Law and regulation

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is considering bringing back the idea of imposing stricter criteria for purchasing mortgages in areas where residential Property Assessed Clean Energy financing is available.

Mortgage lenders' uptake of innovations in artificial intelligence, big data and other technologies has been relatively slow. It's an approach that may not be tenable in 2020.

Todd Zywicki, a law professor who has sharply criticized the CFPB as an unaccountable bureaucracy, has been named chair of an agency task force identifying potential conflicts and inconsistencies in consumer finance law.

In a case highlighting a fraud risk for mortgage companies and other financial institutions, two Garden State residents were sentenced for using fake money orders attempting to fraudulently discharge debts.

The Federal Housing Administration has implemented defect taxonomy revisions for 2020 that it considers one of several milestone achievements in its efforts to "provide greater clarity and consistency for lenders.”

A group of Massachusetts lawmakers, local elected officials and housing advocates plan to launch a new coalition next week to advocate for real estate transfer fee legislation.

According to a survey by the National Association of Realtors, 12% of homebuyers in 2019 bought a multigenerational home.

Denmark’s housing minister says he would find a 10% market decline an acceptable outcome as he tries to alter the law to prevent speculation

The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority is forcing firms to spell out executives’ responsibilities and put them on the hook for conduct problems. The toughest rules will apply to larger mortgage lenders.

A judge's ruling in San Mateo County is raising fears among developers and advocates for more housing construction that the state will lose its leverage for forcing cities to build their way out of California's affordability crisis.

In light of the Federal Housing Administration's strong financial performance, now is not the time to "reduce the FHA's footprint," but rather to broaden the critical access to credit role it plays.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking public feedback on federal, state and local laws and regulations that may inhibit affordable housing or constrain the supply of housing.

The nonbank share of large mortgage servicing is growing, but smaller players tend to be depositories, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found in a new report aimed at examining regulatory impacts.

Months after a citywide reassessment caused property values to shoot up across New Orleans, its likely impact on taxpayers' wallets is becoming clearer.

Orange County's Housing For All task force has unveiled a 10-year plan to add tens of thousands of new homes and establish for the first time a local funding source that could pump $160 million into fighting Orlando's affordable housing crisis.

Newport Beach needs to approve 4,800 new housing units over the next decade.

It's the season when estimated property tax bills for 2020 show up in the mail, and the numbers could be eye-opening for some Minnesota homeowners.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued new rules governing mortgage lenders' screening and training of loan originators with temporary authority.

A proposal by a single utility threatens to upend California’s sweeping mandate requiring solar panels on almost every new home.

Tighter mortgage regulations are making Canada's housing market less risky, according to the government agency responsible for its oversight.