| Date | Title | Description |
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| Aug 1, 2026 | Buying a condo with a mortgage may soon get more complicated. Here’s why | While lenders already review condo associations for many mortgage applications, they will soon be required to do a much more comprehensive assessment for many transactions.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced the changes in March to better... |
| Jun 18, 2026 | Banking, housing finance groups urge Basel III capital rule changes | A broad coalition of banking and housing finance trade groups is urging federal regulators to scale back parts of the proposed Basel III capital rules, arguing that overlapping requirements and elevated risk weights could unnecessarily rest... |
| Sep 8, 2025 | Top 5 IMB priorities for GSEs in a post-conservatorship world | On Friday, 46 independent mortgage banks (IMBs) jointly sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FHFA Director Bill Pulte, laying out priorities for IMBs for a successful Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac exit from conservatorship.
Spearh... |
| Aug 21, 2025 | CHLA details IMB priorities for a Fannie-Freddie public offering | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) began circulating an independent mortgage bank (IMB) sign-on letter on Wednesday. The document outlines key policy recommendations for a potential exit from conservatorship by Fannie Mae and Fred... |
| Apr 22, 2025 | CHLA urges congressional restraint on mortgage fees in budget bill | Lawmakers in Congress are about to embark on deliberations that will shape government spending, aiming to balance political priorities with the realities of narrow Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. But if... |
| Mar 27, 2025 | FinLocker says it will cover 100% of mortgage verification costs | Self-branded “financial fitness” platform FinLocker announced Wednesday that it will cover 100% of the verification costs for mortgage borrowers who use lenders’ FinLocker-powered apps. The company calls the move an “industry-first initiati... |
| Jan 28, 2025 | The 2024 CHLA Report on IMBs | This week, the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) released our latest annual CHLA Report on Independent Mortgage Banks (IMB). As the only national trade group that exclusively represents IMBs, we are taking this opportunity to explain... |
| Sep 20, 2024 |
What happens next for mortgage lenders after the Fed rate cut? | The Federal Reserve did something this week it hadn’t done in more than four years when it lowered the federal funds rate by half a percentage point. But for mortgage industry professionals hampered by fewer sales opportunities since the Fe... |
| Aug 2, 2024 | The Real Estate Landscape: Navigating Change Amidst Competition | The real estate industry is on the brink of a seismic shift. As the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris approach, real estate agents across the U.S. are preparing for their own version of the Games. The stakes are high. On August 17, the National... |
| Aug 1, 2024 |
CHLA: Lack of competition has driven up third-party closing costs | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) on Thursday issued a comment letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), saying that a major reason for the increase in mortgage closing costs from third parties is due to a lack o... |
| Jul 8, 2024 |
CHLA calls on CFPB to take action against trigger lead calls | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) on Monday submitted a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra, urging the agency to more forcefully go after trigger lead solicitations. To cement the point, C... |
| Jul 1, 2024 |
Opinion: Freddie Mac second mortgage loans further its mission | Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Sandra Thompson recently announced its conditional approval of Freddie Mac pilot to purchase second mortgages. I’ve personally been an outspoken supporter of this endeavor and I applaud this de... |
| Jun 25, 2024 |
Reverse, forward mortgage associations urge full funding for Ginnie Mae | The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) this week submitted a letter to congressional leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, urging them to endorse full funding for Ginnie Mae in order to ensure maximum liquidity for t... |
| Jun 24, 2024 |
ICBA voices opposition to Freddie Mac second mortgage product | The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) issued a statement on Monday that opposes the conditional approval of Freddie Mac’s plan to buy closed-end second mortgages.
The plan was approved on Friday by Freddie Mac’s regulator, the... |
| Jun 21, 2024 |
FHFA grants conditional approval for Freddie Mac second mortgage pilot | The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) on Friday announced that it has given conditional approval for Freddie Mac to begin purchasing closed-end second mortgages through a pilot program.
The pilot program includes several limitations to ... |
| Jun 3, 2024 |
CFPB creates public database of nonbank repeat offenders | The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is creating a public database to identify nonbank financial companies that violate consumer laws, aiming to avoid recidivism trends.
On Monday, the U.S. consumer financial watchdog announced t... |
| May 20, 2024 |
HUD to double servicer fee on assumable mortgages | The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on Monday morning an extension to Ginnie Mae’s digital collateral program and an increase to fees servicers can charge on assumable mortgages, aiming to bring more efficie... |
| May 15, 2024 |
CHLA: Here’s how to modernize ‘short-changed’ Ginnie Mae | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) on Wednesday released a plan that it says would “modernize” Ginnie Mae, the government-owned company that manages the securitization of government-sponsored loans.
The CHLA argues that Ginnie Mae... |
| May 8, 2024 |
Time is ticking for the VA to change broker payment rules | As the August implementation deadline for the business practice changes outlined in the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement agreement approaches, the window of time is shrinking for the U.S. Department of V... |
| Apr 15, 2024 |
GSEs will not count buyer agent commissions in cap on seller concessions | Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will not count buyer’s agent commissions as part of their allowable interested party contributions (IPCs), according to announcements from the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) on Monday.
The GSEs noted that... |
| Apr 9, 2024 |
Opinion: Agencies are key to fixing housing affordability | It’s an election year, and housing affordability appears to be a big concern for voters. So, it’s not surprising to see the administration and members of Congress announcing big-ticket legislative initiatives to boost homeownership — like a... |
| Apr 3, 2024 |
CHLA urges FHA’s equal treatment of homebuyers despite commission status | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) this week submitted a letter to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that urges the agency to “provide comparable down payment treatment for FHA borrowers, regardless of whether or not the se... |
| Mar 25, 2024 |
VA should expedite regulatory changes for agent commissions: CHLA | On the heels of the $418 million settlement recently announced by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), mortgage trade group Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) has called on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to expedit... |
| Mar 21, 2024 |
Equifax’s Work Number is too expensive and regulators should look into it: CHLA | Equifax’s Work Number product is too expensive for consumers and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) should potentially do something about it, an influential mortgage trade group argued this we... |
| Mar 15, 2024 |
‘Find buyers before agents!’ Mortgage industry reacts to the NAR settlement | The National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement of commission lawsuits nationwide is expected to force mortgage lenders and loan officers to find new ways of approaching listing agents and borrowers, give LOs a more significant role i... |
| Feb 21, 2024 |
Opinion: IMB risk doesn’t merit regulator alarm | At a recent congressional hearing, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that U.S. regulators are monitoring risks stemming from nonbank mortgage lenders, cautioning that a failure of one of them is possible due to market strains and a lack ... |
| Feb 14, 2024 |
CHLA wants credit bureaus to restore pricing discounts for soft credit pulls | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) wants the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — to restore the pricing discounts that had been in place for soft credit pulls.
At the end of 2023, each of the credit bur... |
| Nov 13, 2023 |
Opinion: IMB servicers do a better job than banks on loss mitigation | Fifteen years ago, the TARP bailout bill was signed into law. $700 billion in taxpayer funds were authorized to help stabilize the economy in free fall in the wake of the Lehman bankruptcy and a mortgage market meltdown.
The original plan —... |
| Oct 31, 2023 |
MBA, CHLA back proposed changes for manufactured home loans | The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA), and the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) submitted a joint letter advocating for more mortgage financing options for manufactured homes to the U.S. De... |
| Jul 27, 2023 |
CHLA to FHFA: Could we please slow down on credit score reporting changes? | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) on Thursday sent a letter to Sandra Thompson, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), urging the slower implementation of changes to the credit score reporting process.
The letter,... |
| Jul 20, 2023 |
CHLA releases ‘Consumer Mortgage Bill of Rights’ | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) has compiled a new document it is calling the “consumer mortgage bill of rights,” based on a series of different actions and proposals it has made to companies and federal agencies including the ... |
| Jun 22, 2023 |
FHFA housing, condo co-op lending guidelines need improvement: Trade groups | A coalition of trade associations — the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA), the Community Association Institute (CAI) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) — have submitted a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA... |
| Jun 14, 2023 |
Opinion: Ginnie Mae cash window would help lenders, borrowers | The Government National Mortgage Association – also known as Ginnie Mae – is a remarkable innovation and a proven success.
As the Ginnie Mae web site notes: “When the surge in home foreclosures further depressed housing values and the natio... |
| May 25, 2023 |
CHLA urges CFPB action on dual compensation arrangements | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) sent a letter on Thursday to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that urges the agency to adopt and implement a series of rules to protect homebuyers from so-called “dual compensation... |
| May 23, 2023 |
Loan-repurchase risk threatens future M&A deals | The growing wave of loan-repurchase requests from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has yet another major wrinkle, industry sources reveal, and this new problem, if accurate as alleged, threatens to disrupt future merger and acquisition (M&A) ... |
| May 1, 2023 |
CHLA supports changes to CFPB loan originator compensation rule | The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) submitted a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in support of changes to the loan originator compensation rule, telling CFPB Director Rohit Chopra that the current rule’s “i... |
| Apr 10, 2023 |
Opinion: Excessive VA mortgage loan fees expire | Friday, April 7, marked a day for celebration. After four years of Congress hiking Veterans Administration (VA) so-called “Bluewater Navy” mortgage loan fees as an offset to pay for other critical veterans’ benefits, Congress has finally le... |
| Apr 6, 2023 |
MBA asks CFPB to withdraw proposed nonbank registry rule | The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and state-affiliated regulator associations are asking the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to withdraw a proposed rule requiring nonbank financial services providers to report certain publi... |
| Apr 3, 2023 |
Go bust vs. resurgence for IMBs | The tumult in the banking industry set off by the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on March 10, followed two days later by the collapse of Signature Bank, has sparked fear in the markets over a potential broader contagion infecting the ... |
| Mar 10, 2023 | Opinion: Setting the record straight on IMBs | This week, the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) released a special report entitled “The Ubiquity of IMB Regulation.” This report is important to independent mortgage banks (like Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group) that are increasingly dom... |
| Nov 17, 2022 | Opinion: Why it’s time to cut mortgage fees | FHA’s Tuesday release of its MMIF Report showing that FHA continues to build its capital reserve ratio to 11.1% will no doubt add fuel to the public debate about whether FHA should cut premiums for the borrowers it serves.
This debate comes... |
| Nov 10, 2022 | CHLA asks Congress not to extend higher VA home loan fees | The increased fees that military veterans and active duty personnel pay for Veterans Administration (VA) mortgage loans should be allowed to expire on schedule, and congressional leaders should avoid any policies that would extend these fee... |
| Oct 21, 2022 | Trade groups cheer new deadline for Ginnie nonbank capital rule | Ginnie Mae on Friday announced that it has extended the mandatory implementation date of its controversial risk-based capital requirement (RBC) for nonbanks to Dec. 31, 2024.
The rule — which reduced the minimum risk-based capital ratio fro... |
| Sep 23, 2022 | Opinion: CRA doesn’t work for banks or IMBs | Last year, in a Housing Wire op-ed, Community Home Lenders of America took the lead nationally in opposing calls to extend the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to independent mortgage banks (IMBs).
The National Community Reinvestment Coalit... |
| Sep 21, 2022 | Ginnie Mae: Vast majority will be able to comply with new capital rule | Following grumblings from some servicers and industry trade groups, Ginnie Mae on Tuesday issued a statement that most nonbank mortgage companies it does business with will be able to comply with its upcoming — and controversial — capital r... |
| Apr 19, 2022 | The fight to standardize educational training for LOs | The raison d’etre is the same whether you work as a mortgage loan officer at a depository bank or an independent mortgage bank – originate a purchase mortgage or refinancing for a client.
But the educational foundation and understanding of ... |
| Mar 29, 2022 | Opinion: HUD needs to lower the MIP and do it now | This week, the Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA) repeated their call for FHA to lower premiums and to eliminate the life of loan premium on FHA loans. While I might have a different view on the life of loan premium, I applaud their ... |
| Feb 10, 2022 | In wake of scandal, LOs give continuing education programs failing grade | If you’re a mortgage loan officer with a decade of experience in the industry, you have likely spent over 80 hours taking continuing education courses.
Per regulations put into place by the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing... |
| Jan 25, 2022 | Opinion: Don’t shrink the GSEs’ market footprint  | The Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA), which represents small and mid-sized IMBs, just sent a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), asking for tweaks to FHFA’s recently announced fee hikes on second home and high bala... |
| Dec 14, 2021 | What’s Maxwell’s mortgage processing solution up against in the booming US market? | The news: Maxwell Financial Labs and its subsidiary Maxwell Lender Solutions—a US-based fintech mortgage solutions platform founded in 2015—launched what it claims is a “first of its kind” product platform, Maxwell Processor Edge, targeting... |
| Nov 24, 2021 | Opinion: CRA for IMBs won’t work as advertised | The state of New York recently adopted legislation applying the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to nonbank mortgage lenders, also known as independent mortgage banks (IMBs). This comes after similar action by Illinois. While driven by good... |
| Oct 28, 2021 | Opinion: GSE policy changes are positive for small lenders | We have recently seen a major shift in the focus of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and their regulator, FHFA. Just a few years ago, we were talking about shrinking the GSEs’ footprint, giving GSE charters to vertically integrated Wall Street banks... |
| Jul 29, 2021 | Ginnie Mae should protect smaller issuers | Earlier this month, Ginnie Mae proposed significant increases in financial requirements for independent mortgage bank issuers and a new bank-like risk-based capital requirement.
The Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA) acknowledges tha... |
| May 21, 2021 | Why federal CRA requirement on IMBs is not necessary | Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell recently announced his support to extend the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to nonbanks.
The Community Home Lenders Association can’t speak for other nonbank sectors — but applying CRA to independent... |
| Jan 15, 2021 | Biden should make access to mortgage credit a top priority | As the Biden/Harris administration takes office, it faces many crises and challenges – including bridging the partisan divide, ramping up vaccines to end the COVID-19 crisis, jump-starting the economy, and facing huge budget deficits at a t... |
| Aug 14, 2020 | [PULSE] Key issues affect smaller mortgage lenders in GSE reform | The Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA) recently used the opportunity to submit a comment letter on proposed GSE capital levels to instead focus mostly on pending unresolved issues that are critically important to small mortgage lende... |
| Jun 26, 2019 | [Pulse] We need to make LO comp work for everyone. Here’s how | The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been reviewing mortgage regulations issued to implement Dodd-Frank, with a goal of revisiting areas that need tweaks or modifications. The Loan Originator Compensation Rule should be on that list... |
| Aug 9, 2018 | Straight talk about independent mortgage bankers | Independent mortgage bankers have increasingly been in the news of late. Ten years after the 2008 housing crisis, the strong trends of IMB growth in mortgage lending continue as banks show little sign of reversing their retreat from our mor... |
| Jul 5, 2017 | [Counterpoint] Here’s how small lenders can support GSE reform | It is time to put to rest the straw man argument that groups in Washington that want to recapitalize the government sponsored enterprises or build a capital buffer want to “recap and release” the GSEs without reforms. Unfortunately this arg... |
| What’s Maxwell’s mortgage processing solution up against in the booming US market? | The news: Maxwell Financial Labs and its subsidiary Maxwell Lender Solutions—a US-based fintech mortgage solutions platform founded in 2015—launched what it claims is a “first of its kind” product platform, Maxwell Processor Edge, targeting... |
| What's Maxwell's mortgage processing solution up against in the booming US market? | Maxwell Processor Edge is a newly launched web-based application is designed for loan processors, integrating with lenders' loan origination systems.
In the US housing boom, small and midsize lenders trying to preserve slim profits are an o... |
| FICO tri-merge price jumped 1,500% in four years, CHLA finds | The cost of credit reports used in mortgage lending has climbed sharply in recent years, with lenders now paying an average of more than $500 per loan, according to a new analysis from the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA).
The repor... |
| Lunch & Learn discussing if the CRA should extend to IMBs | Discussion on whether or not the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) should be extended to independent mortgage brokers has heightened following public support from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. This Lunch & Learn will examine if... |
| Pulte says GSEs will accept VantageScore 4.0 immediately | Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), announced via social media on Tuesday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will with immediate effect accept the VantageScore 4.0 credit model. The government-sponsored enter... |
