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FHA issues underwriting guidelines on prior forbearances
On September 10, FHA released Mortgagee Letter 2020-30, which discusses FHA’s underwriting guidelines for mortgages involving borrowers who were previously granted a forbearance. The letter notes that FHA is “expanding its underwriting guidelines” to address situations in which borrowers are seeking new FHA insured financing after being granted a forbearance, due to either a Presidentially Declared major disaster or some other hardship, including the Covid-19 pandemic. The letter specifies that a borrower will be eligible for a new FHA insured mortgage after being granted a forbearance if, among other things, (i) the borrower continued to make regularly scheduled payments and the forbearance plan is terminated; or (ii) for cash-out refinances, the borrower has completed the forbearance and has subsequently made 12 consecutive monthly payments; or (iii) for purchases and no cash-out refinances, the borrower has completed the forbearance and has subsequently made at least three consecutive monthly payments; or (iv) for “Credit Qualifying Streamline” refinances, the borrower has completed the forbearance and has subsequently made less than three consecutive monthly payments; and (v) for all “Streamline refinance” transactions, the borrower has made at least six payments on the FHA insured mortgage being refinanced.
FHA requires the new underwriting guidelines be implemented for all case numbers assigned on or after November 9.
9th Circuit affirms some of Oakland’s claims against national bank
On August 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part the district court’s decision to partially dismiss an action brought by the City of Oakland, alleging a national bank violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and California Fair Employment and Housing Act. As previously covered by InfoBytes, Oakland alleged that the national bank violated the FHA and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act by providing minority borrowers mortgage loans with less favorable terms than similarly situated non-minority borrowers, leading to disproportionate defaults and foreclosures causing (i) decreased property tax revenue; (ii) increases in the city’s expenditures; and (iii) reduced spending in Oakland’s fair-housing programs. The district court dismissed the City’s municipal expenditure claims, but allowed claims based on decreased property tax revenue to continue. The district court also held that the City could pursue its claims for injunctive and declaratory relief.
On appeal, the 9th Circuit affirmed the court’s denial of the bank’s motion to dismiss as to Oakland’s claims for decreased property tax revenue and the court’s dismissal of Oakland’s claims for increased city expenditures. Specifically, with respect to claims for reduced tax revenue, the appellate court concluded that the “FHA’s proximate-cause requirement is sufficiently broad and inclusive to encompass aggregate, city-wide injuries.” Based on allegations that the City could use statistical regression analysis “to precisely calculate the loss in property values in Oakland’s minority neighborhoods that is attributable to foreclosures caused by [the bank’s] predatory loans,” the 9th Circuit found that Oakland’s claim for decreased property tax revenues “has some direct and continuous relation to [the bank]’s discriminatory lending practices.” Regarding the City’s alleged municipal expenditure injuries, the appellate court agreed with the district court that Oakland’s complaint failed to account for independent variables that may have contributed or caused such injuries and that those alleged injuries therefore did not satisfy the FHA’s proximate-cause requirement. Finally, the appellate court held that the City’s claims for injunctive and declaratory relief were also subject to the FHA’s proximate-cause requirement, and that on remand, the district court must determine whether Oakland’s allegations satisfied this requirement.
FHA issues mortgagee letter extending guidance on employment reverification and appraisals
On August 28, the FHA issued Mortgagee Letter 2020-28, which re-extends the effective date of Mortgagee Letter 2020-05, previously covered here, here, and here. The re-extension of appraisal guidance in Mortgagee letter 2020-05 is effective immediately for appraisals with an effective date on or before October 31, 2020. The extension of re-verification of employment guidance is effective immediately for cases closed on or before October 31, 2020.
FHA releases electronic appraisal technology for single family submissions
On August 18, HUD announced the availability of a new electronic appraisal delivery module on the FHA Catalyst platform. According to the announcement, the “FHA Catalyst: Electronic Appraisal Delivery” module can be used by lenders to electronically submit, track, and manage single family appraisal reports and updates for FHA Single Family Title II forward mortgages. Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Dana Wade noted that the new electronic appraisal module is “one more way FHA is supporting the housing market with innovative technology during the COVID-19 economic recovery.” Among other details, Mortgagee Letter 2020-26 states that lenders may begin using the new module on or after September 1.
HUD issues mortgagee letter extending interim procedures relating to FHA Section 232 approved mortgages
On July 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued Mortgagee Letter 2020-25, which extends interim procedures regarding site access issues related to Section 232 mortgage insurance applications during the Covid-19 pandemic (previously covered here). The guidance provides temporary modifications pertaining to third-party site inspections for Section 232 FHA-insured healthcare facilities with effective dates within 60 days of the issuance of the mortgagee letter. The letter also provides guidance on other aspects relating to Section 232 properties, including regarding Property Capital Needs Assessments, appraisals, Section 232 Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments, asbestos surveys, and radon testing, among other things.
FHA mortgagee letter issues update to effective date for previous guidance on self-employment, rental income
On July 29, the FHA issued Mortgagee Letter 2020-24, which revises the effective date for the temporary guidance on verification of self-employment and receipt of rental income published in Mortgagee Letter 2020-23, previously covered here. The temporary guidance is in effect for case numbers assigned on or after August 12 through November 30.
FHA mortgagee letter announces temporary guidance on self-employment and rental income and flexibility on disbursement of 203(k) rehabilitation escrow account funds
On July 28, FHA issued Mortgagee Letter 2020-23, which provides temporary guidance for self-employment income verification, rental income requirements, and approval of extension requests under the 203(k) rehabilitation mortgage insurance program. With respect to income verification, the guidance: (i) requires mortgagees relying on self-employment income to verify that the borrower’s business is open and operating within 10 calendars prior to the date of the note with one of the enumerated forms of evidence, and (ii) modifies the requirements for mortgagees to calculate and verify rental income. These changes are in effect for cases with note dates from July 28 through November. 30. The guidance also provides for temporary flexibility to allow 203(k) rehabilitation projects to continue where a borrower receives a Covid-19 forbearance under certain circumstances, effective immediately through November 30.
FHA proposes revisions to single family servicing policies
On July 14, FHA published proposed revisions to the Servicing and Loss Mitigation section (Section III) of the Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 (SF Handbook) on the agency’s drafting table. The proposed revisions include: (i) changes to the standard servicing loss mitigation home retention waterfall; (ii) elimination of certain borrower documentation requirements for Trial Payment Plans to be consistent with industry practices; and (iii) modification of certain operational policies to provide more consistency between FHA policies and those used by Government Sponsored Enterprises and the private market. The proposed revisions do not address the immediate servicing and loss mitigation challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Comments on the proposed revisions must be received by September 12.
FHA expands Covid-19 loss-mitigation options
On July 8, the FHA announced additional home retention measures to assist homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages who are financially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Mortgagee Letter 2020-22, effective immediately, mortgage servicers are able to offer a new suit of loss mitigation “waterfall” options to homeowners whose mortgages were current or less than 30 days past due as of March 1. ML 2020-22 updates existing options previously outlined in ML 2020-06 (covered by InfoBytes here) and introduces several new measures including (i) a standalone partial claim, not to exceed the 30 percent maximum statutory value; (ii) an owner-occupant loan modification (for homeowners who do not qualify for a standalone partial claim) that will modify the rate and term of the existing mortgage at the end of the Covid-19 forbearance period; (iii) a combination partial clam and loan modification (for homeowners who are ineligible for either of the first two options); and (iv) a FHA Home Affordable Modification Program combination loan modification and partial claim with reduced documentation, which may include principal deferment and is for homeowners who are ineligible for the other home retention solutions. ML 2020-22 also provides that borrowers who do not currently occupy their FHA-insurance single family property may obtain a modification to their mortgage rates and terms under a Covid-19 non-occupant loan modification.
FHA issues mortgagee letter extending guidance on employment reverification and appraisals
On June 29, the FHA issued Mortgagee Letter 2020-20, which re-extends the effective date of Mortgagee Letter 2020-05, previously covered here and here. The re-extension of appraisal guidance in Mortgagee letter 2020-05 and of re-verification of employment guidance in Mortgagee Letter 2020-05 are effective immediately for cases closed on or before August 31, 2020.