Freedom Mortgage has been sanctioned by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for providing illegal incentives to real estate brokers and agents for mortgage loan referrals.
The CFPB says Freedom offered agents and brokers perks for past and future loan referrals, a violation of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act.
In at least forty cases, Freedom paid for marketing services that were never performed by the brokerages, which the CFPB says amounts to paying for referrals. RESPA particularly addresses illegal marketing service agreements, and the CFPB released detailed guidelines on their use in 2020.
Agents who worked with Freedom were also incentivized through paid subscription services offering important industry data, but they typically had to agree to be paired with a…
Low-income redevelopment zones continue to benefit from home price appreciation around the country, and some are faring better than their neighbors.
ATTOM’s Q2 2023 review of low-income Opportunity Zones targeted by Congress for economic redevelopment found that 61% of the 3,909 data zones saw price increases. In half of those, prices were up 5% or more.
Opportunity zones exist in and around low-income neighborhoods where the federal government offers tax breaks to advance economic development. Overall, these areas follow home price trends in other parts of the country.
Values declined in the last half of 2022 before recovering in 2023, a pattern that has impacted most U.S. neighborhoods. But prices in many zones rose faster than the nationwide trend both…
By CHUCK GREEN
Mortgage rates are hovering around 7% as the summer winds down and with potential homebuyers facing high monthly payments for the few properties for sale, people are wondering when the Federal Reserve will loosen its grip on monetary policy so the housing market can free up again.
Last month, Chairman Jerome Powell announced the key interest rate would be lifted to 5.25% to 5.5% — the upper figure representing a level not seen since 2001, according to the Associated Press. Powell said that they don’t expect to reach their goal of 2% inflation until 2025, and they do not intend to cut rates until next year.
“The Fed’s rate hikes attempt to combat inflation, increasing mortgage interest…
By DESMOND LACHMAN
There is good news and bad news for the U.S. housing market. The good news is that by this time next year, mortgage rates will be substantially lower than they are today. The bad news is that by this time next year, the U.S. is more than likely to be in a meaningful economic recession.
The main reason for believing that next year we will have both lower interest rates and a recession is that the Fed is currently engaged in monetary policy overkill and that monetary policy operates with long and variable lags. Those lags are thought to be between 12 and 18 months. That means the economy, which is already showing clear signs of slowing,…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Officials at the Federal Housing Finance Agency say racial and ethnic valuation gaps in home appraisals are being reduced in a majority of states.
According to a blog published Tuesday, “Although an appraisal valuation gap continues to exist between white and minority population tracts, data indicate a reduced gap following actions by stakeholders and federal, state, and local agencies, including the release of the PAVE Action Plan.”
The federal Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity was created in June of 2021 to tackle the problem of racial and ethnic bias in home valuations. It is comprised of 13 federal agencies and offices and is co-led by officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were affected this week after Fitch Ratings downgraded the country’s credit rating.
On Tuesday, leaders at Fitch issued a press release saying they had downgraded the United States of America’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating from AAA to AA+.
Fitch is one of three nationally recognized statistical ratings organizations. The other two are Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.
Expected fiscal deterioration over the next three years, a high and growing general government debt burden, and the erosion of governance were cited as reasons for the downgrade.
“The repeated debt-limit political standoffs and last-minute resolutions have eroded confidence in fiscal management. In addition, the government lacks a medium-term fiscal framework, unlike…
By Taylor Stork, President CHLA and EVP, COO Developer’s Mortgage Company and Kelly Welch, Executive Vice President, Equity Resources, Inc.
When a consumer goes into the market to obtain a mortgage loan, they enjoy consumer protections that are arguably more extensive and specific than any other financial product.
A few examples: TRID requirements for disclosures which hold lenders to early fee estimates, RESPA prohibitions against charging for services not provided, and LO Comp prohibitions on loan originators steering loans or varying their fee based on how much they think the borrower would pay.
The same is true for the servicing of mortgage loans. Servicers must follow detailed rules, and for the two-thirds of loans that are “federal agency loans” (FHA,…
By PATRICK LAVERY
Six weeks ago, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell hinted that although the Fed was, at the time, pausing increases to its target range for the federal funds rate, the rate might be raised again several more times before the end of 2023.
Those waiting to find out if that was a threat or a promise got their swift answer on Wednesday, as Powell announced after the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting that the rate would be lifted to 5.25% to 5.5% — the upper figure representing a level not seen since 2001, according to the Associated Press.
Since early 2022, the key rate has risen 5 1/4 percentage points.
“We have covered a lot of ground,…
The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a bill designed to speed up the mortgage process for applications on tribal lands.
The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act was introduced by South Dakota Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds in January. It will now move on to the House of Representatives for deliberation.
“Affordable housing opportunities on tribal trust land can be hard to come by in South Dakota and across the nation due in part to the BIA’s challenging mortgage approval process, which can complicate lenders’ ability to provide financing to prospective homebuyers and participate in federal tribal housing programs. Our bipartisan legislation would expedite this mortgage approval process, hold the BIA accountable, and encourage more lenders to provide mortgages across…
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is taking aim at transparency in rental housing fees in a bid to make life more affordable for the average American.
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge announced commitments by some of the biggest rental search platforms to address unexpected and junk fees.
Zillow, Apartments.com, and AffordableHousing.com all said they will provide tools renters can use to calculate exactly how much their rental will cost. Zillow is adding a Cost of Renting Summary to its active apartment listings, while Apartments.com is launched a new calculator that includes these fees on its website. AffordableHousing.com will require listings to disclose all fees and charges upfront.
“[M]any renters today face fees that are hidden, duplicative, or unnecessary as…
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