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FHFA Proposes State-Level Guarantee Fee Pricing
On September 25, the FHFA published a notice and request for comment on its proposal to set risk-based guarantee fees by state. The proposal identifies five states—Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York—that have substantially higher default-related costs than the national average. The proposed methodology for state-level guarantee fees considers three factors (i) the number of days it takes Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to obtain marketable title, (ii) the average per-day carrying cost incurred by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and (iii) the national average default rate on single-family mortgages. The FHFA is proposing to charge lenders an upfront fee of between fifteen and thirty basis points on each new mortgage originated in the five higher-cost states, beginning in 2013. The actual increase in the upfront fee would vary for each state, depending on default data in the state and the state’s deviation from the mean of the state-level estimates of expected total default-related carrying costs. The proposed approach is based on the expected costs of defaults on mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the future given current underwriting standards, rather than actual default losses realized over the past decade. The FHFA also states that its methodology for determining increased state-level fees could change in the future to consider other factors, including the impact of recently-enacted laws and ordinances or a wider range of state actions. The FHFA has asked for comments on the proposal by November 26, 2012.
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.
Fannie Mae Names New General Counsel
On September 18, Fannie Mae announced that Bradley Lerman will join the company on October 1, 2012 as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Lerman previously was associate general counsel and chief litigation counsel at Pfizer, Inc. Prior to his work at Pfizer, Mr. Lerman was in private practice, focusing on white collar defense, product liability, and securities litigation. Before that he served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Implement Numerous Selling Updates, Announce Appraisal Submission Enhancements
On September 14, Freddie Mac issued Bulletin 2012-19, which implements changes to the requirements for Relief Refinance Mortgages announced on July 31, 2012. The Bulletin also notifies sellers that (i) Freddie Mac no longer is purchasing balloon/reset mortgages, (ii) the Selling Guide has been updated to reflect that at least one borrower on a refinance must have held title and resided in the property for the prior twelve months, and (iii) several requirements for the Selling System Servicing Released Sales Process have been updated and revised.
Also on September 14, Fannie Mae announced in Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2012-09 numerous enhancements to the underwriting and documentation policies for Refi Plus and DU Refi Plus loans, including to (i) reduce representation and warranties, (ii) provide an alternative to income verification for certain payment changes, (iii) reduce income and assets documentation, and (iv) provide an alternative qualification method when removing a borrower.
On September 18, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced that the appraisal submission process through the Uniform Collateral Data Portal will be enhanced on October 7, 2012.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Update Guidance on Participation in State Hardest Hit Fund Programs
On September 12, Fannie Mae issued Servicing Guide Lender Letter LL-2012-06, which requires servicers to accept funds provided on behalf of a borrower under a state housing finance agency Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) modification assistance program. This includes funds provided in connection with a loan "recast," or re-amortization. Servicers now are permitted to approve a loan recast for a current or delinquent portfolio loan or loan in an MBS pool. Such loan recasts will not be deemed modifications for purposes of determining eligibility for a subsequent modification. With respect to loan modifications involving a change of terms, such as an interest rate reduction or an extension of the term of the loan, servicers may only apply the modification funds in accordance with existing standard or HAMP modification requirements. These changes are effective immediately.
On September 10, Freddie Mac issued Bulletin 2012-17, which, effective immediately, allows servicers to participate in state housing finance agency HHF modification assistance programs that permit a mortgage to be recast (after applying the state funds to pay arrearages and curtail principal). The bulletin also revises participation requirements for modification assistance programs. In addition, for foreclosure sales conducted on or after November 1, 2012, servicers will now have 450 days for allowable delays due to military indulgence under the Sevicemembers' Civil Relief Act or parallel state laws. Finally, the bulletin announces a technical Servicing Guide change to reflect an increase in the attorney fee limit for foreclosures in Oregon that was implemented earlier this year.
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.
Fannie Mae Announces Miscellaneous Servicing Policy Changes
On September 5, Fannie Mae issued Servicing Guide Announcement SVC-2012-20, which updates special investor reporting requirements to provide new guidance regarding reporting a foreclosure for a modified mortgage loan with principal forbearance. The Announcement also provides new contact information for servicers to use when a borrower or servicer of a first-lien mortgage requests information relating to a HomeSaver Advance Note.
Federal Court Dismisses Fannie Mae Shareholders' Subprime Suit Against Underwriters, Allows Claims to Proceed Against Fannie Mae, Officers
On August 30, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on multiple motions to dismiss filed in four consolidated cases pending against Fannie Mae, certain former officers, and several banks, related to Fannie Mae’s exposure to certain risky mortgages. In re Fannie Mae 2008 Secs. Litig., No. 09-2013, 2012 WL 3758537 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 30, 2012). The main class of shareholders alleges that Fannie Mae and certain of its former officers violated federal securities laws by failing to adequately disclose the company’s exposure to subprime and Alt-A mortgages. Separately, institutional investors brought their own federal securities claims, as well as state statutory and common law fraud and negligence claims against Fannie Mae, certain officers, and certain of its underwriters related to the same alleged misrepresentations. Many of the same allegations are contained in SEC enforcement actions pending against a number of the same individual defendants. In a single opinion, the court dismissed certain of the claims but allowed others to proceed. The court allowed to proceed the federal securities claims brought by the main class and two other plaintiffs against Fannie Mae and certain of its officers with regard to Fannie Mae’s subprime mortgage disclosures and risk management controls, but dismissed all state law claims, including those against Fannie Mae, certain officers, and certain underwriters. The court also dismissed in full a suit that one underwriter faced alone because the plaintiffs failed to present evidence sufficient to show the underwriter intentionally provided investors allegedly false information it received from Fannie Mae.
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.