Arizona will receive $1.6 billion of the purported $25 billion joint federal-state settlement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers for their role in wide-spread servicer and foreclosure abuses. Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s decision to join the broad settlement also means that his office has reached an agreement with Bank of America over allegations … [Read more…]
A long-vaunted settlement arising from the sixteen-month 50-state investigation into faulty bank foreclosure practices, which has perpetually been imminent, has finally concluded. The deal was struck between federal banking officials, 49 states Attorneys General, and the five largest mortgage servicers – Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase Co., Wells Fargo Co., Citigroup Inc., and Ally … [Read more…]
Democrats on the House oversight committee have apparently been pushing to subpoena the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") to obtain an analysis looking at what effects principal reductions would have on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As HousingWire has reported, FHFA Acting Director Edward DeMarco has long defended the agency’s policy of keeping Fannie and … [Read more…]
A new federal federal task force, dubbed the "Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group" led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has sent subpoenas to the 11 largest financial institutions in the past few days as part of its investigation into possible residential mortgage-backed securities fraud. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman who was cast off the central … [Read more…]
Anyone who has been involved in dealing with banks in the realm of loan modification have come to accept (at least at some level) that banks move with glacial speed. Well, for those with a high credit score who actually just want to close a loan – this may be the way to go…..
Fourteen U.S. mortgage servicers and their affiliates are making available a free, "impartial" Independent Foreclosure Review process (website – Independent Foreclosure Review) to certain of their borrowers, as part of certain consent orders entered into with federal bank regulators, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), and … [Read more…]
The Mortgage Electronic Registration System ("MERS") is increasingly under attack from multiple angles. MERS describes itself as "an innovative process that simplifies the way mortgage ownership and servicing rights are originated, sold and tracked." Created by the real estate finance industry, including many of the largest lenders and Fannie Mae, MERS allegedly "eliminates the need … [Read more…]
When it rains, it pours. The fallout from the artificially generated housing bubble and the attendant financial crisis is really starting to take hold against the various major players in the banking industry. It seems everyone with any stake in the mortgage meltdown, from individual home owners to purchasers of mortgage-backed securities, are seeking their … [Read more…]
The Arizona Supreme Court just weighed in on the issue of attorney’s fees in tax lien foreclosure cases. Under Arizona Revised Statutes section 42-18206 (2010), a tax lien purchaser is entitled to a judgment for costs and reasonable attorney fees if the delinquent taxpayer redeems the lien after the purchaser commences a foreclosure action. After … [Read more…]
Housing Wire recently reported that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has directed the two government sponsored agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to align their guidelines for servicing delinquent mortgages. Previously, they maintained different requirements for how their mortgage servicers would treat loan backed by Freddie and Fannie. This new push for alignment may … [Read more…]