Industry News

Mar 18, 2020 12:30 PM

Appraisal Institute Seeks Guidance from Policy Makers

The Appraisal Institute announced March 18 that it is aggressively engaging all primary appraisal policy makers to help guide appraisers during the coronavirus pandemic. AI expects some guidance to be released as early as this week about exterior-only and/or desktop appraisals for loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Feb 06, 2020 12:30 PM

FHA Delays Launch of Electronic Appraisal Delivery System

The Federal Housing Administration announced Jan. 28 it is postponing changes to its Electronic Appraisal Delivery system Appraisal Logging Screen due to a lapse in appropriations. FHA also is delaying the Appraisal Case Transfer screen in FHA Connection and the start date for business-to-government appraisal logging and transfer connections to an undetermined future date.

Nov 20, 2019 12:30 PM

AQB Clarifies Sanctions Criteria, Reviews PAREA Guidelines

The Appraiser Qualifications Board at its Nov. 1 public meeting adopted the second exposure draft of proposed changes to the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria pertaining to supervisor qualifications. The changes clarify that sanctions levied against an appraiser over administrative matters do not prevent that individual from acting as a supervisory appraiser. The changes take effect Jan. 1.

Nov 06, 2019 12:30 PM

FHFA Scorecard for GSEs Sets Stage to Exit Conservatorship

The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Oct. 28 released its annual scorecard outlining goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for the coming year, and this one emphasized the removal of the government-sponsored enterprises from conservatorship, HousingWire reported. The scorecard also addressed national housing finance matters and safe and sound business practices.

Aug 28, 2019 12:30 PM

LIBOR Replacement Remains Elusive for US Lenders: Fitch

The London Interbank Offered Rate is set to expire at the end of 2021, but a replacement for the short-term interest rate benchmark hasn’t been determined, HousingWire reported Aug. 20. Investor consent has been a problem for the phase-out of LIBOR, according to a group of trustees from Fitch Ratings’ U.S. RMBS Trustee Roundtable.

May 29, 2019 05:05 PM

Government Agencies to Improve Relationship with Lenders: FHA

Regulatory compliance standards are discouraging lenders from working with various government housing agencies, Brian Montgomery, Federal Housing Administration commissioner, told attendees May 23 at a Mortgage Bankers Association conference, MBA NewsLink reported. Montgomery said the agencies are seeking to create a friendlier environment to encourage more lending.

May 29, 2019 05:03 PM

Survey Shows 47% of Homebuyers Affected by Tax Changes

Tax changes affected the house hunt of 47% of potential homebuyers this year, down from 56% last year when the effects of tax reform were mostly still speculative and not yet realized in paychecks, the online real estate marketplace Redfin reported in a survey released May 16.

May 29, 2019 04:59 PM

Mortgage Industry May Struggle with 'Zombie' LIBOR After Phaseout, Reuters Reports

The nation's mortgage industry probably will still have to deal with a "zombie" version of the London Interbank Offered Rate even after the benchmark is phased out in 2021, Reuters reported May 21. The trade group Alternative Reference Rates Committee has introduced guidelines, backed by the Federal Reserve, for participants to use another reference rate.

May 15, 2019 12:30 PM

GSEs Can End Oversight Without Congress Approval: FHFA

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can be freed from government oversight even if Congress doesn’t pass a housing-financial overhaul involving the government-sponsored enterprises, the Federal Housing Finance Agency Director, Mark Calabria, told Bloomberg May 8. He noted that Congress will get at least an entire session to act.

May 15, 2019 12:30 PM

Rural Communities Likely to Continue Declining, Data Shows

Rural areas, which comprise 42 percent of the nation’s counties, suffered significant population and job losses due to the Great Recession and likely won’t recover, leaving their housing and commercial bases to struggle, according to Commerce Department data, CityLab reported May 7. Communities in the Northeast and the Midwest were hardest hit.