After 20 months on the job, Federal Housing Finance Agency Principal Deputy Director Adolfo Marzol will retire this month, FHFA announced Friday. Chris Bosland, FHFA’s Senior Advisor for Regulation, will succeed Marzol. “After finalizing the Enterprise’s capital rule, a key milestone on the path to responsibly ending the conservatorships, now is the right time for me to transition back into retirement,” Marzol said. Bosland joined FHFA in 2019 after serving as deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. He previously was an attorney in private practice and has served as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and as counsel and…
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Thursday yet another extension of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s ability to purchase some single-family mortgages in forbearance to continue to support the liquidity of mortgage lenders during the pandemic. FHFA originally put the policy in place in April in response to borrowers seeking mortgage forbearance shortly after closing on loans – and before the lender could deliver the loan to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Prior to the change, loans in forbearance were ineligible to be sold under Fannie and Freddie requirements, placing the borrower and the lender in jeopardy. “Eligible loans will continue to be priced to mitigate the heightened risk of loss to the Enterprises from said loans,” FHFA said in…
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday that it had validated and approved the use of the Classic FICO credit score model by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as work continues to assess adopting more modern credit score tools. In February, FHFA sought input on new credit score models, but Tuesday’s announcement gives FHFA time to sort through the different models. FHFA said it expects Fannie and Freddie will take “an additional year to complete the validation and approval process of the remaining credit score models submitted in response to the solicitation.” “The validation and approval of Classic FICO by the Enterprises allows them to continue supporting the mortgage market while assessing more modern credit score models that were submitted…
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Wednesday that it will extend Fannie and Freddie’s ability to purchase some single-family mortgages in forbearance to continue to support the liquidity of mortgage lenders during the pandemic. FHFA originally put the policy in place in April in response to borrowers seeking mortgage forbearance shortly after closing on loans – and before the lender could deliver the loan to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Prior to the change, loans in forbearance were ineligible to be sold under Fannie and Freddie requirements, placing the borrower and the lender in jeopardy. The latest extension covers loans originated through November 30. “Eligible loans will continue to be priced to mitigate the heightened risk of loss to the…
The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Monday announced a new rule that would require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to provide advance notice to FHFA of new activities and obtain prior approval before launching new products. The rule, which was announced by FHFA Director Mark Calabria at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual meeting, “establishes revised criteria for determining whether a new activity requires notice to FHFA and for determining if that activity is a new product that merits public notice and comment.” “The proposed rule will enhance the safety and soundness of the secondary mortgage market by ensuring the Enterprises adhere to their statutory missions,” Calabria said. “This proposed rule is an important step as the Agency works to end…
Yet another month. The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Thursday that it is extending the loan origination flexibilities currently offered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac designed to help borrowers during the COVID-19 national emergency. Originally put in place at the height of the pandemic, FHFA has repeatedly extended the flexibility offered by Freddie and Fannie. They include: Alternative appraisals on purchase and rate term refinance loans;Alternative methods for verifying employment before loan closing;Expanding the use of power of attorney and remote online notarizations to assist with loan closings; andAuthority to purchase mortgages in forbearance. …
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced Thursday that they are extending the ban on single-family foreclosures and evictions for properties with mortgages managed by the two companies. The suspension, which was put in place to protect homeowners and renters amid the pandemic, will be in effect through the end of the year. It had been set to expire next week. “The extension of our eviction and foreclosure moratorium is just one part of the comprehensive assistance we’re providing borrowers and communities impacted by COVID-19,” said Donna Corley, executive vice president and head of Freddie Mac’s Single-Family business. “We are committed to helping families affected by the pandemic, and we have instructed servicers to work with borrowers who are unable to…
One month at a time. The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Wednesday announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac again extend flexible policies put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including buying loans in forbearance. “Extending these COVID-19 flexibilities helps keep the mortgage market moving and borrowers safe during the pandemic,” FHFA Director Mark Calabria said. The extensions cover: Buying qualified loans in forbearance.Alternative appraisals on purchase and rate-term refinance loans.Alternative methods for documenting income and verifying employment before loan closing.Expanding the use of power of attorney to assist with loan closings. The extension is through Sept. 30. The policies had been set to expire on Monday.…
Faced with a barrage of criticism, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday that it is delaying the implementation date of the “adverse market refinance fee” for three months. The fee – which drew criticism from members of Congress, industry groups and housing advocates – was scheduled to take effect next week. It is now going to take effect Dec. 1, FHFA announced FHFA also said the fee will not apply to refinances on loans below $125,000. “We welcome today’s announcement from the FHFA amending the recently announced Adverse Market Refinance Fee from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO Bob Broeksmit said. “Extending the effective date will permit lenders to close refinance loans that are…
State bankers associations from every state sent a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria, urging him to rescind the “adverse market fee” on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage refinances. The fee is designed to protect Fannie and Freddie from risk associated with the pandemic. It charges 0.5 percent of the loan amount to the borrower who is refinancing, or roughly $1,400 on the typical mortgage in the United States. “The new fee, referred to as an “adverse market refinance fee,” will harm consumers in urban, rural, and suburban communities across the country,” the associations said in the letter. “Borrowers have been helped by the historically low interest rates, allowing them to refinance their loans into significantly lower…
