The Federal Housing Administration introduced a new offering to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.
The offering, called the Payment Supplement, is a loss mitigation home retention option available to borrowers with FHA-insured single-family mortgages.
Payment Supplement gives mortgage servicers a tool to reduce the borrower’s monthly payment by up to 25% without modifying the rate by using funds from a Partial Claim, enabling the borrower to access up to 30% of the outstanding balance of their mortgage.
The claim amount is placed in a junior lien and paid back when the homeowner sells or refinances, or when the mortgage otherwise terminates.
“HUD uses every tool in our toolkit to ensure we can help struggling borrowers avoid foreclosure,” said HUD Secretary…
By ERIN FLYNN JAY and KIMBERLEY HAAS
A recent report from Redfin shows that Baby Boomers with empty nests own double the amount of large homes compared to Millennials with kids. So what if Grandma and Grandpa moved into an accessory dwelling unit and the three generations lived together so everyone could have some space?
According to the report, Millennials with kids own 14% of the nation’s large homes, which are defined as having three or more bedrooms. Baby Boomers living by themselves or with one other person own 28% of these properties.
Partially to blame is affordability. 2023 was the least affordable year for homebuying on record, with median-priced homes costing about $410,000, according to Redfin. Additionally, 54% of…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
The question of whether technology alone can eliminate racial bias during the home appraisal process came up during a hearing held in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s Appraisal Subcommittee was holding its third public hearing when the topic was discussed.
Member JeanMarie Mattingly, who serves as deputy director of credit union resources and expansion, was asking questions of the panelists offering testimony. She started by asking about the work Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are doing to monitor and assess appraisal reports for indications of bias.
Danny Wiley, senior director of single-family valuation at Freddie Mac, said they have an entire team focused on appraisal quality monitoring.
“We see problematic words in…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
A new policy that allows lenders to count income from accessory dwelling units when underwriting a mortgage will help provide affordable homes for those who need them most, according to a top housing official.
Julia Gordon, who serves as the assistant secretary for housing and federal housing commissioner at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, spoke about the changes last week during her remarks at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual convention and expo in Philadelphia.
“We’re going to allow both existing rental income for ADUs, and prospective rental income, to be included in the underwriting process to allow more borrowers to purchase properties with ADUs, to rehab existing houses to add ADUs, and to construct…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have awarded funding from a program established by the Inflation Reduction Act to owners of assisted multifamily housing properties and the money is going to climate-related investments.
The act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Aug. 16, 2022, has done little to reduce inflation but is considered the most significant policy action on clean energy in United States history. It established the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, providing HUD with $837.5 million in grant and loan subsidy funding and $4 billion in loan commitment authority.
According to a press release issued on Wednesday, money from the program will enable building owners to invest in geothermal…
By NICOLE MURRAY
There have been 1.3 million cases where loss mitigation options have helped borrowers remain in their homes since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A few common tools available through these home retention programs include a loan modification, forbearance agreement, or repayment plan.
However, some of these resources that once were effective in avoiding foreclosures now result in little to no reductions in monthly mortgage payments due to spiking interest rates.
As a result, a new proposal is being offered by the Federal Housing Administration, so borrowers have a potentially more effective option to avoid foreclosure. This tool is called the Payment Supplement Partial Claim.…
A new independent office has been created for manufactured housing programs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Employees at the Office of Manufactured Housing Programs will report to Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon, according to a press release.
The office was previously organized under the Office of Housing’s Office of Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs.
Support of manufactured housing is a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to increase the overall supply of affordable housing.
“This organizational change represents a recognition of the critically important role that manufactured housing plays in our country’s housing market,” Gordon said.
During the last two years, HUD has supported the continued production of manufactured homes as…
By SCOTT KIMBLER
Leaders at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have unveiled their proposed budget for FY 2024 and say funds will be directed at solving the nation’s housing crisis.
Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement that the proposed budget will help ensure every American has access to housing.
“The budget invests in Americans at every station in life – from those seeking to purchase a home to those who receive HUD rental assistance – and will ensure families across the country can live in communities that are safe, affordable, and resilient,” Fudge said.
HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman said during a press call that the budget reflects the Biden administration’s values and provides a blueprint…
