Refinancing just got more expensive

 Regulations, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on Refinancing just got more expensive
Aug 172020
 

By G. Steven Bray

Wednesday evening, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announced a tax to be charged on every refinance loan it purchases beginning Sep 1st. The “tax” is a fee equal to 0.5% of the loan amount.  So, a $300k loan will incur a $1500 fee.

Given that it generally takes a few weeks for Fannie and Freddie to purchase loans from lenders, this means that starting immediately, refinancing your mortgage just got more expensive.

FHFA calls the fee an “adverse market fee” due to the risk and economic uncertainty caused by the Wuhan virus. That explanation might be more believable had FHFA also applied the fee to purchase loans. Refinance loans are less risky than purchase loans because they usually reduce a homeowner’s housing payment.

Instead, it looks more like a money grab. It’s certain that FHFA knows that right now wholesale lenders have fat margins on refinance loans because mortgage rates have not kept pace with the rest of the bond market. Based on the way this fee was imposed, it seems FHFA thinks it needs a “piece of the action.”

Like most misguided government policies, this probably was the brainchild of some bureaucrats who are clueless how the mortgage marketplace really works.  They probably thought consumers would be insulated from the fee, that they’d just be fleecing lenders.  Instead, refinance rates Thursday morning were about a quarter point higher.

It’s really disappointing that in a time of national crisis, when refinancing to get a lower housing payment might help so many families survive, that these supercilious people thought the best course of action was yet another tax.

Higher loan limits for 2019

 Loan Guidelines, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on Higher loan limits for 2019
Dec 032018
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Rising home prices have prompted federal regulators to raise the loan limits for conventional loans starting in Jan. The maximum loan amount for a conforming loan on a single-family home, one eligible for acquisition by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, will rise to $484,350.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reviews the loan limits each year as established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) and adjusts them as necessary to reflect changes in home prices. FHFA reported its housing price index rose 6.9% since the third quarter of last year, so it adjusted the loan limit higher by the same amount.

Higher limits apply in certain “high cost” areas where 115% of the local median home price exceeds the new limit; however, FHFA hasn’t indentified any of those “high cost” areas in TX. Higher limits also apply to two, three, and four unit properties.

For some historical perspective, conforming loan limits go back to the early 1970’s, when the single-family loan limit was $33,000. Congress set the limit to $417,000 in 2008, where it remained for several years until average home prices rebounded from the great recession.

FHA and VA set their loan limits independently of the conforming loan limit, and I’ll report those as soon as they’re available.

How mortgage credit scores are unfair

 Credit Scoring  Comments Off on How mortgage credit scores are unfair
Nov 302017
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Your mortgage credit score is based on a credit model developed almost 20 years ago, and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Watt says that’s not going to change anytime soon.

Many in the credit industry acknowledge that the FICO 4 model, the use of which is required by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is deficient. It doesn’t differentiate between paid and unpaid collections. Nor is it able to distinguish medical collections, which seem to have little predictive value of credit risk. It also poorly models student loan debt, which has ballooned in the last 10 years, and only incorporates negative information for rent and utility payments.

Congress is trying to force a change through The Credit Score Competition Act, which would encourage Fannie and Freddie to consider other credit scoring models, including the newer FICO 9 and VantageScore models.

Watt contends that Fannie and Freddie already consider the same or greater levels of credit data in their computer models that determine whether a borrower qualifies. He also notes the change would be quite expensive. He prefers to wait until after Fannie and Freddie merge their investment security platforms, slated for 2019.

However, Watt fails to mention that Fannie and Freddie impose a minimum credit score, which prevents folks from qualifying regardless of how Fannie and Freddie tune their computer models. Fannie and Freddie also use credit score for determining interest rates and mortgage insurance coverage.

Feds extend special refinancing program

 Loan Programs, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on Feds extend special refinancing program
Sep 202017
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that it’s extending the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, through next year. The program was set to expire at the end of Sep. FHFA estimates more than 143k homeowners still could benefit from the program.

HARP was created to allow homeowners to refinance to lower interest rates regardless of their financial situation as long as they were current on their mortgage payments. Of the myriad rescue programs adopted by the Feds during the depths of the financial crisis, it was one of the safest because a homeowner willing to make a mortgage payment at a higher interest rate is quite likely to continue doing so at a lower rate.

Remember that HARP only applies to mortgages owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and closed before June 2009. You can determine whether Fannie or Freddie owns your mortgage by visiting their Web sites, links to which are the end of my blog.

Fannie Mae: Click here
Freddie Mac: Click here

HARP refinance program extended again

 Loan Programs, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on HARP refinance program extended again
May 192015
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

The Home Affordable Refinance Program or HARP has been a boon for homeowners wanting to refinance. The program targets underwater mortgages, but its reduced documentation requirements and favorable interest rates make it attractive to all homeowners.

The Federal Housing Finance Admin reports the program has helped 3.3 million homeowners refinance their mortgages since its inception in 2009, and it was scheduled to end at the end of this year. However, Mel Watt, Director of the FHFA recently announced a one year extension through 2016. Watt claims an additional 600,000 homeowners still could benefit from a HARP refinance.

Keep in mind the two most important restrictions of the program. To be eligible:

– Your mortgage must be owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. (Fannie and Freddie have a tool on their Web sites to help you determine that or give me a call for help.)

– And, your mortgage must have closed prior to June 1st, 2009.

If you still haven’t been able to refinance, you may want to give this program one more look. The expanded eligibility requirements might allow you to qualify even if you’ve run off the road a couple times in your financial past.