Law and regulation

With the qualified mortgage patch expiring and a recession likely, wealth inequities that have hurt black and millennial homeownership could worsen, according to the National Association of Real Estate Brokers.

Property values recovered, and in some cases even surpassed housing bubble peaks, but the same can't be said for waning new construction activity, which won't return to historic norms for years, according to Zillow.

The San Francisco company forecast a modest profit in the third quarter because its cost-cutting plans are ahead of schedule. It's also starting a program to sell riskier loans to sophisticated investors.

As officials prepare plans for the government-sponsored enterprises' exit from conservatorship, there's no shortage of speculation about what those plans might look like and how they might affect the mortgage industry.

Although higher corporate debt could hurt the economy, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell argued changes made since the last crisis will guard against a meltdown.

The JFSA published a final rule outlining the hoops U.S. CLO managers will have to jump through if Japanese banks are to avoid a higher risk weighting on their holdings; it remains to be seen how much of a burden this will be.

A top official at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions defended tougher underwriting rules blamed recently for a slump in the nation’s housing market, but left open the possibility that regulations could ease if conditions change.

The company has filed a request with a federal judge in Pennsylvania for a summary judgment in two counts against it, accusing the bureau of failing to provide evidence.

As the government shutdown enters its third week, mortgage servicers are activating the response plans they normally use during hurricanes and wildfires to assist federal workers who may have trouble paying their mortgages.

The administration’s reported interest in having the White House aide run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator signals a focus on constraining the mortgage giants’ role in the housing market.

The passage of Proposition 111, which also prohibits lenders from adding origination and monthly maintenance fees, makes Colorado the fifth state to impose caps on payday loans through a voter referendum.

The report from an advocacy group that focuses on college affordability says that schools need to do a better job of educating students about their eligibility for federal loans, which typically carry lower interest rates than loans from banks and other private-sector lenders.

The Congressional Budget Office has found that restructuring the mortgage market would save the government billions of dollars but may increase the cost of housing.

A federal appeals court in Texas agreed with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders that the FHFA, led by a single director, violates the separation of powers.

New securitizations backed by reverse mortgages are now at a low not seen in two years, signaling that higher volumes seen in recent months may be tapering off.

The El Segundo, Calif. company is selling $100 million of bonds backed by a revolving pool of loans secured by precious metals as well as some of its own inventory of cash and gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

Changes that federal regulators are contemplating to the Volcker Rule could pave the way for CLOs to resume investing in high yield bonds, which they currently cannot do without putting themselves off limits to banks.

Just two months ago, Comptroller Joseph Otting seemed to signal that the OCC might be open to letting national banks rent their charters to payday lenders. Now he is clarifying that it won’t happen.

Although the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is loosening certain mortgage rules, others such as restrictions on loan officer compensation and state-level regulation will likely persist, according to industry attorneys.

Requiring solar panels for all newly constructed residences is good news for investors who finance these systems, if only because it will help keep developers afloat, according to Moody’s Investors Service.