Feb. 5 Webinar Focuses On New CFPB Rules
The law firm Ballard Spahr is hosting a free webinar on Feb. 5 that focuses on the new ability-to-repay and qualified mortgage (QM)...
PBS Film Examines Why DOJ Did Not Indict Wall Street Executives
The PBS series 'Frontline' will present a new documentary on Jan. 22 that questions why the Obama administration has yet to indict any...
CFPB Announces New Appraisal Rule
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has adopted a new rule that requires mortgage lenders to provide applicants with free copies of all...
Texas Rep. Introduces Fair Housing Legislation
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, has introduced legislation designed to strengthen the government's focus on fair housing policy. Green's Housing Fairness Act of 2013...
Kansas Governor Seeks Elimination Of Mortgage Interest Deduction
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has proposed that his state eliminate its home mortgage interest deduction. The Kansas City Star reports that Brownback's push...
Donovan To Remain For Obama’s Second Term
Although several prominent members of President Obama's cabinet have announced plans not to continue in their jobs during the administration's second term, the...
Housing Starts Up In December
Single-family housing starts in December 2012 were at a rate of 616,000, which is 8.1% above the revised November figure of 570,000, according...
Genworth Spins Mortgage Insurance Unit Into Separate Company
Richmond, Va.-based Genworth Financial Inc. has announced that it has begun to spin off Genworth Mortgage Insurance Co. (GMICO), the company's main U.S....
Regulators Pass Appraisal Standards For Higher-Risk Mortgages
The federal financial regulatory agencies have approved rules requiring residential lenders offering higher-risk mortgages to use certified or licensed appraisers. Under the new...
First Bank Closure Of 2013 In Washington State
Westside Community Bank, located in University Place, Wash., has become the first bank to be closed this year. The Washington State Department of...
Builder Confidence Remains Unchanged
Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes was unchanged in January, remaining at a level of 47 on the National...
Southern California Housing Closed 2012 On A High Note
Southern California's housing market ended 2012 with the highest December home sales in three years, according to new data released by San Diego-based...
Trade Group Head Criticizes CFPB For Bank Auditing Hiccups
In a relatively rare display of overt industry criticism aimed at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the head of a major financial...
Mortgage Applications, Refi Activity On The Rise
Mortgage applications and refinance activity were on the upswing last week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) weekly mortgage applications...
New Harvard Report Studies Access To Mortgage Credit
The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies has issued a new report that examines lending patterns during the housing boom and the current...
Fiserv Buys Open Solutions For $55M
Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv Inc. has paid $55 million to acquire Open Solutions Inc., a Glastonbury, Conn.-based provider of collaborative, enterprise core account processing...
Bernanke: We Don’t Need The Debt Ceiling
Ben Bernanke has weighed in on the growing debate over the federal debt ceiling, arguing that the nation could do without it. TheHill.com...
CoreLogic: Home Prices Up In November
Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased on a year-over-year basis by 7.4% in November 2012 compared to November 2011, according to new...
OCC Names New Chief Counsel
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has named Amy Friend chief counsel. Friend has worked at the OCC as assistant...
MBA Hosts Jan. 16 Conference Call On QM Rule
In view of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new qualified mortgage (QM) rule, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is hosting a free members-only...