HUD

HUD Secretary Ben Carson told lawmakers that overly rigid False Claims Act enforcement had forced lenders to suffer financially for what were just minor errors, but that lenders' fears of being sued were dissipating.

The new budget proposal projects a very profitable Federal Housing Administration in fiscal year 2019, but there are no indications the FHA will reduce its mortgage insurance premiums anytime soon.

The agency is winning praise for changes in how loans are evaluated for defects, which could cut down on the risk of enforcement actions.

Here's a look at what happens at five federal agencies that support the mortgage industry during a government shutdown.

Adolfo Marzol, an official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is optimistic that technological improvements and other changes can help draw Federal Housing Administration lenders back to the fold.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson has spent much of his first year trying to convince lenders they wouldn't be harshly penalized if FHA-guaranteed loans went bad. But he still has a ways to go.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and four other Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee are insisting on a recorded vote by the full Senate for the nomination of Brian Montgomery as Federal Housing Administration commissioner.

The Obama administration had tried to ease restrictions on the Federal Housing Administration's condominium program, but the agency under President Trump is seen as moving more aggressively.

The fundamental conclusion of the Federal Housing Administration’s fiscal year 2017 actuarial review is that the financial problems of the FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program keep getting worse.

The ban on financing properties encumbered by heating and cooling assessments will go into effect in 20 days, according to the Federal Housing Administration.

The U.S. is taking steps to stamp out the practice of servicemembers and veterans being pressured into taking mortgages they don't need, a move that officials say will lower consumer costs and could lead to financial penalties for lenders.

Brian Montgomery seems on his way to being confirmed to lead the Federal Housing Administration. But once he gets there, he may find it difficult to be as innovative as he was during his first stint as commissioner — particularly when it comes to reducing FHA premiums.

The Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the nomination of Brian Montgomery to serve as commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration, despite ongoing criticism from some Democrats that he is too close to the financial services industry.

The Federal Housing Administration was battered by losses this year from reverse mortgages, casting doubt on whether the agency will adopt an Obama-era proposal to reduce mortgage insurance premiums.

Trump officials have made clear their intent to reexamine how Federal Housing Administration lenders are cited under the False Claims Act, but whether that means lenders can rest easier is an open question.

The HUD secretary’s comment that such use of the False Claims Act was “ridiculous” may delight the mortgage industry but does not bode well for taxpayers or the federal government’s future fraud enforcement efforts.

Ben Carson doesn't want big banks to worry so much about being penalized from mortgage lending errors.

The CFPB's practice of "regulation by enforcement" forces mortgage companies to develop compliance standards based on the mistakes of their peers, rather than clear guidance from the enforcement agency, said David Motley, the new chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson said he's held off making any decision on premium cuts until the confirmation of key appointments. "It has been a real ordeal getting people in place," he said.

Nominated last week as FHA commissioner, Brian Montgomery would lead an agency with a much better delinquency rate, but face new challenges.