Loan Think

Homeowners are still paying very high insurance premiums for the life of their Federal Housing Administration loans to subsidize the operations of the HECM program.

Mortgage servicers should be especially concerned by the rise in Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits, which often hinge on whether consent to call borrowers exists or has been revoked.

Potential first-time home buyers can save money for a down payment if they are able to use a special account just for that purpose.

Recent research into customer preferences regarding home equity lending reveals that banks need to better engage with their customers to understand their needs and expectations, and then guide them to optimized HELOC product offerings that precisely meet their needs.

The battle lines are drawn between those seeking to protect the mortgage interest deduction and a legislative effort to greatly reduce its use. Hopefully, this is a battle that taxpayers will win.

The treatment of local property taxes and the mortgage interest deduction in the House Republicans' tax plan would cause homeowners in high-cost states like California to incur much higher tax bills.

So long as the current monetary regime survives, homeowners — present and potential — can expect higher average prices interspersed with wild rides up and down.

The HUD secretary’s comment that such use of the False Claims Act was “ridiculous” may delight the mortgage industry but does not bode well for taxpayers or the federal government’s future fraud enforcement efforts.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency must set fees equal to the cost of capital that private banks hold against similar risk, not just the amount of capital that Fannie and Freddie think are right for themselves.

Following the release of the nonbinding statement of policy, regulators still have an important role to play in making sure the industry achieves an effective data-sharing model.