CHLA Highlights – 4^th Quarter 2025

POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• CFPB Kills Burdensome IMB Rules. A National Mortgage News article highlights CHLA’s efforts, as the CFPB kills the offender registry and form contract rules.
• Fannie/Freddie Increases in Loan Portfolios. Fannie and Freddie release data showing increases in portfolios, long a CHLA priority to help bring down mortgage rates.
• Fannie Mae Eliminates Minimum FICO Score from Selling Guide. A Scotsman Guide Article notes CHLA pushed for this action in July and criticized FICO monopoly.

OP-EDS

• Housing Wire. An Action Plan for Condo Affordability.  An op-Ed by Kelly Welch lays out steps FHA and the GSEs can take for more affordable and available condo loans.

TOP ACTIONS

• CHLA Proposal for FHA to finance condo projects approved by Fannie/Freddie. CHLA joins the Community Associations Institute in a letter to FHA, citing its retreat from condo loans and asking FHA to finance Fannie/Freddie approved condo projects.
• CHLA Comment Letter on ECOA. A CHLA comment letter supports the CFPB’s proposal to end disparate impact, criticizing prior CFPB efforts to apply CRA to IMBs.
• CHLA Comment Letter on FHFA Strategic Plan. A CHLA comment letter offers a detailed explanation of the June CHLA sponsored IMB Sign-On letter, offering recommendations to protect IMBs in a Fannie/Freddie exit from conservatorship.

EVENTS

• Housing Wire Mortgage Banking Summit. Rob Zimmer represents CHLA in a debate on whether Fannie and Freddie can exit conservatorship without market disruptions.

IN THE NEWS

• National Mortgage News: Trump Targets Onerous State Laws, Wins Lender Support.  Article highlights CHLA’s support of Trump Administration order preempting state AI restrictions and CHLA’s earlier support for House tax provision doing the same.
• Housing Wire: Debate Heats up on GSE’s Potentially Larger Role as MBS Buyers.  Article highlights CHLA’s advocacy for Fannie/Freddie to buy loans to bring down rates.
• Housing Wire: Pulte Says LLPA Fees Under Review, Signals Relief for Borrowers.   Article highlights CHLA’s support for lowering LLPAs for 1^st time homebuyers.
• National Mortgage News December GSE Articles featured CHLA fighting to protect smaller lenders [G Fee Parity] and CHLA efforts to cut rates (via portfolio purchase).
• Housing Wire. Mortgage trade groups back CFPB plan to revise ECOA. Consumer groups push back.  Article cites CHLA opposition to disparate impact and CHLA calls to end FHA Life of loan premiums, cut GSE LLPAs, and reduce LO licensing barriers.

CHLA Highlights – 3rd Quarter 2025

POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Enactment of Trigger Leads Legislation. CHLA was the first trade group to press for action to restrict trigger leads, in a 2022 a Letter to the CFPB, and CHLA played a critical role in the Senate fixing a flawed House bill that excluded correspondent lenders and GSE cash window sellers (servicing released) from receiving trigger leads.

OP-EDS

• National Mortgage News: Fair Isaac’s White Paper Makes it Clear it is Raising Prices. Op-Ed by Rob Zimmer continues to press FICO on monopolistic pricing.
• Housing Wire: Top 5 IMB Priorities for GSEs in a Post-Conservatorship World. CHLA Op-ed highlights G Fee parity, Robust cash window, no Wall Street bank charters, keeping two GSEs, and bringing down mortgage rates as top priorities for IMBs.

TOP Actions

• • IMB Sign-On Letter – GSE Conservatorship Exit. CHLA spearheads letter signed by 46 IMBs naming top IMB priorities in a Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac conservatorship exit.
  • CHLA Calls on FHA to Insure Loans in Fannie/Freddie Approved Condo Projects. CHLA asks for FHA Condo flexibility as part of any Administration housing emergency.
  • CHLA Starker Exchange Initiative: Capital Gains Use for Child Down Payment. Proposal to waive capital gains if child/grandchild uses funds for 1st time home purchase.
  • CHLA Letter to FHFA Director Pulte Urging action to Restrain FICO Price Hikes. CHLA letter urges FHFA Director Pulte to take actions to stop more FICO price hikes.

events

• • CHLA Webinar on “The Future of IMBs.” Panelists were Mitch Kiter from Weiner, Brodsky; Meg Burns from Housing Policy Council; and Mike Brown from Xactus.
  • DC Member Fly-In. CHLA hosts DC fly-in, offering member meetings with White House staff and officials from FHA, Ginnie Mae, FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.
  • CHLA Roundtable – on (1) down payment options and (2) condos. Panelists included former FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery, USMI President Seth Appleton, CAI President Dawn Bauman, DCHFA Director Christopher Donald, and Kelly Welch.
  • CHLA Webinar on GSE Conservatorship Exit, Part 2. Panelists were Ron Haynie (ICBA), Mike Calhoun (Committee for Responsible Lending), & Rob Zimmer (CHLA).

in the news

• • Housing Wire: Fannie, Freddie Merger Buzz Draws Mixed Market Response. CHLA is the first trade group to publicly oppose rumored merger of Fannie and Freddie.
  • National Mortgage News: CHLA Floats Rewrite of LO Comp Rule. Detailed story on CHLA LO Comp White Paper, calling for end to limits on compensation within firms.

CHLA Highlights – 2nd Quarter 2025

POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• The enacted Tax Bill included a number of priorities CHLA has long advocated for: a big boost in the SALT cap, permanent small business 20% deduction, and MI deductibility.
• CFPB announces it won’t enforce its Offender Registry filing requirements for smaller IMBs, long a CFPB priority and a request in CHLA’s February letter to the CFPB.
• The House passes the Trigger Lead Bill by unanimous vote.  CHLA teed this issue up in a 2022 Letter, and the bill was changed to protect smaller lenders at CHLA’s request.
• FHA eliminates cumbersome Reconsideration of Value (ROV) requirements.

OP-EDS

• The Mortgage Note:  “Congress is Putting Trigger Locks on Abusive Mortgage Solicitations.”  CHLA op-ed on the importance of the House-passed trigger leads bill.
• National Mortgage News:  “Condo Rules Need Reform to Keep Homes Affordable”. Kelly Welsh op-ed on the need for condo eligibility transparency and balanced policies.

WASHINGTON DC MEMBER FLY-IN

• • DC Fly-In.  In early May, CHLA hosted its semi-annual member DC fly-in.  The fly-in featured meetings with White House staff & top officials from FHA, Ginnie Mae, FHFA.
  • CHLA Webinar on GSE Exit from Conservatorship.  This April 3^rd CHLA webinar featured experts from the Realtors, investment firm Graham-Fischer and CHLA.
  • Scott Olson on Robbie Chrisman Podcast. Robbie Chrisman’s June 2 Podcast featured an interview with Scott Olson, CHLA’s Executive Director.

KEY ACTIONS

• • CHLA LO Comp White Paper.  This CHLA piece chronicled the history of LO Comp and called on Congress to end restrictions on compensation to loan originator employees.
  • CHLA Letter  on VASP Program.  In April CHLA wrote the Veterans Committee, identifying ways to protect distressed VA loan borrowers, in a cost effective way.
  • CHLA Letter to FHFA Director Pulte on FICO Price hikes.  CHLA continued its aggressive campaign to call out FICO monopolistic price hikes in a letter to the FHFA.
  • CFPB Small IMB Exemption.  CHLA took its campaign to Congress, to ask for a small IMB exemption from CFPB supervision comparable to the one small banks already have.
  • Relief from State Regulation of AI.  In May, CHLA wrote the Senate, asking it to accept the House tax bill provision restricting state regulation of AI for the next decade.

IN THE NEWS

• • National Mortgage News:  “Lenders Get a Better View of Condo Blacklist But Want More”.   Article highlights CHLA efforts to press Fannie, Freddie for more transparency.
  • Housing Wire: “FHA Updates Loss Mitigation Waterfall”.   Article cites CHLA.

For more CHLA In the News, click here.

CHLA Highlights – 1st Quarter 2025

POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• • Freddie Mac permits non-seller/servicers access to the list of approved condo projects.
  • FHA acts on a number of incremental policy changes which CHLA had advocated for:
    1. 1. FHA allows reimbursements to servicers for taxes and insurance advances.
       2. FHA rescinds detailed appraisal bias requirements.
       3. FHA delays energy requirements for new homes (CHLA then asks FHA to kill them).
       4. FHA streamlines loss mitigation process, to curb excessive loss mitigation requests.

IMB REPORT

• • CHLA releases its annual IMB Report, highlighting 2024 advocacy accomplishments, explaining what IMBs are, and laying out CHLA 2025 Policy Initiatives and Priorities.

VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE

• • CHLA hosts a webinar on the potential exit of Fannie and Freddie from conservatorship, explaining the history of the conservatorship and critical policy options and choices.

OP-EDS

• • National Mortgage News: Protect FHA and Ginnie Mae. A CHLA Op-Ed makes the case why FHA and Ginnie are vital and should be spared from HUD staffing cuts.
  • Housing Wire: The 2024 CHLA Report on IMBs. A CHLA Op-Ed explains why advocacy on behalf of smaller IMBs is critical in the face of sweeping policy changes.

KEY ACTIONS

• • CHLA Letter to FHFA Director Pulte. A CHLA letter to just confirmed Director Pulte lays out CHLA’s top policy priorities for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: maintaining the GSEs’ footprint; a robust cash window with G Fee parity; completing the replacement of repurchase demands with indemnifications; and reining in runaway FICO price hikes.
  • CHLA Letter to CFPB Acting Director Vought. A CHLA letter to CFPB lays out CHLA’s top priorities for CFPB reforms: exempting smaller IMBs from CFPB supervision and enforcement; ending regulation by enforcement; reforming LO Comp; and immediately suspending the CFPB’s court order registry requirements.

IN THE NEWS

• • Scotsman Guide: Mortgage Trade Groups Again Push to Ban Trigger Leads. Article highlights CHLA, other groups resuming the push to ban abusive trigger leads.
  • National Mortgage News: CFPB Should Use Lighter Touch on IMBs, CHLA Says. Features CHLA’s letter to CFPB arguing for regulatory streamlining for smaller IMBs.

For more CHLA In the News, click here.

Click Here for 4th Quarter 2024 Highlights