Tag: housing market

Statement: March 2017 FHFA Credit Risk Transfer Progress Report and RFI

Posted on by Rhina Portillo

The following statement can be attributed to Lindsey Johnson, USMI president and executive director:

“Private mortgage insurance is a 60-year old bedrock of the housing system that for decades has helped low down payment borrowers qualify for mortgage financing—more than 25 million borrowers to date—and has provided critical credit risk protection to the government and taxpayers through numerous housing cycles. MI works and is a reliable form of credit risk protection, as evidenced by the more than $50 billion in claims that mortgage insurers paid to the GSEs through the downturn. As FHFA states in its progress report, private mortgage insurance remains the primary form of credit enhancement used on mortgages sold to the GSEs with loan-to-value ratios over 80 percent, and in the first quarter of 2017 MI covered $48 billion of mortgages the agencies purchased.

“In the absence of comprehensive GSE reform, FHFA is rightfully exploring options in the credit risk share market through various pilots, and USMI encourages greater balance, transparency, and comparable standards among these options. The cost of credit enhancement has more than doubled for many of the back-end CRT tranches sold, which indicates price volatility continues to be present for these transactions. Our industry remains confident that greater potential benefits can be realized through front-end risk sharing, specifically as outlined in our proposal last year to explore deeper MI coverage, where even more risk is transferred away from the government before it ever touches the GSEs’ balance sheets. The vast majority (more than 97 percent based on risk in force) of CRT transactions to date have been done on the back-end, with the GSEs warehousing credit risk before transferring to the private sector. The GSEs need not carry this level of risk considering there is ample opportunity to increase or at a minimum balance the level of front-end transactions.

“We also encourage equivalent counterparty standards for other CRT transactions, similar to the stringent requirements of mortgage insurers. Doing this will ensure taxpayers are better protected. In the last two years, MIs have materially increased their claims paying ability in both good and bad economic times due to new higher capital standards under the Private Mortgage Insurance Eligibility Requirements (PMIERs).  All MIs have met or exceeded PMIERs requirements as of December 31, 2015.”

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U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI) is dedicated to a housing finance system backed by private capital that enables access to housing finance for borrowers while protecting taxpayers. Mortgage insurance offers an effective way to make mortgage credit available to more people. USMI is ready to help build the future of homeownership. Learn more at www.usmi.org.

Statement: Requests to Reduce FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums

Posted on by Rhina Portillo

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USMI Statement on Requests to Reduce FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums

WASHINGTON — Over the last couple of weeks, there have been requests, including from some trade organizations and Democratic members of Congress for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson to reinstate a cut scheduled under the Obama Administration to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance premiums (MIP). The following statement can be attributed to Lindsey Johnson, USMI President and Executive Director:

“Helping creditworthy homebuyers qualify for mortgage financing despite a low-down payment is good policy. It is precisely why conventional loans with private mortgage insurance (MI) and the government-backed FHA loans exist. However, reducing FHA premiums is neither necessary nor prudent at this time. Credit remains available for these borrowers in the conventional market, where the risk is backed by private capital, such as MI. A FHA premium reduction will only draw borrowers served in this market over to the FHA, where the risk is 100 percent backed by the government and taxpayers.

“The FHA has and continues to serve an important role in the housing finance system. While the financial health of the FHA has improved since the financial crisis, it is by no means in a position to have the fees it charges for the insurance it provides reduced. Taxpayers are currently exposed to more than $1 trillion in mortgage risk outstanding at the FHA. This would only increase if FHA premiums were reduced.

“Rather than reduce premiums, the FHA should continue to make the needed improvements to its financial health. Policymakers should also work to establish a more coordinated and transparent housing policy that will promote increased access to low down payment lending while at the same time decreasing the federal government’s role in housing, such as reducing or eliminating the GSEs’ loan level price adjustments (LLPAs)—a more effective and prudent means for improving access to mortgage finance credit. Further, we strongly urge against any change to FHA’s life of loan coverage. Unlike private MI, which is cancellable, FHA’s insurance coverage does not go away—thus, taxpayers are on the hook for FHA-insured mortgages for the entire life of the loan.

“Private capital can and should play a leading role in insuring low down payment mortgages so the government and taxpayers are protected from mortgage credit risk. Past FHA commissioners strongly agree with this sentiment. For over 60 years, private MI has been a time-tested and reliable way for Americans to become homeowners sooner—with more than 25 million borrowers helped to date. USMI looks forward to working with all interested parties in Congress and the housing market to ensure we create a housing finance system that protects taxpayers while also promoting homeownership throughout the country.”

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U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI) is dedicated to a housing finance system backed by private capital that enables access to housing finance for borrowers while protecting taxpayers. Mortgage insurance offers an effective way to make mortgage credit available to more people. USMI is ready to help build the future of homeownership. Learn more at www.usmi.org.

Newsletter: June 1027

Posted on by Rhina Portillo

Here is a roundup of recent news in the housing finance industry. USMI released a paper assessing housing finance reform proposals announced by housing institutions and organizations, the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on housing finance reform, Genworth Financial introduced its first-ever First-Time Homebuyer Market Report, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) submitted its 2016 annual report to Congress, and American Action Forum (AAF) commented on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s (the GSEs) increasingly risky credit portfolios while calling for greater usage of private mortgage insurance (MI).

  • USMI Releases Policy Paper Assessing Housing Finance Reform Proposals. USMI released a paper that assesses a number of reform proposals for the housing finance system. This paper analyzes the various reform proposals put forth by widely respected institutions and organizations through the lens of USMI’s housing finance reform principles, with attention to the role of private capital to protect against taxpayer risk exposure in the proposed new systems. 
  • Senate Banking Committee Holds Hearing on Housing Finance Reform. Edward DeMarco (President, Housing Policy Council), Dave Stevens (President, Mortgage Bankers Association), and Michael Calhoun (President, Center for Responsible Lending) testified before the Senate Banking Committee on principles for housing finance reform and specific proposals, including the importance of more private capital standing in front of taxpayers’ risk exposure.
  • Genworth Introduces First-Time Homebuyer Market Report. Genworth introduced its First-Time Homebuyer Market Report – the first economic series focused on first-time homebuyer market size. The report provides data spanning two housing cycles over the past 24 years that will make the first-time homebuyer market more visible to housing industry participants and policymakers. A factsheet of the report can be found here.
  • FHFA Submits 2016 Annual Report to Congress. FHFA submitted its annual Report to Congress for 2016, which describes the actions undertaken by the agency to carry out its statutory responsibilities. The report summarizes the findings of FHFA’s 2016 examinations of the GSEs as well as FHFA’s actions as conservator of the GSEs during 2016. The report also describes FHFA’s regulatory guidance, research, and publications issued during the year. 
  • AAF Comments on GSEs’ Increasingly Risky Credit Transfers. In a post on its website, AAF commented on the current status of FHFA and the GSEs, which are retaining risky assets and transferring very little credit risk while remaining dangerously undercapitalized. AAF warns that FHFA and the GSEs’ actions will most likely lead to another taxpayer bailout of the entities. AAF notes that while GSE reform remains a top priority to fix the housing finance system, private MI can be more extensively used in credit risk transfer to de-risk the GSEs’ portfolios, which in turn will protect US taxpayers and the federal government.

Blog: Private Mortgage Insurance at 60 Years — Lindsey Johnson interviews USMI Board Chairman Pat Sinks

Posted on by Lindsey Johnson

By Lindsey Johnson

What was the driving force in 1957 that led to the inception of private mortgage insurance (MI)?

While the late 1950s was a time of great economic prosperity, the devastating effects of the Great Depression and World War II still impacted how financial institutions viewed risk. These institutions were leery of issuing mortgages with less than 20 or 25 percent down, unless the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured them. However, the red tape, expense, and regulations involved in working with the FHA made it impractical for many banks to lend and served as a barrier to homeownership for many low- to moderate-income borrowers. As a result of the precarious mortgage lending situation, a real estate attorney based in Milwaukee, WI named Max Karl sought a way to allow banks to more efficiently serve borrowers with low down payment loan options by insuring home loans with private MI. To do this, Karl founded Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC) and the rest is history.

Since 1957, how has private MI helped support homeownership?

Having mortgage insurance makes originating high loan-to-value (LTV) loans safer for the financial institutions we serve, allowing them to reduce their risk and lend to credit-worthy borrowers who bring less than 20 percent down to the table. This allows borrowers to become homeowners sooner than would otherwise be possible. It also allows homeowners to build the kind of long-term wealth that comes with having equity in a home.

Why should borrowers consider private MI?

I encourage borrowers to thoroughly explore all home loan options when buying a home; being well informed is the key to making the best choice based on one’s individual needs. That said, private MI offers an affordable and sustainable low down payment path to homeownership. What’s more, unlike some other low down payment programs, private MI automatically cancels once a homeowner reaches 78 percent equity in his or her home (or 80 percent equity upon request) and meets investor and/or Homeowner Protection Act requirements. This benefit of private MI can save homeowners thousands of dollars over the life of their loan.

How does private MI fit into the mortgage finance system?

Simply put, private MI helps reduce risk in the mortgage financing system by putting private capital in front of taxpayers and the federal government. Private MI does this by meeting a requirement established by Congress that low down payment loans sold to the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (the GSEs) have extra credit protection.

If the borrower defaults on their loan and there isn’t enough equity in the home to cover what is owed on the mortgage, private MI is there to offset the loss. With the GSEs in conservatorship and the government effectively guaranteeing the loans assumed on the GSEs’ balance sheets, taxpayers face direct exposure to mortgage credit losses experienced by the GSEs. When private MI is in place, private capital – not taxpayers – cover the first losses on a default up to certain coverage limits.

To give you an idea of what that means in real dollars, the private MI industry has paid more than $50 billion in claims for losses to the GSEs since they entered conservatorship during the 2008 financial crisis

What’s changed in the private MI industry over the past 60 years?

I like to say “this isn’t our father’s MI.” The private MI industry has been through a lot in its 60-year history. Most recently, we learned some valuable lessons during the Great Recession. Prior to that, the industry had never experienced a coast-to-coast collapse in the housing market. It’s true there have been times of great economic hardship during the industry’s history, but nothing as widespread as this most recent economic downturn.

While the private MI industry’s commitment to helping expand homeownership in an affordable, sustainable way remains steadfast, it has incorporated the lessons learned from the Great Recession into how it operates today. This includes the industry’s capital standards and how it views, evaluates, and prices for risk.

These lessons have made the private MI industry a stronger partner with its customers and it is in a great position for the future.

Speaking of the future, what do you see for private MI going forward?

The private MI industry is in the midst of a once in a generation opportunity to positively reform the country’s housing finance system. To do it right, there must be a comprehensive approach to evaluate what the proper role is for the GSEs, FHA, and private capital.

Private mortgage insurers are ready, willing, and able to take on a larger role in housing finance. The industry’s transparent, risk-adjusted capital requirements set it apart from other forms of credit enhancement, and that stability – coupled with 60 years of experience insuring high LTV-residential mortgages – puts it in a unique position to support the expansion of homeownership.

As our county’s leaders continue to explore housing finance reform, it only makes sense for them to consider how they can leverage the private MI industry’s inclusive and scalable business model.

Statement: Senate Confirmation of Ben Carson as HUD Secretary

Posted on by dcadmin

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USMI Statement on Senate Confirmation of Ben Carson as HUD Secretary

WASHINGTON — Lindsey Johnson, President and Executive Director of the U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI), today issued the following statement on the United States Senate confirmation of Ben Carson as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

“USMI congratulates Secretary Carson on his Senate confirmation to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a critical federal agency that is a component of the more than $10 trillion U.S. single-family outstanding mortgage debt market. We look forward to collaborating with Secretary Carson and HUD on a comprehensive and coordinated housing policy to promote a stronger and more equitable mortgage finance system that serves American taxpayers, homebuyers and lenders.

“The U.S. mortgage insurance industry welcomes Secretary Carson’s statements that more private capital needs to be brought into the mortgage market and USMI members stand ready to do more, building on the industry’s 60-year history as an effective and time-tested source of credit loss protection. Private MI shields the government and taxpayers from mortgage-related risks in the U.S. housing market that is available during both good and bad housing market cycles.

“In the past six decades, private capital in the form of MI has helped more than 25 million families get into homes; in 2016 alone, MI helped nearly 830,000 families purchase or refinance homes – nearly 50 percent of whom were first-time homebuyers. We look forward to working with Secretary Carson and his team to continue serving American families while also reducing risk to taxpayers and the government.”

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U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI) is dedicated to a housing finance system backed by private capital that enables access to housing finance for borrowers while protecting taxpayers. Mortgage insurance offers an effective way to make mortgage credit available to more people. USMI is ready to help build the future of homeownership. Learn more at www.usmi.org.

Blog: An affordable way to qualify for a home loan without that big down payment

Posted on by Rhina Portillo

For many Americans, the biggest hurdle in buying a home is the 20 percent down payment they think is required for mortgage approval. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors, 34 percent of respondents believe they need more than 20 percent.

Meanwhile, low down payment mortgages account for a significant amount of home buying annually.

Families with down payments as low as 3 or 5 percent have been able to purchase a home thanks to private mortgage insurance (MI) for 60 years. Since 1957, MI has helped 25 million families become homeowners. In the past year alone, MI helped more than 795,000 homeowners purchase or refinance a mortgage. Nearly half were first time homebuyers and more than 40 percent had incomes below $75,000.

How MI works

Mortgage insurance is simple. In addition to the other parts of mortgage underwriting process — such as verifying employment and determining the borrower’s ability to afford the monthly payment — lenders traditionally required 20 percent down to ensure the borrower had some of their own money committed before the bank would provide a loan. This is where MI enters, bridging the down payment divide to qualify borrowers for mortgage financing.

Benefits of MI

  • It helps you buy a home, sooner. For the average firefighter or school teacher, it could take 20 years to save the typical down payment. Private mortgage insurers help borrowers qualify with as little as 3 percent down.
  • It’s temporary, leading to lower monthly payments. MI can be cancelled once you build 20 percent equity, either through payments or home price appreciation — typically in the first five to seven years. This is not the case for FHA loans, the federal government’s form of MI. The majority of which require MI for the life of the loan.
  • It provides several flexible payment options. Your lender can offer several options for MI payment; the most common is paid monthly along with your mortgage.
  • It’s tax-deductible. Subject to income limits, MI premiums are tax deductible — similar to interest paid on a mortgage. In 2014, 4 million taxpayers benefited from this deduction with the average being $1,402.

MI is a stable, cost effective way to obtain low down payment mortgages, and offers distinct benefits to borrowers. It’s been a cornerstone of the U.S. housing market for decades, providing millions the opportunity to own homes despite financial barriers. Ask your lender for low down payment options using MI.