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FHFA Announces Results of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Dodd-Frank Stress Tests

Posted on September 13, 2018September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On April 30, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a news release announcing the results of annual stress trests Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are required to conduct under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act).

FHFA Announces Results of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Dodd-Frank Stress Tests

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released a report providing the results of annual stress tests Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) are required to conduct under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). The Dodd-Frank Act requires certain financial institutions with more than $10 billion in assets to conduct annual stress tests to determine whether they can absorb losses as a result of adverse economic conditions. The report, Dodd-Frank Act Stress Tests – Severely Adverse Scenario, provides updated information on possible ranges of future financial results of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under severely adverse economic conditions.

2015 DFAST – Severely Adverse Scenario

2015 Summary Instructions and Guidance

Contacts:
Media: Corinne Russell (202) 649-3032 / Stefanie Johnson (202) 649-3030
Consumers: Consumer Communications or (202) 649-3811

Please click here to view the news release online.

About Safeguard
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow. Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Fannie Mae: Updates to MyCity Modification Recorded Webinar

Posted on September 13, 2018September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On April 22, Fannie Mae announced a recorded webinar to review updated requirements for its MyCity Modification.

Recorded Webinar: Updates to Fannie Mae’s MyCity Modification
Join Fannie Mae for a recorded webinar to review updated requirements for Fannie Mae’s MyCity Modification as announced in Servicing Guide Announcement SVC-2014-22 and incorporated into the 2015 Servicing Guide at D2-3.2-11. The webinar focuses on expanded requirements for MyCity Modification, including eligibility criteria, borrower evaluation, calculation of payments, modification terms, Fannie Mae’s Workout Hierarchy, borrower solicitation, campaign codes and the Evaluation Notice.

Please view the webinar here.

Please click here to view the Fannie Mae servicing news update online.

Fannie Mae SVC-2015-06 Miscellaneous Servicing Policy Changes

Posted on September 13, 2018September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On April 15, Fannie Mae released Servicing Guide Announcement SVC-2015-06, subtitled Miscellaneous Servicing Policy Changes.

Servicing Guide Announcement SVC-2015-06

Miscellaneous Servicing Policy Changes

Fannie Mae is amending its policies and requirements related to the following:

Processing Additional Principal Payments for Delinquent Mortgage Loans
Accepting Funds from Hardest-Hit Fund (HHF) Programs and Housing Finance Agencies (HFA)
Processing a Partial Reinstatement During Foreclosure

Policy Change Effective Date

The servicer is encouraged to implement the policy changes in this Announcement immediately, but must implement the changes by June 1, 2015.

Date of Servicing Guide Update

These policy changes will be reflected in C-1.2-01, Processing Additional Principal Payments; D2-3.1-05, Interacting with Housing Finance Agencies and Hardest-Hit Fund Programs; and E-3.2-08, Processing Reinstatements During Foreclosure in the May 2015 monthly update of the Servicing Guide.

Please click here to view the announcement in its entirety.

Fannie Mae SVC-2015-05 Servicing Guide Updates

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On April 8, Fannie Mae released Servicing Guide Announcement SVC-2015-05, subtitled Servicing Guide Updates.

Servicing Guide Announcement SVC-2015-05

Servicing Guide Updates

The Servicing Guide has been updated to include the following:

Provides Requirements Related to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specialty Designated Nationals (SDN) List
Changes to Title Defect Reporting
Clarifications in Obtaining Increased
Miscellaneous Revisions

Please click here to view the announcement in its entirety.

Fannie Mae Standard Modification Interest Rate Adjustment

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On April 7, Fannie Mae issued Servicing Notice: Fannie Mae Standard Modification Interest Rate Adjustment.

Servicing Notice

Fannie Mae Standard Modification Interest Rate Adjustment

Fannie Mae is adjusting the Fannie Mae Standard Modification Interest Rate required for all Fannie Mae conventional mortgage loan modifications, excluding Fannie Mae HAMP Modifications. The servicer must implement the new interest rate indicated on the Fannie Mae Standard Modification Interest Rate Exhibit for any mortgage loan modification evaluation conducted on or after April 14, 2015.

NOTE: As a reminder, the interest rate used to determine the final modification terms must be the same fixed interest rate that was used when determining eligibility for the Trial Period Plan and calculating the Trial Period Plan payment.

Please click here to view the notice online.

Fannie Mae: Lackluster Income Growth Weighing on Americans’ Housing Sentiment

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On April 7, Fannie Mae published a release titled Lackluster Income Growth Weighing on Americans’ Housing Sentiment.

Lackluster Income Growth Weighing on Americans’ Housing Sentiment

Share of Consumers Expecting to Buy a Home on Next Move Reaches Survey Low

WASHINGTON, DC – Consumer attitudes toward housing appear to have stalled somewhat amid a recent dip in confidence regarding personal finances and income growth, according to results from Fannie Mae’s March 2015 National Housing Survey™. Among those surveyed, the share who expect their personal financial situation to improve over the next year fell to 41 percent last month, while those who said their household income is significantly higher than it was 12 months ago fell to 22 percent. Additionally, the share of respondents who said they would buy a home if they were to move decreased 5 percentage points to 60 percent – a new all-time survey low. On the bright side, the share of consumers who believe now is a good time to sell a home reached a new survey high of 46 percent, narrowing the gap with those reporting it is a good time to buy, perhaps signaling a more balanced housing market.

“Consumers are being patient prior to entering the housing market. Our March survey results emphasize how critical attitudes about income growth are to consumers’ outlook on housing,” said Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. “We’ve seen modest improvement in total compensation resulting from a strengthened labor market. However, income growth perceptions and personal financial expectations both eased off of recent highs, consistent with Friday’s weak jobs report. Simultaneously, the share of consumers expecting to buy on their next move has declined. We believe the recent setback in consumer sentiment should be short lived if early signs of income growth bear out and occur in proportion to expected interest rate increases. Meanwhile, the wait for housing expansion continues.”

SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

Homeownership and Renting

The average 12-month home price change expectation rose to 2.7 percent.
The share of respondents who say home prices will go up in the next 12 months rose to 48 percent. The share who say home prices will go down rose to 8 percent.
The share of respondents who say mortgage rates will go up in the next 12 months increased to 52 percent.
Those who say it is a good time to buy a house fell slightly to 66.0 percent, while those who say it is a good time to sell rose to 46.0 percent – a new survey high.
The average 12-month rental price change expectation remained at 4.0 percent.
The percentage of respondents who expect home rental prices to go up rose to 53.0 percent.
Those who think it would be easy to get a home mortgage fell by 4 percentage points to 50.0 percent, while those who think it would be difficult rose by 3 percentage points to 46.0 percent.
The share who say they would buy if they were going to move fell 5 percentage points to 60.0 percent – a new survey low, while the share who would rent rose to 34 percent.

The Economy and Household Finances

The share of respondents who say the economy is on the right track decreased by 4 percentage points to 43.0 percent, while those who say the economy is on the wrong track rose by 3 percentage points to 48.0 percent.
The percentage of respondents who expect their personal financial situation to get better over the next 12 months fell to 41.0 percent.
The share of respondents who say their household income is significantly higher than it was 12 months ago fell 2 percentage points to 22.0 percent.
The share of respondents who say their household expenses are significantly higher than they were 12 months ago rose by 4 percentage points back to 35.0 percent.

The most detailed consumer attitudinal survey of its kind, Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey™ polled 1,000 Americans via live telephone interview to assess their attitudes toward owning and renting a home, home and rental price changes, homeownership distress, the economy, household finances, and overall consumer confidence. Homeowners and renters are asked more than 100 questions used to track attitudinal shifts (findings are compared to the same survey conducted monthly beginning June 2010). To reflect the growing share of households with a cell phone but no landline, the National Housing Survey has increased its cell phone dialing rate to 60 percent as of October 2014. For more information, please see the Technical Notes. Fannie Mae conducts this survey and shares monthly and quarterly results so that we may help industry partners and market participants target our collective efforts to stabilize the housing market in the near-term, and provide support in the future.

For detailed findings from the March 2015 survey, as well as technical notes on survey methodology and questions asked of respondents associated with each monthly indicator, please visit the Fannie Mae Monthly National Housing Survey page on fanniemae.com. Also available on the site are in-depth topic analyses, which provide a detailed assessment of combined data results from three monthly studies. The March 2015 National Housing Survey was conducted between March 1, 2015 and March 23, 2015. Most of the data collection occurred during the first two weeks of this period. Interviews were conducted by Penn Schoen Berland, in coordination with Fannie Mae.

Please click here to view the release online.

CFPB Issues Guidance on Housing Counselor Requirement

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On April 15, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a press release titled CFPB Issues Guidance on Housing Counselor Requirement.

CFPB Issues Guidance on Housing Counselor Requirement

Final Interpretive Rule Includes Additional Instructions for Providing Housing Counselor Information

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today issued a final interpretive rule on how to provide mortgage applicants with a list of local homeownership counseling organizations. The interpretive rule restates guidance the CFPB issued in 2013, and provides further guidance for lenders who are building their own lists of housing counselors. The rule also includes guidance on the qualifications for providing high-cost mortgage counseling and for lender participation in such counseling.

“Buying a home is often the largest financial decision in a consumer’s lifetime, and we want to ensure that consumers can access the independent and informed advice they deserve before making that decision,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Housing counselors are a crucial source of that helpful advice. We will continue to work to improve the home-buying experience for consumers, and today’s interpretive rule will help industry comply with these important protections.”

Housing counselors can provide advice on buying a home, renting, defaults, foreclosures, and credit issues. Advice from housing counselors can be provided at little or no cost to consumers. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act included a requirement that mortgage lenders provide applicants with a list of local housing counselors. Consumers will receive the list shortly after they apply for a mortgage so they know where to get help when deciding what loan is best for them. Lenders may fulfill the requirement by using CFPB-developed housing counseling lists, which are available through an online tool the Bureau created in 2013, or by generating their own lists using the same Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data that the CFPB uses to build its lists.

Lenders choosing to build their own lists can look to today’s interpretive rule for instructions. Today’s interpretive rule restates the detailed guidance from 2013. It also includes new instructions about: how to provide applicants abroad with homeownership counseling lists; permissible geolocation tools; combining the homeownership counseling list with other disclosures; use of a consumer’s mailing address to provide the list; and high-cost mortgage counseling qualifications and lender participation in such counseling.

The online tool can be accessed here: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/find-a-housing-counselor/

Today’s interpretive rule is available here: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_housing-counselor-interpretive-rule.pdf

Please click here to view the press release online.

VA Circular 26-15-2 Reconveyance Disputes Process

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On March 13, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued Circular 26-15-2, subtitled Reconveyance Disputes Process.

Veterans Benefits Administration Circular 26-15-2
Department of Veterans Affairs
Washington, DC 20420

Reconveyance Disputes Process

1. Purpose. The purpose of this Circular is to outline the process for a servicer to dispute a final reconveyance decision. This policy is effective March 13, 2015.

2. Background. In certain instances, servicers may not agree with the reconveyance decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This Circular provides guidance for servicers who wish to dispute a final reconveyance decision. A list of letters associated with the reconveyance process is attached in Exhibit A.

3. Reconveyance Dispute Process. VA developed a reconveyance dispute process with Vendor Resource Management (VRM) to address servicer disagreements pertaining to the reconveyance of an asset. This process will require the servicer to complete and submit information regarding the dispute to VRM via email. See the requirements below involving the dispute process.

a. Disputes must be received directly from the servicer (not the foreclosure attorney).

b. The dispute should be emailed to the VRM Reconveyance Team at
title-va-reconveyance@vrmco.com.

c. The email submission must include the following:

(1) Email Subject Line: Reconveyance Dispute,
(2) Title Package Due Date,
(3) Copy of Pre-Reconveyance or Incomplete Letter,
(4) Copy of Final Reconveyance Letter,
(5) Proof of compliance in resolving any/all noted deficiencies by the due date in either the Pre-Reconveyance or Incomplete Letter, and
(6) the Reason for Dispute.

d. Reconveyance disputes must be submitted within 10-business days of receipt of the Final Reconveyance Letter.

e. VA through VRM will respond to disputes within 72 hours of receipt.

4. Rescission. This Circular is rescinded January 1, 2018.

By Direction of the Under Secretary for Benefits

Michael J. Frueh
Director, Loan Guaranty Service

Circular 26-15-2
Exhibit A

Description of Reconveyance Letters

Incomplete Title Package Letter – This letter is emailed to both the foreclosure attorney and servicer when a title package is received prior to the due date and is found to be incomplete (i.e. missing state-specific required documents). The letter will note the deficiencies and allow up to the original title package due date for additional documents to be submitted.

Pre-Reconveyance Letter (Expired Title Package) – This letter is emailed to both the foreclosure attorney and servicer when a title package has not been submitted by the due date. The letter will be sent 3 days after the due date has expired and allows for an additional 10-business days to submit the complete title package.

Pre-Reconveyance Letter (Incomplete Title Package) – This letter is emailed to both the foreclosure attorney and servicer when a title package is received on/after the due date and is found to be incomplete (i.e. missing state-specific required documents). The letter will note the deficiencies and allow for an additional 10-business days for submission of required documents.

Pre-Reconveyance Letter (Rejected Title Package) – This letter is emailed to both the foreclosure attorney and servicer when a title package has been rejected by the VA Regional Counsel (VARC). The letter will note the deficiencies and allow for an additional 10-business days for submission of corrective documents.

Final Reconveyance Letter – This letter is emailed to both the foreclosure attorney and servicer after the reconveyance has been approved and processed accordingly. If a quit-claim deed (QCD) is applicable (to vest back to the servicer), then the QCD will be sent along with the Final Reconveyance letter. If a QCD is not required, only the Final Reconveyance letter will be sent.

Please click here to view the online circular.

OCC Bulletin 2015-21: Extension of Time Period for Certain Protections

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On April 1, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued OCC Bulletin 2015-21, subtitled Description: Extension of Time Period for Certain Protections.

OCC BULLETIN 2015-21

Description: Extension of Time Period for Certain Protections

Summary

This bulletin informs national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and agencies of foreign banks (OCC-supervised institutions) of the temporary extension of certain protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), enacted by the Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2014.

Note for Community Banks

This guidance is applicable to all OCC-supervised institutions that extend loans secured by a mortgage, trust deed, or other similar security to servicemembers.

Highlights

The SCRA amendments continue temporary provisions that extend protections to servicemembers, under certain conditions, related to the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of mortgaged property, or the filing of a legal action to enforce a mortgage obligation or other similarly secured obligation, within one year following the servicemember’s period of military service.
The temporary extension expires on December 31, 2015.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) updated its Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Notice Disclosure to reflect the extensions.

Background

SCRA section 303 addresses obligations secured by a mortgage, trust deed, or other security similar to a mortgage on real or personal property owned by a servicemember. The provision applies only to obligations that originated before the servicemember’s military service and for which the servicemember is still obligated.

On December 18, 2014, President Obama signed into law the Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-286), which amends the SCRA. The amendment extended again, on a temporary basis, the duration of coverage applicable to the section 303 protections for obligations described above from nine months to one year after a servicemember’s military service. (See OCC Bulletin 2012-37, “Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: Extension of Time Period for Certain Protections.”)

The temporary extension provides

a sale, foreclosure, or seizure of property based on a breach of such a secured obligation is not valid if made during the period of military service or within one year thereafter, unless it is made pursuant to a court order or a waiver by the servicemember; and
a court may, on its own motion, and shall, upon application by a servicemember whose ability to comply with the obligation is materially affected by military service, stay the proceedings or adjust the obligation to preserve the interests of all parties at any time during the period of military service or within one year thereafter.

This extension ends December 31, 2015. Unless Congress enacts another extension, beginning January 1, 2016, there will be a period of 90 days after the end of the servicemember’s military service during which a foreclosure, sale, or seizure of the servicemember’s property based on a breach of a mortgage, trust deed, or other security, without a court order or waiver, will not be valid. During this period, a court may also stay proceedings enforcing such obligations.

HUD requires lenders to send a notice of servicemembers’ rights to residential borrowers within 45 days from the date the missed payment was due unless the borrower pays the past-due amount before the expiration of the 45-day period. The contents of the notice are prescribed in HUD’s Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Notice Disclosure (Form 92070). HUD has recently updated Form 92070.

Further Information

Please contact the Compliance Policy Division at (202) 649-5470, your supervisory office, or the Community and Consumer Law Division at (202) 649-6350.

Grovetta N. Gardineer
Deputy Comptroller for Compliance Operations and Policy

Please click here to view the online bulletin.

MHA Updated Borrower and Servicer Forms Now Available on HMPadmin.com

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Safeguard

On March 9, Making Home Affordable (MHA) released an update titled Updated Borrower and Servicer Forms Now Available on HMPadmin.com.

Updated Borrower and Servicer Forms Now Available on HMPadmin.com

The Making Home Affordable Program has published an updated set of borrower and servicer documents, which incorporate the policy changes as outlined in Supplemental Directives 14-04 and 14-05, specifically, the increase in Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) relocation assistance and the enhanced borrower “pay for performance” incentive under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

These documents include the following:

These forms can be found on the HAMP and HAFA program pages on HMPadmin.com.

Questions?
Email the HAMP Solution Center or call 1-866-939-4469.

Please click here to view the online update.