Loss mitigation

Complaints to the bureau hit an all-time high in April. More than one in five said servicers wouldn't grant deferrals, forced borrowers into forbearance or violated other requirements of the coronavirus relief law.

The total coronavirus-related mortgages in forbearance grew by 55 basis points, in lockstep with rising unemployment claims, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The number of loans in forbearance increased by a full percentage point over the past week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The bipartisan coalition of AGs said homeowners should be allowed to wait until the end of a loan term to make payments they skipped because of the coronavirus.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has promised to take care of advances on principal and interest payments for coronavirus forbearances after four months, but servicers remain concerned about other responsibilities.

Future loss mitigation may be most effective if housing-finance industry stakeholders communicate clearly with consumers about these five aspects of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

Surging unemployment from COVID-19 shutdowns brought a rapidly rising tide of forbearance requests, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The nonprofit that distributed a loss mitigation platform built during the last crisis recently closed, but the technology's creator sees interest in its use for COVID-19-related deferrals.

The volume of COVID-19 forbearance requests has risen rapidly as operational processing has improved and hold times have contracted, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Forbearance requirements under the CARES Act raised immediate concerns about servicing advances and performance, but experts suggest there are other outcomes to brace for, too.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote in a letter to the Treasury secretary that the Financial Stability Oversight Council should create a liquidity facility to deal with a flood of forbearance requests brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The share of borrowers seeking payment relief rose more than tenfold as COVID-19 concerns grew and authorities encouraged the practice, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Servicers' obligations to advance or temporarily absorb unpaid funds could range from $3 billion to $13 billion per month, according to Black Knight.

Nonbank mortgage employment estimates show payrolls in February leveled off after an unusually strong winter, but anecdotal reports of selective hiring persisted through March amid a broader coronavirus-related drop in U.S. jobs.

Real estate crowdfunding company Sharestates launched a program Wednesday offering liquidity to private lenders and loan aggregators contending with margin calls as a result of market volatility related to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's 60-day foreclosure halt for Federal Housing Administration borrowers is too short to help reverse mortgage borrowers, a letter from consumer groups stated.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised a 90-day moratorium on mortgage payments for financially strapped New Yorkers because of the coronavirus.

The Home Affordable Modification Program became a national blueprint for loss mitigation in the last crisis, but changes in the servicing landscape and circumstances call for a new approach now.

A recent earthquake is adding to servicing challenges in Puerto Rico caused by multiple natural disasters, power outages and some companies' insufficient use of technology, according to one vendor.

Elizabeth Warren rolled out a plan to restore bankruptcy protections repealed in a 2005 law championed by Joe Biden, including those that involve mortgage lending.