Origination News reports that unless Congress changes its mind before Oct. 1, mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will be more affected by the pending change in loan limits than those securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The FHA says 669 of the 3,334 counties will likely …
The New York Times reports that almost a year has passed since Congress tried to rein in the banking industry with the new rules mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act. Twenty-eight of the rules are behind in meeting their implementation deadlines, including the risk retention provision requiring lenders to assume some …
MHMSM.com has learned details from Manufactured Housing Industry pros that the effects of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank, or DF) could have disastrous effects for manufacturers, retailers, community operators and all who do business with them if we as an industry do not act rapidly …
MHI Week in Review continues urging contacts with members of Congress to make revisions to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) that are of significant concern to the manufactured housing industry. These include: 1) high-cost mortgage triggers; 2) qualified mortgage criteria for small manufactured home loans; …
Origination News reports a congressional hearing heard both sides of the aisle criticizing federal regulators for exempting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the five percent risk retention policy on non-qualified residential mortgages (QRMs). The Dodd-Frank Act (Dodd-Frank) exempts Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, but not …
Congress and Industry Suggest Altering Risk Retention Read More
Staff members of the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) met May 26 with Acting HUD (Housing and Urban Development) Assistant Secretary for Housing – Federal Housing Commissioner Bob Ryan, and career officials of the HUD manufactured housing program. Issues included consumer financing, changing HUD’s “trailer” orientation to “housing” …
NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) First Vice-chairman Barry Rutenberg says while the NAHB supports modernizing the nation’s housing finance system, it opposes several bills in the House and Senate that would end Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without providing some type of government backstop. He says, “Maintaining a continuing …
Following up on a story we published May 13, the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) released a paper entitled “GSE Reform Legislation” documenting how a bill introduced in the House of Representatives would replace government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) with five government-guaranteed, but ultimately private enterprise entities, and likely be …
HR Legislation to Privatize and Streamline Mortgage Finance System Read More
In following up on stories published here May 3 and May 5 ,The Los Angeles Central Coast Democrat reports that California Assembly member Bill Bonning (D-Carmel) is delaying his Assembly Bill 579 (AB 579) that would reimburse local governments legal fees when their rent control laws, or other regulations regarding …
Bill to Reimburse Local Governments for Rent Control Challenges on Hold Read More
HousingWire reports two U.S. Senators have proposed legislation that would require mortgage servicers to discontinue pursuing foreclosure and loan modification at the same time. The Regulation Mortgage Servicing Act, introduced by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), would also require a third-party review of mortgage servicers’ activities …
More Legislation to Clean Up Mortgage Servicing Errors Read More
MHI Week-in-Review reports from the halls of Congress that Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) introduced legislation (H.R. 1632) that would re-authorize and improve Assets for Independence (AFI), a federal grant program to help people out of poverty. The bill offers funding to repair substandard homes or replace them as well as …
Legislation in the News From the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Read More
RV Business says Democratic U.S. Representative Joe Donnelly of Indiana will make a run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Senator Richard Lugar. Rep. Donnelly’s website says from June, 2010, in part: “Congressman Donnelly has been an advocate for the manufactured housing industry, a vital part of …
Friend of Manufactured Housing to Run for U.S. Senate Read More
HousingWire reports that Congressional Republicans have passed three bills out of subcommittee that will alter the role of the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau (CFPB) in its dealings with lenders. One of the proposals would replace the single director with a five member commission, legislation the American Bankers Association (ABA) supports. …
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports that Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.), and Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.) introduced HR 1755 to ease restrictions on credit available to home builders as a means to kick start home building activity. NAHB estimates three million jobs and $145 million in wages have …
Home Construction May Return with Congressional Assistance Read More
The Gadsden Times in Alabama reports that U.S. Representative Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) will introduce CJ’s Home Protection Act requiring manufactured housing producers to install weather alert radios in their new homes. Named for C.J. Martin, a young boy who died with his grandmother and great-grandmother during a tornado in Indiana …
Bill Will Seek Weather Radios in Manufactured Homes Read More
The Daily News of Massachusetts reports that officials in Salisbury are trying to include pre-HUD code housing that has not been moved in 20 years in their housing stock in order to meet the requirements for affordable housing under Chapter 40B housing laws of 1969. The state has said in …
City Wants to Include Pre-HUD Code Housing in Figures Read More
From Alabama, the Birmingham News reports that Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) has initiated legislation that would require new manufactured homes to have weather alert radios installed in them by the manufacturer. The same bill passed in the House in 2007, but it did not make it out of the Senate. …
Weather Radio in Manufactured Homes could Become Federal Law Read More
The Oakdale Patch of Minnesota reports that Rep. Nora Slawik of the Minnesota House of Representatives has introduced bill number HF1430 to provide low-cost mediation when residents of a manufactured home community have a disagreement with community owners. In the past, many communities have been family-owned and were responsive to …
Legislation Would Provide Legal Recourse for Community Disputes Read More
HousingWire reports that Neal Wolin, Treasury Department Deputy Secretary, defended the Dodd-Frank Act (Dodd-Frank) against critics, charging that the reforms requiring banks to maintain a larger financial safety net for future crises will delay the current economic recovery. Wolin said the current system favors short-term gains over long-term stability and …
Bob Nielsen, Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), responding to President Obama’s proposal in a speech today to limit the mortgage interest deduction (MID), said, “Home owners cannot afford higher taxes at a time when the housing market is struggling to recover and contribute to economic growth…. …
NAHB Chairman Refutes Limiting Mortgage Interest Deduction Read More
