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Previously, in connection with the home loan program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) we reported on the VA’s adoption of a temporary local variance allowing veterans to pay the commission of the real estate broker or agent assisting them (a “buyer-broker”). We also reported on a related enhancement made to the Issue Guaranty screen in VA’s WebLGY system.… Continue Reading

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently charged multiple entities with housing discrimination based on an asserted biased appraisal and denial of a mortgage refinance loan application based on the appraisal. Charges were brought against the appraisal company, Maverick Appraisal Group; the appraisal management company, Solidifi U.S. Inc.; the lender, Rocket Mortgage, LLC; and the individual appraiser.… Continue Reading

As previously reported, in connection with its guaranteed home loan program, in June 2024 the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adopted a temporary local variance allowing veterans to pay the commission of the real estate broker or agent assisting them (a “buyer-broker”) in the purchase of a home.  In Circular 26-24-15, the VA announced an enhancement made to the Issue Guaranty screen in VA’s WebLGY system related to veteran-paid buyer-broker charges.… Continue Reading

A group of federal agencies have finalized reconsideration of value (ROV) guidance for residential real estate valuations. The agencies are the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve Board (Board) and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The guidance will be effective upon publication in the Federal Register.… Continue Reading

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) will release the first phase of major enhancements to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) on July 20.

The updates are intended to address certain issues industry users have raised, including allowing users to create a username and password without having to contact the NMLS Call Center, and allowing users who have multiple NMLS accounts to access their accounts using one username and password.… Continue Reading

In a major win for the CFPB, in CFPB v. Townstone Financial, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (7th Circuit) recently held that the Regulation B provision prohibiting discrimination under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) against prospective applicants is consistent with the statute.… Continue Reading

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it has entered into an historic Conciliation Agreement (Agreement) with The Appraisal Foundation (TAF), an organization responsible for setting standards and qualifications for real estate appraisers and providing voluntary guidance for appraisers. This Agreement resolves a Secretary-initiated complaint against TAF alleging discriminatory barriers preventing qualified Black people and other persons of color from entering the appraisal profession on the basis of race in violation of the Fair Housing Act.… Continue Reading

The complexity of loss mitigation programs designed to assist distressed mortgage borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic may have been too daunting for many borrowers to seek help, the CFPB said, in a report released last week.

“Many respondents faced challenges accessing these programs even among those who reported communicating with their servicer,” the CFPB said.… Continue Reading

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) recently announced the release of the Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset based on Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data from 2023. The CFPB also addressed the release of the dataset. Previously, we reported on the release by the CFPB of the HMDA Modified Loan Application Data for 2023, which did not include any analysis of the data.… Continue Reading