Compliance & Regulation

Some words of advice to pass on to your referral sources and clients about the post-underwriting checks now in place.

The dim prospects for Congress doing anything to overhaul the system dominated by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac leaves a host of big questions about what happens to the mortgage sector going forward.

Residential Capital, the defunct mortgage company, sued Bank of America, RBC Mortgage Co. and other lenders, claiming they sold it poor-quality loans that led to its bankruptcy.

So, every week I write a column in this space, and often I get some interesting feedback.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley reiterated calls Wednesday for the Federal Housing Finance Agency to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to offer principal reductions to distressed borrowers and to participate in nonprofit home buyback programs.

Clarifying if a gift card giveaway on my business Facebook page is a violation of the anti-kickback section of RESPA.

Green Tree's bad report card comes as regulators and lawmakers are scrutinizing nonbank servicers that have aggressively purchased mortgage servicing rights from banks.

The government-sponsored enterprises just went a long way toward encouraging lenders to make more loans to borrowers with lower credit scores.

The agency is developing a new methodology for evaluating underwriting defects to give lenders a better handle on the risk posed by any given flaw in a loan file.

In a wide-ranging speech on Tuesday, new FHFA Director Mel Watt said he would not weigh in on the housing finance reform debate percolating in Congress, while also detailing what changes he plans to make at the agency, including encouraging more access to credit.