24 CFR 203.39 - Standards for buildings.

This document withdraws part of a proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2015, that proposed to establish a maximum time period within which an FHA-approved mortgagee must file a claim with FHA for insurance benefits, and to revise HUD's policies concerning the curtailment of interest and the disallowance of certain expenses incurred by a mortgagee as a result of the mortgagee's failure to timely initiate foreclosure or timely take such other action that is a prerequisite to submission of a claim for insurance. This withdrawal covers only the portion of the proposed rule that would have established the maximum time period within which an FHA-approved mortgagee must file a claim with FHA for insurance benefits.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) generally acquires title to single family properties when it pays mortgage insurance benefits to approved mortgagees. FHA's activities in managing and marketing the properties it acquires include paying real estate taxes referred to as ad valorem taxes (a tax based on the value of the property) and special assessments. For properties in condominiums or planned unit developments, FHA also pays homeowners' association or condominium association fees. During the period over which an insured lender forecloses and FHA becomes the owner of the property, taxes or other fees may become due and payable. With lenders conveying close to 100,000 properties annually to FHA, bills for taxes and fees may be past due and payable at the time of FHA's acquisition and suits are brought for payment of taxes and fees. This rule provides HUD's interpretation of the “sue and be sued” clause contained in section 1, Title I of the National Housing Act. This rule provides that, in the case of an action brought against HUD to foreclose on a lien arising out of unpaid taxes or fees, the term “court of competent jurisdiction” as used in section 1 of the National Housing Act refers to a United States District Court. In conjunction with this interpretive rule, HUD is providing, by separate notices published in today's Federal Register, direction to taxing authorities and other entities owed money as to the proper Point of Contact (POC) at HUD for seeking payment. In the unlikely event that payment is not timely made, the entity can bring an action under the Quiet Title Act in the appropriate United States District Court to foreclose on its lien interest in the property.

This final rule is a cost-savings measure to update HUD's regulations regarding the payment of FHA insurance claims in debentures. Section 520(a) of the National Housing Act grants the Secretary discretion to pay insurance claims in cash or debentures. Although some sections of HUD's regulations have provided mortgagees the option to elect payment of FHA insurance claims in debentures, HUD has not paid an FHA insurance claim in debentures under these regulations in approximately 5 years. This final rule amends applicable FHA regulations to bring consistency in determining the method of payment for FHA insurance claims. This final rule follows publication of the February 20, 2015, proposed rule and adopts the proposed rule without change.

This proposed rule is a cost-savings measure to update HUD's regulations regarding the payment of FHA insurance claims in debentures. Section 520(a) of the National Housing Act affords the Secretary discretion to pay insurance claims in cash or debentures. Although HUD has given mortgagees the option to elect payment of FHA insurance claims in debentures in some sections of HUD's regulations, HUD has not paid an FHA insurance claim under these regulations using debentures in approximately 5 years. This proposed rule would amend applicable FHA regulations to bring consistency in determining the method of payment for FHA insurance claims.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule entitled “Truth in Lending (Regulation Z) Annual Threshold Adjustments (CARD ACT, HOEPA and ATR/QM)” on August 15, 2014. The final rule re-calculated the annual dollar amounts for the points and fees limit in CFPB's “qualified mortgage” definition to reflect the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index in effect on June 1, 2014. HUD's “qualified mortgage” definition incorporates CFPB's qualified mortgage points and fees limit and the requirement that the points and fees limit be adjusted annually. This document clarifies that all annual adjustments to the qualified mortgage points and fees limit issued by the CFPB to reflect the Consumer Price Index apply to HUD's points and fees limit provision, including CFPB's most recent final rule.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is issuing a final rule being published concurrently with this document, and it can be found elsewhere in this Federal Register , entitled “Amendments to the 2013 Mortgage Rules under the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z),” amending certain terms in CFPB's definition of “qualified mortgage” which HUD cross-referenced in HUD's qualified mortgage definition. In accordance with the procedures incorporated in HUD's definition of “qualified mortgage,” this document advises of HUD's intention to adopt, for HUD's qualified mortgage rule, CFPB's changes to the exemption for non-profit transactions from the qualified mortgage standards. HUD is not, however, adopting the new points and fees cure provision adopted by CFPB for the reasons stated in this document, but is providing guidance to mortgagees on curing points and fees errors prior to insurance endorsement.

This rule proposes two revisions to FHA's regulations governing its single family adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) program to align FHA interest rate adjustment and notification regulations with the requirements for notifying mortgagors of ARM adjustments, as required by the regulations implementing the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), as recently revised by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The first proposed amendment of this rule would require that an interest rate adjustment resulting in a corresponding change to the mortgagor's monthly payment for an ARM be based on the most recent index value available 45 days before the date of the rate adjustment. The date that the newly adjusted interest rate goes into effect is often referred to as the “interest change date.” The number of days prior to the interest change date on which the index value is selected is called the “look-back period.” FHA's current regulations provide for a 30-day look-back period. The second proposed amendment would require that the mortgagee of an FHA-insured ARM comply with the disclosure and notification requirements of the 2013 TILA Servicing Rule, including at least a 60-day but no more than 120-day advance notice of an adjustment to a mortgagor's monthly payment. FHA's current regulations provide for notification at least 25 days in advance of an adjustment to a mortgagor's monthly payment.

This rule proposes to revise FHA's regulations that allow an FHA-approved mortgagee to charge the mortgagor interest through the end of the month in which the mortgage is being paid. The proposed change would prohibit mortgagees from charging post-payment interest, allowing them instead to charge interest only through the date the mortgage is paid.

Through this final rule, HUD establishes a definition of “qualified mortgage” for the single family residential loans that HUD insures, guarantees, or administers that aligns with the statutory ability-to-repay criteria of the Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA) and the regulatory criteria of the definition of “qualified mortgage” promulgated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) created new section 129C in TILA, which establishes minimum standards for considering a consumer's repayment ability for creditors originating certain closed-end, dwelling-secured mortgages, and generally prohibits a creditor from making a residential mortgage loan unless the creditor makes a reasonable and good-faith determination of a consumer's ability to repay the loan according to its terms. Section 129C authorizes the agency with responsibility for compliance with TILA, which is CFPB, to issue a rule implementing these requirements, and the CFPB has issued its rule implementing these requirements. The Dodd-Frank Act also charges HUD and three other Federal agencies with prescribing regulations defining the types of loans that these Federal agencies insure, guarantee, or administer, as may be applicable, that are qualified mortgages. Through this rule, HUD complies with this statutory directive for the single family residential loans that HUD insures, guarantees, or administers.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) created new section 129C in the Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA), which establishes minimum standards for considering a consumer's repayment ability for creditors originating certain closed-end, dwelling-secured mortgages, and generally prohibits a creditor from making a residential mortgage loan unless the creditor makes a reasonable and good-faith determination of a consumer's ability to repay the loan according to its terms. Section 129C provides lenders more certainty about meeting the ability-to-repay requirements when lenders make “qualified mortgages,” which are presumed to meet the requirements. Section 129C authorizes the agency with responsibility for compliance with TILA, which was initially the Federal Reserve Board and is now the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), to issue a rule implementing these requirements. The CFPB has issued its rule implementing these requirements, referred to throughout this proposed rule as the CFPB final rule. The Dodd-Frank Act also charges HUD and three other Federal agencies with prescribing regulations defining the types of loans that these Federal agencies insure, guarantee, or administer, as applicable, that are qualified mortgages. Through this proposed rule, HUD submits for public comment its definition of “qualified mortgage” for the types of loans that HUD insures, guarantees, or administers that aligns with the statutory ability-to-repay criteria of TILA and the regulatory criteria of the CFPB's definition, without departing from HUD's statutory missions. In this rulemaking, HUD proposes that any forward single family mortgage insured or guaranteed by HUD shall meet the criteria of a qualified mortgage, as defined in this rule, and HUD seeks comment on all components of its definition.

HUD is seeking comment on moving the timeframe that FHA conducts its pre-endorsement review of loans originated by Direct Endorsement lenders from a time that is prior to the lender closing each loan and before FHA's endorsement of the mortgage for insurance to a period after the loan has been closed. Comment is sought on whether this shift in time, as further described in this document, would reduce the processing time before the loans may be closed, and facilitate loan closing.

This proposed rule would streamline the inspection and home warranty requirements for FHA single-family mortgage insurance. First, HUD proposes to remove the regulations for the FHA Inspector Roster (Roster). The Roster is a list of inspectors approved by FHA as eligible to determine if the construction quality of a one- to four-unit property is acceptable as security for an FHA-insured loan. HUD's regulations currently require the use of an inspector from the Roster as a condition for FHA mortgage insurance where the local jurisdiction does not perform necessary inspections. HUD's proposal to remove the Roster regulations is based on the recognition of the sufficiency and quality of inspections carried out by certified inspectors and other qualified individuals. Second, this proposed rule would also remove the regulations requiring 10-year protection plans in order to qualify for high loan-to-value (LTV), FHA-insured mortgages as a condition of closing for newly constructed single-family homes. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) removed the statutory requirement for a warranty plan and other special requirements for high LTV mortgages. HUD, however, is retaining the requirement that the Warranty of Completion of Construction (form HUD-92544) be executed by the builder and the buyer of a new construction home, as a condition for FHA mortgage insurance.

HUD is issuing this interpretive rule to clarify the scope of the provision in the National Housing Act that prohibits certain sources of a homebuyer's funds for the required minimum cash investment for single family mortgages to be insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Uncertainty has arisen as to the effect of this provision on State and local governments and their agencies' and instrumentalities' homeownership programs that provide funds for the minimum cash investment. This rule provides HUD's interpretation that this statutory provision does not remove the availability of FHA insurance for use in conjunction with State and local government programs that provide funds toward the required minimum cash investment. Although interpretive rules are exempt from public comment under the Administrative Procedure Act, HUD nevertheless invites public comment on the interpretation provided in this rule.

This notice of waiver extension announces that FHA is extending the availability of the temporary waiver of its regulation that prohibits the use of FHA financing to purchase single family properties that are being resold within 90 days of the previous acquisition, until December 31, 2014. This waiver, which was first issued in January 2010, took effect for all sales contracts executed on or after February 1, 2010. On January 28, 2011, FHA extended the waiver through calendar 2011. On December 28, 2011, FHA extended the waiver through calendar 2012. Prior to the waiver, a mortgage was not eligible for FHA insurance if the contract of sale for the purchase of the property that secured the mortgage was executed within 90 days of the prior acquisition by the seller, and the seller did not come under any of the exemptions to this 90-day period specified in the regulation. Through the regulatory waiver, FHA encourages investors that specialize in acquiring and renovating properties to renovate foreclosed and abandoned homes, with the objective of increasing the availability of affordable homes for first-time and other purchasers, helping to stabilize real estate prices as well as neighborhoods and communities where foreclosure activity has been high. The waiver is applicable to all single family properties being resold within the 90-day period after prior acquisition, and is not limited to foreclosed properties. Additionally, the waiver is subject to certain conditions, and mortgages must meet these conditions to be eligible for the waiver. The waiver is not applicable to mortgages insured under HUD's Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Program.

As part of HUD's efforts to strengthen the risk management practices of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), HUD published a final rule on April 20, 2010, revising its regulations pertaining to the FHA-approval of mortgage lenders. The April 20, 2010, final rule increased the net worth requirement for FHA-approved lenders and mortgagees, eliminated HUD's approval of loan correspondents, and amended the general approval standards for lenders and mortgagees. This final rule makes several nonsubstantive clarifications and corrections to the provisions of the April 20, 2010, final rule. The changes will improve the clarity of HUD's regulatory requirements and, thereby, facilitate program participant compliance and improve HUD's ability to monitor and enforce its risk management regulations.

On August 30, 2011, HUD published a proposed rule to suspend FHA's mortgage insurance program for military impacted areas under section 238(c) of the National Housing Act. This single-family mortgage insurance program, established by regulation in 1977, has been significantly underutilized for the past several years. Additionally, these mortgage loans are insured under comparable terms and conditions as loans insured under HUD's primary single-family mortgage insurance program under section 203(b) of the National Housing Act. Accordingly, those borrowers who would be served under section 238(c) of the National Housing Act are served equally well under the section 203(b) mortgage insurance program. The suspension of this mortgage insurance program is consistent with the President's budget requests for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2011 and 2012. In this final rule, HUD is adopting the proposed rule without change.

Through this final rule, HUD implements policy to ensure that its core programs are open to all eligible individuals and families regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. This rule follows a January 24, 2011, proposed rule, which noted evidence suggesting that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families are being arbitrarily excluded from housing opportunities in the private sector. Such information was of special concern to HUD, which, as the Nation's housing agency, has the unique charge to promote the federal goal of providing decent housing and a suitable living environment for all. It is important not only that HUD ensure that its own programs do not involve discrimination against any individual or family otherwise eligible for HUD-assisted or -insured housing, but that its policies and programs serve as models for equal housing opportunity.

This final rule updates and enhances the Lender Insurance process, through which the majority of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgages are endorsed for insurance. These changes also further HUD efforts to improve and expand the risk management activities of the FHA. This final rule follows the publication of an October 8, 2010, proposed rule, and takes into consideration public comments received in response to it.