By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Flipping taxes, state requirements for licenses, and regulations specific to the repayment of extended loans are being discussed by leaders at an advocacy group representing private lenders.
The American Association of Private Lenders was formed in 2009 and is a national organization representing the private real estate and peer-to-peer lending industry. Members include private money lenders, mortgage fund managers, brokers, and service providers, according to their website.
The organization has about 1,000 paying members and distributes educational materials to about 8,000 subscribers.
Chairman Eddie Wilson sat down recently with The Mortgage Note to talk about their public policy concerns.
Leaders at the AAPL spoke out last year when California lawmakers proposed a bill to tax nearly all…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
The administration worked to assure consumers that the banking system was safe on Monday following the sudden collapse of two financial institutions.
Officials at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced on Friday that Silicon Valley Bank was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. It was the biggest bank failure since Washington Mutual in 2008.
All insured deposits were transferred to the newly-created Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara.
Silicon Valley Bank had 17 branches in California and Massachusetts. As of December 31, 2022, it held approximately $209 billion in total assets and about $175.4 billion in total deposits, according to officials.
On Sunday, FDIC officials announced a similar fate for New York-based…
By PATRICK LAVERY
Interest rates are rising as the spring homebuying season starts in many parts of the country.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated in his testimony before U.S. lawmakers this week that although the central bank’s policymakers have yet to decide how large their next rate hike will be, “the ultimate level of interest rates is likely to be higher than previously anticipated” based on the latest economic data. They will be meeting on March 21 and 22.
“As I have mentioned in my testimony, the data we have seen so far this year suggests that the ultimate level of rates will need to be higher. We still have some more data to come in between now and…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that they reached a $9 million agreement with an Ohio-based bank to resolve redlining allegations.
Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in certain communities because of their race, color, or national origin.
It is alleged that from at least 2015 to 2021, Park National Bank, headquartered in Newark, Ohio, engaged in the pattern or practice of lending discrimination in the Columbus metropolitan area. The bank’s branches and mortgage lenders were concentrated in majority-white neighborhoods, and company leaders failed to take any meaningful measures to compensate for its lack of physical presence in majority-Black and Hispanic communities, according to…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are taking action against a California-based mortgage lender that allegedly sent misleading advertisements to military families.
According to a press release, RMK Financial Corporation falsely represented that the company was affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Housing Administration.
RMK Financial does business as Majestic Home Loan and is licensed as a mortgage broker or lender in at least 29 states. Officials say that although the company originated loans guaranteed by the VA and mortgages insured by the FHA, they are not affiliated with these agencies.
Officials warned RMK about misleading consumers in 2015 but say the company engaged in a series of repeat offenses, leading to…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
The Biden administration has announced a reduction on mortgage insurance premiums in a move they say could benefit an estimated 850,000 borrowers over the coming year.
New borrowers who take out loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration will see the effects of the reduced premiums, according to a press release.
The premiums will be reduced from 0.85% to 0.55% for most homebuyers, which could mean an estimated savings of $678 million for American families by the end of 2023, according to officials.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge made the announcement in Bowie, Md., on Wednesday.
White House officials said the average homebuyer in Prince George’s County –…
By TOBIAS PETER
Last month, at the behest of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises, announced new risk-based pricing guidelines that loosen mortgage credit for higher-risk loans. Since the Federal Housing Administration traditionally serves higher-risk borrowers, this move represented the latest salvo in a renewed battle for such borrowers.
As a response, FHA is rumored to announce today (2/22/2023) a 30 bps mortgage insurance premium cut that will expose taxpayers and not help prospective homebuyers.
The last time FHFA imposed credit loosening on the GSEs in 2014, FHA responded shortly thereafter in kind with a large 50 bps MIP cut. At the time, FHA predicted that this cut would lead to 250,000 new…
Officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have opened a portal for local government leaders to request technical assistance so housing needs are considered as part of their larger infrastructure investment plans.
The Thriving Communities technical assistance program was designed to help local government leaders identify land for housing development near transportation projects, develop preservation and anti-displacement strategies, reduce barriers to location-efficient housing, improve intergovernmental coordination, and support a holistic approach to housing and transportation.
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said they are working with local government leaders, transit authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, the private sector, and community-based organizations.
“A thriving community is intentional about building and preserving affordable housing near public transportation and leveraging infrastructure investments to…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
The last of seven defendants in a bid-rigging and fraud scheme that targeted Yale University and Pepsi was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution.
Michael Flynn was sentenced in Bridgeport, Conn., on Friday of last week, according to officials at the U.S. Department of Justice.
The bid-rigging and fraud scheme, which ran for nearly seven years, involved the installation of insulation around pipes and ducts on construction projects at universities, hospitals, and other public and private entities in Connecticut, according to a press release.
“This fraud and deception of the public and commercial consumer has ended with this sentence,” Jean Pierre Njock, acting special agent in charge of…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are warning shoppers about pay-to-play mortgage comparison shopping platforms.
CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement on Tuesday that given current mortgage interest rates, it is important for homebuyers to shop and compare loan offers.
“We are working to ensure that online platforms are not manipulating their search results in order to coerce kickbacks from lenders,” Chopra said.
Rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hovered just above 6% last week.
In a press release, CFPB officials said that American consumers looking for the best deal on mortgages often turn to comparison-shopping platforms and mobile apps.
“Many of the websites and applications claim to offer ranked lists of providers suitable…
