Skepticism Holding Down HARP Numbers

In an event in Chicago, FHFA Director Mel Watt said fear of being scammed is to blame for low participation rates in the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). According to an FHFA report, the number of homeowners refinancing monthly through HARP has dropped nationally to just less than 20,000 loans in April 2014, down year-over-year from almost 107,000 in April 2013.

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SunTrust Agrees to Pay $320M in HAMP Settlement

SunTrust Banks, Inc., announced that it would pay up to $320 million to halt a criminal investigation into whether it had dealt inappropriately with homeowners who were looking to take advantage of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). "Resolving this legacy matter enhances our ability to focus on the future and support the continued housing recovery," said Jerome Lienhard, SunTrust Mortgage, Inc., president and CEO.

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Report: Nationstar Temporarily Blocked from GSE Mortgages Last Year

A report released last week by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) outlined the possible risks that nonbank servicers could pose to the greater housing market. To illustrate a point, the OIG pointed to a specific instance where a nonbank servicer had fallen below the minimum threshold capital requirement required by Fannie Mae. The servicer was then prevented from acquiring the right to service Fannie Mae mortgages. Though the OIG did not name names, people familiar with the matter revealed to the Wall Street Journal that the servicer in question was Nationstar.

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NAR: HAWK Program Could Do More

In a letter sent to HUD, the National Association of Realtors reiterated its appreciation for the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) efforts to provide reduced mortgage insurance premiums to first-time homebuyers but complained about the high mortgage insurance premiums and counseling fees that come along.

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U.S. Bank Agrees to Pay $200M in DoJ Settlement

The Justice Department announced that U.S. Bank has agreed to a $200 million settlement on claims it underwrote FHA-insured loans that did not meet eligibility requirements. U.S. Bank also admitted that its quality control program fell short of FHA requirements. Consequently, the bank failed to identify shortcomings in many of the loans it had certified for FHA insurance.

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Treasury Extends MHA, Renews PLS Push

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced an extension of the MHA program for at least one year and a new effort to help jump-start the private-label securities (PLS) market. To determine what can be done to encourage new PLS investment, the Treasury Department will be hosting a series of meetings with investors and is publishing a request for comment in the Federal Register.

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Massachusetts Single-Family Home Sales Drop in May

Massachusetts single family home sales decreased for the fourth straight month continuing the recent downward trend for the Bay State, according to a report released this week by the Warren Group. Still, there is reason to be optimistic about the market's future prospects in the state, says CEO Timothy M. Warren Jr.

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OCC: Banks Taking on More Risks

As the U.S. economy continues to improve, the challenges facing the banking industry gradually shift from recovery to risk management in an effort to avoid the pitfalls that contributed to the financial crisis, the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC) said in its Semiannual Risk Perspective for Spring 2014. OCC warned that banks' boards of directors and senior managers should monitor heightened exceptions to traditional underwriting standards.

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Housing Growth Remains Sluggish in Most Markets

On Wednesday, Freddie Mac released its monthly Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi) showing mixed signals for the U.S. housing market, with most markets struggling to improve at a pace faster than a slow crawl. Despite declining mortgage delinquencies, improving local employment, house price gains, and attractive mortgage rates, most housing markets remain weak due to weak home purchase mortgage applications.

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Study: Gen Y Key to Stronger Recovery

In an annual report, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard suggests Millennial participation is the key to a robust housing recovery. The number of households in their 30s should increase by 2.7 million over the coming decade, which should boost demand for new housing, the report predicts. For now, tight credit, elevated unemployment, and mounting student loan debt among young Americans are curbing growth.

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