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FHFA Inspector General Publishes Two Reports
On September 18, the Inspector General (IG) for the FHFA published a report on the FHFA’s oversight of management of high-risk sellers and servicers by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). The high-risk seller/servicer report presents a review of the Enterprises’ high risk counterparties and noted that more than 300 are on the Enterprises’ watch lists while more than forty have been blocked from doing business with the Enterprises. To better manage counterparty risk, the IG recommends that the FHFA promulgate standards for the Enterprises to develop contingency plans for handling a large seller/servicer’s failure, and that the FHFA finalize its proposed guidance for FHFA examiners to use in assessing the Enterprises’ contingency plans.
On the same day, the FHFA IG published a report regarding Fannie Mae’s purchase and transfer of certain mortgage servicing rights on approximately 384,000 loans for roughly $512 million. The IG determined that the amount paid was consistent with other such purchases made as part of a Fannie Mae program through which Fannie Mae transferred mortgage servicing rights from a regular servicer to a specialty servicer. While it determined that Fannie Mae did not overpay for the servicing rights in context, the IG recommended that the FHFA (i) consider requiring the Enterprises to seek approval for high costs initiatives, (ii) ensure additional scrutiny of pricing of future significant servicing transactions, (iii) reevaluate the Fannie Mae transfer program, and (iv) follow through with Fannie Mae’s implementation of prior FHFA directions regarding the purchase and transfer of mortgage servicing rights.
House Member Introduces Eminent Domain Bill
Recently, Representative John Campbell (R-CA) introduced a bill, H.R. 6397, that would prohibit Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from buying mortgages originated in localities that employ eminent domain to rescue borrowers from their underwater mortgages by seizing the loans and selling them to private investors to be restructured. The FHFA currently is considering its options for responding potential action by localities absent legislative intervention.
FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac Implement New Representation and Warranty Framework
On September 11, the FHFA announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the GSEs) are implementing a new representation and warranty framework for all conventional loans sold or delivered to the GSEs on or after January 1, 2013. As detailed in subsequent announcements from the GSEs, including Fannie Mae Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2012-08, Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2012-05, Freddie Mac Bulletin 2012-18, and a Freddie Mac Industry Letter, the new framework is designed to improve the GSE loan review process and to clarify lenders' repurchase exposure. With regard to loan review, under the new framework, (i) GSE reviews will generally be conducted between 30 and 120 days after loan purchase, (ii) the GSEs will have consistent timelines for submission of loan file review requests, (iii) loan file evaluation will be more comprehensive and will leverage data from tools currently used by the GSEs, and (iv) the repurchase request appeals process will be made more transparent. For lenders, the new framework will provide relief from certain repurchase obligations for loans that meet specific payment requirements, including for loans with 36 consecutive months of timely payments and HARP loans with a twelve-month acceptable payment history. Lenders will receive additional detailed information about exclusions from this new representation and warranty relief.
FHFA Outlines Next Steps for Conservatorship, Announces Close of First REO Pilot Purchase
On September 10, FHFA Director Edward DeMarco, in a speech made to an industry conference, provided a progress report on his agency's role as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and outlined several next steps the conservator will take to alter the GSEs' operations in the mortgage market. Further to the FHFA's recent increases of guarantee fees, Mr. DeMarco announced that the FHFA plans to release a paper outlining a pricing approach that would better capture the costs associated with state and local policies by imposing an upfront fee on newly acquired single-family mortgages originated in states where default-related costs are higher than the national average. The FHFA plans to seek public comment on the proposal. In addition, Mr. DeMarco provided an update on the FHFA's work, with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to develop a shared securitization platform. This secondary market infrastructure project, which was announced earlier this year and is expected to take multiple years to build and implement, is being designed not only to serve Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while in conservatorship, but also a broader multiple-issuer market post-conservatorship. The infrastructure would include new standards for a variety of contractual agreements, including a model pooling and servicing agreement. The FHFA plans to issue a white paper on the platform in October and will seek public input. Also announced as part of the speech, as well as in a separate FHFA release, was the FHFA's completion of the first sale of REO properties in the pilot program through which the FHFA is selling foreclosed properties to be transitioned into rental housing.
FHFA Increases Mortgage Guarantee Fees
On August 31, the FHFA announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will attempt to bring more private capital into the secondary mortgage market by increasing guarantee fees (g-fees) on single-family mortgages by an average of ten basis points. The increases will be effective on December 1, 2012 for loans exchanged for mortgage-backed securities, and on November 1, 2012 for loans sold for cash. The increases are designed to decrease the difference between g-fees charged to large volume lenders and those charged to small volume lenders, and to reduce cross-subsidies between higher-risk and lower-risk mortgages. With the announcement the FHFA released a report on guarantee fees charged in 2010 and 2011. The FHFA also stated that it soon will seek public comment on a proposal to develop risk-based pricing at the state level.
FHFA Announces New Short Sale Guidelines
On August 21, the FHFA announced new guidelines that align and merge Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s (the GSEs) short sale programs to facilitate quicker short sale processing. For mortgages owned or guaranteed by the GSEs, the consolidated guidelines, as implemented through Freddie Mac Bulletin 2012-16 and Fannie Mae Announcement SVC-2012-19, (i) reduce or eliminate the documentation borrowers must provide to demonstrate a need for a short sale, (ii) allow servicers to qualify certain borrowers for short sales—for example those based on hardship caused by death, divorce, or disability—without approval from the GSEs, even when the borrower is current, (iii) automatically qualify for short sale servicemembers receiving Permanent Change of Station Orders and borrowers who must relocate more than fifty miles for existing or new employment, (iv) waive the GSEs’ rights to pursue deficiency judgments in certain circumstances, and (v) allow the GSEs to expedite short sales by offering up to $6,000 to second lien holders. These changes take effect on November 1, 2012.
Massachusetts AG Outlines Foreclosure Expectations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
On August 23, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley sent a letter to FHFA Director Edward DeMarco in which she advised Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac about their obligation to comply with a recently enacted state law that will make it harder to initiate foreclosures. The letter states that like all creditors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are expected to follow the new statutory requirements and generally should “pursue common-sense loan modifications for borrowers” when economically beneficial to borrowers. The letter also asks the FHFA to reconsider its decision to not require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to offer principal forgiveness. Also on August 23, the Massachusetts Division of Banks announced that it will hold a public hearing on August 29, 2012 to gather input regarding regulations it is required to develop to implement the state’s new foreclosure law.
Treasury Announces More Steps to Wind Down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
On August 17, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced new steps to accelerate the wind down of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s (the GSEs) government-backed portfolios. Treasury is modifying its Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements with the FHFA to wind down the GSEs’ portfolios at an annual rate of fifteen percent, moving up the time by which the portfolios must meet the existing $250 billion target. The amended agreements also (i) require that each GSE submit an annual plan on actions to reduce taxpayer exposure to mortgage credit risk and (ii) replace the current ten percent dividend payments to Treasury with a quarterly sweep of every dollar of profit made by each GSE.
Second Circuit Agrees to Hear Appeal of Challenge to FHFA MBS Suit
On August 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit agreed to hear an interlocutory appeal on an expedited basis from a group of defendant financial institutions and individuals challenging a portion of a district court’s denial of their motion to dismiss claims brought by the FHFA. Fed. Hous. Fin. Agency v. UBS Americas, Inc., No. 12-3207 (2nd Cir. Aug. 14, 2012). The federal housing conservator contends that offering documents provided to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in connection with their purchase of billions of dollars of MBS included materially false statements or omitted material information. This case is the first of eighteen such suits the FHFA has filed in an attempt to recoup MBS losses sustained by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
FHFA Seeks Comment on Potential Response to Use of Eminent Domain to Restructure Loans
On August 8, the FHFA released a notice commenting on the potential use of eminent domain by localities to restructure mortgages for borrowers who are current but “underwater.” Several localities have stated publicly that they are considering use of their eminent domain authority to seize such loans and sell them to private investors who would restructure the loans to the borrowers' benefit. The FHFA notes “significant concerns” with the potential practice, including that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would sustain losses that would ultimately be borne by taxpayers, and mortgage lenders may restrict their lending activities. The FHFA seeks feedback on a series of factors that would inform its potential response to the use of eminent domain, such as the impact on seized mortgages and whether the proposed use of eminent domain is constitutional.