Industries

WASHINGTON – The debate over housing finance reform appears to have new life as both Democrats and the next administration appear ready to take up the issue.

Anthony Labozzetta, CEO of Sussex Bancorp in New Jersey, isn't afraid of change. His unusual approach to banking helped Sussex emerge from the financial crisis with momentum. Now he's building a branch model that could serve as a blueprint for growth-minded banks.

Treasury Secretary-designate Steven Mnuchin's plan to remove Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government control could mean increased competition for lenders' loans. But it could also prompt a rise in mortgage rates.

John Allison, a contender for President-elect Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary, is a staunch opponent of the Federal Reserve Board, the Basel international accords, the government’s support of the housing finance industry and the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010.

The pending purchase of Carlile Bancshares will lower Independent's concentration in commercial real estate, while introducing the company to fast-growing markets in Texas and Colorado.

The Federal Communications Commission has denied a request to exempt servicers from getting consent before robo-calling borrowers' mobile phones, rejecting arguments that the waiver would enable the mortgage industry to better help delinquent borrowers.

Two consumer advocacy groups in California have accused CIT Group's OneWest Bank of failing to provide mortgages and other financial services in minority neighborhoods.

The Home Equity Mortgage Conversion program experienced a huge swing in its net worth during the fiscal 2016 year, plummeting from a value of $6.8 billion in fiscal 2015 to negative $7.7 billion.

As the Justice Department winds down its Mortgage Fraud Task Force and a new administration prepares to enter the White House, the number of False Claims Act cases brought against Federal Housing Administration lenders is expected to dwindle.

Commercial mortgage lenders, and investors in their bonds, have been more eager than the residential market to embrace Property Assessed Clean Energy loans even though those loans hold a superior-lien position. Here's why.

Franklin Financial Network in Franklin, Tenn., has filed plans to raise up to $62 million in a common stock offering.

The Federal Housing Administration's insurance fund saw its fourth consecutive annual boost in its ratio of reserves to insured mortgages, reaching 2.32% in fiscal year 2016, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said Tuesday.

The president-elect faces major questions about credit access, affordable housing, the future of Dodd-Frank, and the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the extent to which he will act upon them remains unclear.

Facebook has disabled so-called ethnic affinity filters from housing, credit and employment advertising following mounting criticism that the practice allowed marketers to discriminate against minorities in violation of fair housing and civil rights laws.

Industry forecasts for 2017 mortgage volume assumed a continuation of current housing and economic policies under a Hillary Clinton administration. But with Donald Trump's win, analysts are sorting out what, if any, adjustments are needed to those projections.

Officials of the National Association of Realtors were ecstatic about the Federal Housing Administration's lower owner-resident requirements for condo loans – until they read the fine print.

A community banker on the president-elect's economic advisory council says none of his tax reforms target the mortgage interest deduction.

The historic election has presented an opportunity for a comprehensive overhaul of the housing finance system after eight years of gridlock.

The heightened refinancing activity is seen as increasing Ginnie Mae prepayment speeds and reducing the value of mortgage servicing rights.

Housing was the talk of the campaign two presidential elections ago, but it stayed under the radar in the 2016 race, leaving plenty of room to speculate about President-elect Donald Trump's likely mortgage policy for the next four years.