After much back and forth between the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate over an extended period of time, both chambers have passed major housing legislation entitled “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

Although initially a ceremony in which President Trump would sign the Act into law was scheduled for June 24, 2026, the ceremony was canceled with President Trump apparently tying his willingness to sign the legislation to the Senate passing the Save America Act, which includes various provisions regarding federal elections.… Continue Reading

In a series of five Mortgagee Letters, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently modified policies for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured residential mortgage loans to reduce regulatory burdens and promote affordability. A HUD summary of the modifications indicates that the modifications are in accordance with Executive Order 14393, Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit.… Continue Reading

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently revised the requirements for bidding at a foreclosure sale and for utilizing Claims Without Conveyance of Title (CWCOT), including Post-Foreclosure Sales Efforts through the issuance of Mortgagee Letter 2026-03. The changes apply to all single-family forward mortgages under the Title II program, except for Hawaiian Home Lands Mortgages and Insured Mortgages on Indian Land.… Continue Reading

We have previously reported on the tortured history of the disparate impact rule adopted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Fair Housing Act, most recently here. HUD now proposes to remove the rule from its regulations. Comments are due by February 13, 2026.

How did we get here?… Continue Reading

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced the 2026 loan limits for FHA insured forward mortgage loans and FHA insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs). The announcements were made in Mortgagee Letter 2025-23 and Mortgagee Letter 2025-22, respectively.

For forward mortgage loans in non-high-cost areas, the amount for a single unit home increased from $524,225 in 2025 to $541,287 in 2026.… Continue Reading

As the government shutdown drags on, some financial services programs—particularly housing programs– are being affected.

The CFPB is funded through the Federal Reserve system, not through annual appropriations, and technically is still operating, although as we have reported previously many CFPB employees are not being permitted to work. (That CFPB funding mechanism was the subject of a Supreme Court case and the court found the funding system constitutional.)… Continue Reading

The FHFA has directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare proposals for consideration of cryptocurrency as an asset for reserves in their single-family risk assessments, without a conversion to dollars.

“Cryptocurrency is an emerging asset class that may offer an opportunity to build wealth outside of the stock and bond markets,” FHFA Director William J.… Continue Reading

Recently the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rescinded various FHA mortgage loan requirements in a series of five Mortgagee Letters.

Supplemental Consumer Information Form

As previously reported, HUD announced in Mortgage Letter 2023-13 that lenders must use the Supplemental Consumer Information Form (SCIF) of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in connection with FHA insured mortgage loans with application dates on or after August 28, 2023.… Continue Reading

The Department of Housing and Development is seeking information about the impact that the frequent use of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) products may have on borrowers’ ability to meet housing-related expenses, including rent or mortgage payments. Comments are due on or before August 25, 2025.

“The rise of BNPL lending raises important questions about how it may impact housing affordability and stability,” the department said, in issuing a Request for Information.… Continue Reading

We are releasing today on our podcast show a repurposed webinar that we produced on June 11, 2025 entitled “What is happening at the federal agencies that is relevant to the residential mortgage and settlement service industries.”

During this podcast, we will inform you about recent developments at federal agencies, including the CFPB, HUD/FHA, OCC, FDIC, FRB and USDA (collectively, the “Agencies”), as well as Congress, the White House, states and the courts.… Continue Reading