HUD Proposes Amendments to the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety StandardsOn January 30, 2020, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced the release of a proposed rule to amend the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. Secretary Carson made the announcement while touring the Clayton Homes Manufacturing Plant in Russellville, Alabama. The proposed rule covers numerous changes to the

HUD and DOJ Release Memorandum on the Application and Enforcement of FHA Violations Involving the False Claims ActIn an effort to provide clarity and certainty to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) approved lenders, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) jointly issued a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on October 28, 2019, describing broad guidelines about how HUD and DOJ will coordinate using the False

Secretary Carson Focused on Improving Access to Manufactured HousingDuring testimony before the United States Senate, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson stated his belief that manufactured housing plays a “vital role in meeting the nation’s affordable housing needs,” and supported removing barriers that may prevent some consumers from obtaining manufactured housing. Secretary Carson’s comments, which provided a detailed look

New Law Expands Protections for Manufactured Homeowners and Tenants in New YorkEffective July 14, 2019, the State of New York greatly expanded tenant protections with a large package of bills covering topics ranging from rent control to eviction restrictions to rent-to-own contracts for manufactured homes (MH). A majority of the law is aimed at protections for apartment renters in New York City and throughout the state.

Georgia Exempts Manufactured Home Retailers/Brokers from Mortgage Broker Licensing Effective July 1, 2019, Georgia House Bill 212 will affirmatively exempt retailers or retail brokers of manufactured or mobile homes from the state’s “mortgage broker” definition under Ga. Code Ann. § 7-1-1000. The bill specifically exempts manufactured housing retailers from mortgage broker licensing requirements, and the oversight that comes with licensure, provided the retailer or

Arkansas Modifies Fair Mortgage Lending Act – Big Changes Will Ease Burdens on the Mortgage IndustryThe Arkansas State Legislature modified the Fair Mortgage Lending Act in February to “comply with recent developments in Federal Law and other purposes.” Federal law was recently amended to allow for Temporary Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) Authority as defined under the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act or S.2155. The “other purposes” reason