Law and regulation

The lender can experience problems selling a loan that loses qualified mortgage rule's protection. The lender also could be stuck in a vulnerable position if that loan ultimately defaults.

The allegations centered on the broker and original lender’s conduct in connection with a payment of a yield-spread premium.

Senate Banking Committee leaders said Friday they would hold a panel vote on April 29 to reform the housing finance system.

The combined disclosure regulation will have a more dramatic impact on operations and vendors than the qualified mortgage rule.

Be aware that the amount of borrower paid compensation cannot exceed the lender paid compensation.

Bank of America Corp. should win dismissal of a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit accusing it of misleading investors about the quality of loans tied to $850 million in mortgage-backed securities, a judge said.

Regulatory oversight is mounting for the appraisal management companies most lenders use to manage valuation compliance, so keeping tabs on them is more important than ever.

Federal Housing Administration Commissioner Carol Galante explains why she's encouraged lenders are lowering minimum credit scores, how manual underwriting can help overlooked borrowers and where the agency's volume is headed.

Carol Galante has a challenge: Spur lenders to take more care when originating Federal Housing Administration loans, without scaring them away or causing them to hike pricing to cover the additional risk.

The Federal Housing Administration will require lenders to submit full electronic appraisals for the mortgages it insures — a risk management practice Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac adopted two years ago.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., unveiled a new plan Thursday to overhaul the housing finance market, entering what's becoming a crowded field of proposals to restructure the mortgage system.

The largest landlords of single-family homes have formed an industry trade group at a time their impact on housing and finance faces scrutiny.

With more reliable loan data, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would have greater confidence that borrowers would not default. In return, lenders would receive a juicy carrot: fewer buyback requests.

There is growing evidence that Washington is making the same mistake with respect to the housing and mortgage markets.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is striking an optimistic tone for mortgage finance reform, saying she’s hopeful that a Senate Banking Committee plan to overhaul the market could make it to the chamber floor for a vote this year.

Farmers have been benefiting from steady increases in commodity prices in recent years, partly driven by extreme weather. But the underpinnings of that growth seem to be on the wane.

Edward DeMarco will step down from the Federal Housing Finance Agency nearly five years after becoming its acting director.

Federal regulators issued a proposal Monday that would establish standards for states that register and supervise appraisal management companies.

On the surface, it seems mortgage firms must explain valuation reports to each new applicant or eliminate the use of lower-cost advanced valuation intelligence. However, there may be another option.

Lenders should avoid repeated mistakes in their process as they could be used as evidence of a fraudulent intention to originate loans without proper safeguards and underwriting processes.