Resources

Mortgage Lending Laws and Regulations
Reference materials related to mortgage lending, including credit, products, and services related to mortgages.

2021 FFIEC HMDA Reporting Getting It Right! (ffiec.gov)
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council‘s Guide is the comprehensive edition for the 2021 calendar year data.

Consumer Assistance Topics – Mortgages
Useful information to help consumers make informed decisions about their money and protect themselves against financial frauds and scams. Specific banking topics are discussed as well as links to other resources to learn more.

FDIC Tips on Appraisal Bias and Valuation to Address Consumers’ Frequently Asked Questions
Consumers may have options to challenge or appeal the appraisal or evaluation and provide data if they suspect that the valuation is not accurate.

Privacy Act Issues under Gramm-Leach-Bliley
The FDIC has created this webpage to inform consumers about the Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act’s (GLBA) consumer provisions to ensure that financial institutions protect consumer's financial information.

How America Banks Survey
How America Banks is the FDIC’s seminal study of U.S. households’ participation in the banking system.

Ability to Repay/Qualified Mortgages (ATR/QM) (consumerfinance.gov)
Resources to help industry participants understand, implement, and comply with the Ability to Repay/Qualified Mortgage (ATR/QM) rule.

Closing Checklist (consumerfinance.gov)
The Closing Checklist reflects current mortgage disclosure regulations and helps consumers identify necessary steps before closing on a mortgage loan.

Closing Forms Explained (consumerfinance.gov)
This document provides a brief explanation of typical closing documents including HUD-1, Promissory Note, Right to Cancel form, Truth in Lending Disclosure, Initial Escrow Disclosure, and Deed of Trust.

Explore Interest Rates (consumerfinance.gov)
This tool allows borrowers to see what interest rates are common in their state and to calculate variations based on credit score, house price, down payment, rate type, loan term, and loan type. Data is aggregated from actual lenders and is updated daily.

Find a Housing Counselor (consumerfinance.gov)
Search by zip code to find HUD-approved housing counseling agencies with results displayed on a map and details about each agency available to download in PDF format.

Verify a Loan Originator (nmlsconsumeraccess.org)
Search by any combination of full NMLS ID, state license number, company name, or address to see if a loan officer or broker is authorized in your state.

FFIEC Rate Spread Calculator (ffiec.gov)
The Rate Spread Calculator generates the spread between the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and a survey-based estimate of APRs currently offered on prime mortgage loans of a comparable type.

Federal Home Loan Banks

About Federal Home Loan Banks (fhlbanks.com)
The FHLBank System was created by the Federal Home Loan Bank Act of 1932 as a government sponsored enterprise to support mortgage lending and community investment. FHLBanks carry out their core mission of providing liquidity by raising funds in the global financial markets, then lending that money in the form of “advances” (loans) to members and local communities.

Publications and Reports (fhfa.gov)
Publications and documents that provide in-depth research, data, and analysis related to various aspects of the U.S. housing finance industry.

Conforming Loan Limits (fhfa.gov)
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are restricted by law to only purchase single-family mortgages with origination balances below a specific amount, known as the “conforming loan limit.” Loans above this limit are known as jumbo loans. This webpage provides current conforming loan limits by county and unit size as well as historic detail back to 2007.

Duty to Serve Program (fhfa.gov)
This program oversees the statutory requirement for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to serve three specified underserved markets – manufactured housing, affordable housing preservation, and rural housing – by improving the distribution and availability of mortgage financing in a safe and sound manner for residential properties that serve very low-, low-, and moderate-income families in these markets.

House Price Index (fhfa.gov)
FHFA publishes monthly and quarterly Housing Price Index reports that serve as a timely, accurate indicator of house price trends at various geographic levels. Because of the breadth of the sample, it provides more information than is available in other house price indexes.

House Price Index Calculator (fhfa.gov)
The Housing Price Index Calculator provides the state or MSA level estimated house value based on purchase price.

Federal Reserve Housing Inventory Estimate (fred.stlouisfed.org)
This is a quarterly review of the housing inventory in the United States. One can also find news, blogs, newsletter access, and other economic tools on this site.

Fact Sheets (occ.treas.gov)
The OCC provides a variety of fact sheets on products and services, investment vehicles, and government programs and initiatives related to community development and consumer banking. Mortgage-related fact sheets include:

OCC's Mortgage Metrics Report (occ.gov)
Published quarterly, the OCC Mortgage Metric Report seeks to promote broader understanding of mortgage portfolio performance and modification activity in the federal banking system.

Income and Property Eligibility Website (usda.gov)

USDA Rural Development/Dept. of Agriculture Programs and Services (rd.usda.gov)
USDA Rural Development operates over fifty financial assistance programs for a variety of rural applications. This website offers categories from which you can choose depending upon your situation.

USDA Rural Development Single Family Housing Guaranteed Home Loan Program (rd.usda.gov)
This program assists approved lenders in providing low- and moderate-income households the opportunity to own adequate, modest, decent, safe and sanitary dwellings as their primary residence in eligible rural areas.

Service Center Locator (usda.gov)

Computerized Home Underwriting Management System (CHUMS) Data Files (hud.gov)
Download files and/or their description with loan limits from 2013 to present for FHA Forward Limits, HECM Limits, and Fannie/Freddie Limits. All files are updated from HUD's CHUMS data system on a weekly basis.

FHA Mortgage Limits (hud.gov)
Look up FHA or GSE mortgage limits by state, county, or Metropolitan Statistical Area. The results page includes a median sales price value for each jurisdiction and the loan limit for one-, two-, three- and four-unit residences.

Housing Counseling Intermediaries (hudexchange.info)
This webpage includes a list of HUD-approved housing counseling intermediaries and eligible state housing finance agencies that can provide services directly or through a network of affiliates. The list provides organization name, city, state location, and website link.

Lender List (hud.gov)
Search HUD-approved lenders by name, geographic identifiers, or the type of insurance or product they provide.

Single Family Housing Policy Handbook (HUD Handbook 4000.1) Information Page (hud.gov)
This webpage provides links to the updated Single Family Housing Policy Handbook and various resources and frequently asked questions documents.

Housing Information for Disabled Persons (hud.gov)
This webpage is designed to answer frequently asked questions on the housing rights of people with disabilities and the responsibilities of housing providers and building and design professionals under federal law.

HUD Office of Native American Programs (hud.gov)
The Office of Native American Programs works tirelessly to support all the Tribal housing partners as they deal with the impact of COVID-19 as a Nation.

203(K) Rehab Mortgage Insurance (hud.gov)
Section 203(k) insurance enables homebuyers and homeowners to finance both the purchase (or refinancing) of a house and the cost of its rehabilitation through a single mortgage or to finance the rehabilitation of their existing home.

Making Home Affordable (makinghomeaffordable.gov)
Launched in 2009, the Making Home Affordable® Program (MHA) is designed to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)
The search engine on the IRS website allows you to find information on federal income tax implications of a mortgage.

Native American Direct Loan (va.gov)
If you serve Native American veterans, this program may help your customers get a loan to buy, build, or improve a home on federal trust land. They may also get a loan to refinance an existing NADL and reduce their interest rate.

Specially Adapted Housing Program (benefits.gov)
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides grants to Servicemembers and Veterans with certain permanent and total service-connected disabilities to help purchase or construct an adapted home, or modify an existing home to accommodate a disability.

VA Home Loans Lenders Page (benefits.va.gov)
This webpage provides numerous resources for VA lenders.