Amidst record-level interest rates, on February 21, 2024, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced a new loss mitigation option, the Payment Supplement, to aid struggling borrowers. The Payment Supplement will bring a borrower’s mortgage current, as well as provide a temporary reduction in the borrower’s monthly principal mortgage payment for a term of three years.

Consistent with its mission to safeguard against fraud, waste, and abuse, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced concerns regarding Ginnie Mae’s management of its Home Equity Conversion Mortgage-Backed Securities (HMBS) Program.

On November 15, 2023, the HUD OIG issued the Top Management Challenges

Last week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revised multiple regulations and requirements related to servicing Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs, more commonly known as “reverse mortgages”), with the goal of updating and streamlining the program to improve its long-term performance.

In recognition of rising interest rates and other market conditions that are

On May 31, 2023, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) published a draft Mortgagee Letter (ML) titled “Proposed Payment Supplement Partial Claim.” The draft ML proposes use of available partial claims funds to create a new loss mitigation option to assist struggling borrowers.

Generally, a partial claim is an interest-free subordinate loan issued by

Affirming its commitment to the senior citizen population, on May 17, 2023, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) issued Mortgagee Letter 2023-10, implementing amendments to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) assignment claim submission criteria.

As a bit of background, a HECM is a reverse mortgage insured by the FHA. HECMs, as any reverse mortgage

On December 15, 2022, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) issued Mortgagee Letter 2022-23, establishing the COVID-19 Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Property Charge Repayment Plan.

The COVID-19 HECM Property Charge Repayment Plan would aid HECM borrowers in covering costs associated with standard property charges. As a condition of their loan, HECM borrowers are required

Effective December 21, 2022, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) amended its regulation at 24 C.F.R. §  203.16a to allow FHA borrowers to purchase private flood insurance for properties located in Special Flood Hazard Areas. Previously, the FHA rule only permitted borrowers to purchase flood insurance policies issued through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The

On December 19, 2022, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) issued an additional extension of the temporary waiver of face-to-face contact required under 24 CFR § 203.604 Contact with the Mortgagor, under Mortgagee Actions under Subpart C – Servicing Responsibilities of 24 CFR Part 203 Single Family Mortgage Insurance.

Pursuant to 24 CFR § 203.604

On August 31, 2022, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released Mortgagee Letter 2022-15 titled “Update to Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Program Requirements for Notice of Due and Payable Status.”

Mortgagee Letter 2022-15 modifies a HECM mortgagee’s notification requirements to a borrower’s estate after a loan becomes due and payable due

FHA Updates Single Family Policy Handbook 4000.1In late July, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) made several important revisions to the Single Family Policy Handbook 4000.1. The new guidance is part of a series of changes recently announced by the Biden-era FHA, including guidance related to COVID-19 recovery loss mitigation options. Describing the changes as primarily “enhancements and revisions” and “technical edits,”