Law and regulation

From a housing market in turmoil and the technology to save it to the myriad new faces in both the industry and Washington, here's a look back at some of the biggest and most read mortgage and housing stories of 2018.

The current deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Pam Patenaude, will step down in January.

The White House confirmed that it plans to nominate Mark Calabria as the next director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee concluded that last year’s massive data breach at Equifax was fully preventable, but stopped short of recommending new laws aimed at averting future hacks. Democrats called the final report a “missed opportunity.”

The administration’s reported interest in having the White House aide run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator signals a focus on constraining the mortgage giants’ role in the housing market.

Over the last 20 years, at least 145,000 Detroit properties have been put up for sale in the annual Wayne County Tax Auction, and, of that number, an estimated 50,000 properties were occupied at the time of foreclosure.

Providing city-owned land to build more homes, easing regulations for property owners to put up casitas, expanding down payment programs for prospective new homeowners — these are just a few of the recommendations in a new report on Santa Fe's housing problems.

Real estate and mortgage industry groups outspent proponents 3-to-1 to defeat Proposition 10, a measure to allow California municipalities to set local rent control laws.

Austin's record-breaking $250 million affordable housing bond appeared to be on its way to approval late Tuesday.

Mortgage industry executives claim sparse affordable housing supply is the most impactful hurdle for first-time homebuyers entering the market in 2019, but the majority don't think regulatory policy will help the cause.

New York's Department of Housing Preservation and Development has released a "Speculation Watch List" of rent-regulated homes sold that the agency said could potentially put tenants at risk.

The fight for stronger rent control in California appears headed for a fiery demise, according to the latest poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.

From discussing the future of mortgage tech to debating the shifting sands of political policies, here's a preview of the big issues, topics and ideas when the industry gathers in the nation's capital for the Mortgage Bankers Association's Annual Convention & Expo.

If California voters approve Proposition 10 in November, the ramifications will be felt on the state's affordable housing, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The mortgage industry is calling on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to revise its Loan Originator Compensation rule in favor of better protection for consumers and lesser regulatory burdens for lenders.

The bureau's findings and request for information came after acting Director Mick Mulvaney had cited data security as a flaw at the agency.

The CFPB's move is in line with the other banking regulators who have offices in Atlanta.

Advocates are seeking more federal funding for affordable housing. A federal investigation into the banks’ alleged manipulation of a popular tax-credit program can’t be helping their cause.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill to revise the state's Residential Mortgage Lending Act to facilitate transitional licensing for loan officers and to streamline the law's provisions for borrower fees.

The Congressional Budget Office has found that restructuring the mortgage market would save the government billions of dollars but may increase the cost of housing.