Published in American Banker on June 27th, 2017. by CHLA president, Bill Giambrone As the Senate Banking Committee seeks to revive talks over reforming the government-sponsored enterprises, a central question is the extent to which it will take into account small, independent mortgage bankers. Will they creating an equal housing finance playing field, or instead create a system that favors “too big to fail” banks, thereby crushing smaller lenders? By all accounts,

Published by Scotsman Guide on August 1, 2017   By William Giambrone Recently, I had the privilege of testifying before the U.S. Senate banking committee on behalf of the Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA) on reform of the government-sponsored enterprises, or GSEs. The hearing brought together associations representing different types of small lenders. CHLA is the only national association exclusively representing independent mortgage bankers (IMBs). I presented CHLA’s

The debate behind recapitilizing the GSEs by  Bill Giambrone, CHLA President This Op-Ed appeared in HousingWire on  July 5, 2017.  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 argument is the approach taken in, “Here’s

As capital dwindles, trouble looms for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac This Op-Ed appeared in The Hill on June 7, 2017. BY GLEN CORSO, SCOTT OLSON AND HILARY SHELTON, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS  Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mel Watt recently delivered two direct messages to Congress: First, it is dangerous to operate the two institutions that undergird half of the U.S. mortgage market and support

“One additional provision is needed” by  Scott Olson This Op-Ed appeared in  HousingWire on 5/10/17. The Financial CHOICE Act (FCA) that recently passed the House Financial Services Committee provides regulatory relief for independent mortgage bankers (IMBs). IMBs are nonbank mortgage lenders – the very lenders that stepped up to expand mortgage access to credit for consumers since the 2008 housing crisis, at the same time that many banks

This Op-Ed appeared in BankThink (American Banker) on April 26, 2017. By  Scott Olson We are approaching the 10th year of the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, yet Congress continues to struggle to produce a comprehensive reform bill for the government-sponsored enterprises. GSE reform has stalled as Fannie and Freddie — which must sweep their profits to the Treasury — are projected to have zero