Archive

RESPA Section 8 Enforcement Actions for Freedom Mortgage From the CFPB

2023 does not appear to be Freedom Mortgage Corporation’s year.  Yesterday, they received another enforcement action from the CFPB alleging they provided false information to Federal Regulators.  This follows the August penalty for illegal kickbacks. In August, the CFPB took action against Freedom for violating the most basic requirements of RESPA Section 8.   They were found to be providing illegal incentives to real estate brokers and agents in exchange for mortgage loan referrals. Freedom provided […]

SECTION 1071 – SPECIAL TOOLS AND GUIDANCE

The final rule implementing Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act is massive. There are a couple additional pieces of guidance that may offer relief to some institutions. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has provided a Filing Instructions Guide, a Small Business Lending rule: Data Points Chart, a Grace Period Policy Statement and a Statement on Enforcement and Supervisory Practices Relating to Small Business Lending Rule. Details follow. Filing Instructions Guide – The 2024 Filing […]

JOINT APPLICATIONS AND FINAL SECTION 1071

The proposed regulation to implement section 1071 did not address the handling of joint applications. This writer and others commented on the lack of guidance for reporting joint applications. Joint applications for commercial and agricultural loans are not common, but they do occur. The issue is whether information is collected for each applicant, or for a single applicant, and if a single applicant, which applicant. The final regulation, published on March 30, includes comment 103(a)-10 […]

TRID DISCLOSURES FOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS – ARE REVISIONS POSSIBLE?

On February 27, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a blog article regarding efforts by the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) to gain approval for an application regarding consumer disclosures of a loan that provides either construction or construction-permanent financing In its April 28, 2022 application, the ICBA states it is not uncommon in rural communities for first-time homebuyers to build their first home because there are limited existing affordable “starter” homes. The […]

UPDATE ON APPRAISALS AND DISCRIMINATION

On February 14, 2023, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Credit Union Administration, Federal Reserve Board, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (the “agencies”) sent a joint letter to The Appraisal Foundation (TAF) expressing concerns with the Fourth Exposure Draft of Proposed Changes for the 2023 Edition of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice […]