FHA lenders can now outsource verification of a borrower’s employment, income and other assets to third-party vendors. The new guidance, which came into effect on Feb. 15, applies to all FHA forward mortgages and Home Equity Conversion Mortgage loans.

The battle among the three main federal housing agencies to attract more borrowers is getting more aggressive, according to the American Enterprise Institute.

The Trump administration’s 2020 budget seeks $44.1 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and $400 billion in new loan commitments for FHA.

Ginnie Mae’s latest guidance raising the minimum servicing spread will have little impact because most servicers already retain well above the minimum requirement, according to analysts with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

FHA jumbo lenders ended 2018 on a sour note with total originations during the fourth quarter declining 9.7% on a sequential basis and a whopping 30.9% from a year ago. Purchase loans accounted for 74.3% of the FHA jumbo market last year. [Includes one data chart.]

FHA has tweaked its mortgage scorecard to address concerns surrounding loans with higher-risk characteristics such as cash-out refinances and high debt-to-income ratios.

Ginnie Mae issuers produced just $22.84 billion of new mortgage-backed securities in February, the lowest monthly total in nearly five years, according to a new Inside FHA/VA Lending analysis. [Includes two data charts.]

A roundup of stories covering the government mortgage sector.

Lenders will no longer be able to edit appraisals in FHA’s Electronic Appraisal Delivery portal. They will have to submit a corrected appraisal to update the field.

The Mortgage Bankers Association has urged policymakers to strengthen the ability of Ginnie Mae to supervise independent mortgage bankers.