REFinBlog

March 15, 2016

Did Dodd-Frank Make Getting a Mortgage Harder?

    ____________________________________________________________ The short answer is — No. The longer answer is — No, but . . . Bing Bai, Laurie Goodman and Ellen Seidman of the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center have posted Has the QM Rule Made … Continue reading →

February 22, 2016

Consumer-Friendly Financial Innovation

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a Final Policy Statement on No-Action Letters. According to the press release, the policy is intended to facilitate consumer access to financial products and services that promise substantial benefit to consumers.” More specifically, according to the … Continue reading →

February 8, 2016

GSE Reform, by Stealth?

The Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center has issued its January 2016 Housing Finance at a Glance Chartbook. It opens by noting, The FHFA recently released its 2016 Scorecard for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with updated guidance for credit risk transfer … Continue reading →

February 2, 2016

Luxury Real Estate and Transparency

Law360 quoted me in Atty-Client Privilege At Stake In Real Estate Bill (behind a paywall). It opens, The push to reveal the individuals involved in anonymous real estate deals has moved from title insurers to attorneys and real estate agents, but … Continue reading →

January 22, 2016

Tough Edge for Financial Services

              Law360 quoted me in Cuomo’s DFS Nominee Likely To Keep Tough Edge (behind a paywall). It reads, in part, Although New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo turned to a longtime BigLaw attorney to lead … Continue reading →

Friday’s Government Reports Roundup

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released “Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Report,” showing the Treasury’s participation for TARP housing programs. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report on SNAP Benefits, or what used to be known as … Continue reading →

January 20, 2016

The Founding & Evolution of HUD

I had previously blogged about HUD at 50, a hefty tome filled with a lot of interesting chapters. Today, I focus on Chapter 1, written byJill Khadduri, The Founding and Evolution of HUD: 50 Years, 1965-2015 (starting at page 5). The abstract … Continue reading →