Certifications and licensing

The number of unique individuals holding state mortgage licenses has risen 7.5% from one year ago, according to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System.

While many depositories do just enough mortgage lending to low- to moderate-income borrowers to meet statutory requirements, The Federal Savings Bank has made it a backbone for growth.

The housing market has been improving but mortgage credit remains "stubbornly" tight on loans bought by the government-sponsored enterprises, according to a chief housing adviser at the White House.

The House Financial Services Committee approved a bill this week that would increase the mobility of mortgage originators who take a new job across state lines or move from a federally regulated bank to a nonbank.

Though regulation-mandated technology upgrades give vendors little time to rest, the growing acceptance of data standardization should appeal to both lenders and regulators.

The New York Department of Financial Services has ordered NewDay Financial to surrender its New York State license, as the fallout continues from its exam-cheating scandal.

A handful of moderate Democrats are supporting a controversial bill to restructure the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and are expected to help the House Financial Services Committee approve the legislation.

Ginnie Mae's plans to beef up oversight in response to the growth of nonbank issuers in its ranks will emphasize deeper analysis of firms' capital and liquidity positions rather than requiring issuers to maintain larger cash reserves.

A New York law that was invalidated by a federal judge was one of many efforts by big cities to pressure banks into making more investments in local communities after the crisis. Some municipal laws could be more vulnerable to bankers' legal challenges than others.

A federal judge has overturned a New York City law that would have required banks to make new disclosures regarding their investments in local communities.

Two groups representing small and mid-size lenders say new proposed state mortgage servicing standards for nonbanks will add an unnecessary layer of regulatory burden, especially for firms servicing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

A U.S. District Judge sentenced a New Jersey man for his role in a $15 million mortgage fraud scam.

Ocwen Financial's sale of mortgage-servicing rights should generate sufficient liquidity for the Atlanta company to meet its debt-payment obligations, Moody's Investors Service said.

The Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board said Coester Appraisal Management Group did not violate state law for failing to pay appraisers "customary and reasonable" fees, and that its executive director "misspoke" about a stipulation and order with the AMC.

The regulatory burden for originators has not only been the main driver of acquisition activity in mortgages but also influences deal structures. Acquirers are looking to craft transactions so they don't get burned by targets' compliance lapses.

Benjamin Lawsky, the New York regulator known for aggressive investigations and headline-grabbing fines against financial firms, is stepping down, and he reportedly plans to make a living offering banks and other companies advice.

With older appraisers retiring and fewer and fewer college graduates entering the profession, industry observers say that, in five to 10 years, there won't be enough appraisers to handle the volume of home sales. For lenders, that could mean higher appraisal fees and long delays in closing loans — at a time when technology could be speeding up the process.

Benjamin Lawsky will step down next month as New York's top bank regulator after four years, during which he threatened to take away the U.S. charters of some of the world's biggest banks and collected billions of dollars in penalties by being the squeaky wheel in global bank settlements.

Implementing minimum requirements for appraisal management companies raise opportunities for varied and potentially inconsistent requirements state-by-state.

The Federal Housing Administration Single Family Housing Policy Handbook will now come into effect on Sept. 14, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday.