Loan Think

The key to housing finance reform is a new securitization model that allows the private sector to price and absorb the majority of housing credit risk.

Appraisers and appraisal management companies do important, and different, work. Their fees should be listed separately and transparently in the TILA-RESPA integrated disclosures.

A Fair Housing Act lawsuit allowed to stand against a lender degrees removed from the alleged injury is one example of how broadly defined discrimination laws will open an abyss of litigation.

Lenders should be excited about the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures because it will help them provide better customer service and new opportunities to engage and educate borrowers.

Servicers should make some simple requests of their tech vendors to tailor compliance systems to their needs and avoid the headaches of overhauling compliance systems.

There is no universal definition of "TRID-ready," but any vendor claiming it's prepared for the new integrated disclosures should allow lenders to test the changes. Here's what to look for, and the red flags that should be cause for concern.

Natural disasters and hidden property defects are about all lenders can count on to constitute a "changed circumstance" delay on the Loan Estimate — but prepare for a case-by-case evaluation, anyway.

A unique public-private program in Dane County, Wis., uses shared-appreciation mortgages to develop new affordable housing units more effectively than other traditional financing options.

When the late-night television comedians joke about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — the two government-sponsored housing finance agencies that almost went belly-up during the housing crisis — you know they have reached the public consciousness.

Consumers don't love to hate lenders, they just often do. By checking in on consumer experiences and opinions often, lenders can stay competitive and avoid negative attention from federal regulators.