The following is a statement by National Association of Realtors® President Ron Phipps.

“As the leading advocate for housing and home ownership issues, NAR firmly believes that the mortgage interest deduction (MID) is vital to the stability of the American housing market and economy.

“The MID must not be targeted for change. NAR is actively engaged on behalf of the nation’s 75 million home owners and 1.1 million Realtors® to ensure that the current deduction is not modified as was recommended in the Deficit Reduction Commission report released today.

“The tax deductibility of interest paid on mortgages is a powerful incentive for home ownership and has been one of the simplest provisions in the federal tax code for more than 80 years. In a new survey commissioned by NAR and conducted online in October 2010 by Harris Interactive of nearly 3,000 homeowners and renters, nearly three-fourths of homeowners and two-thirds of renters said the mortgage interest deduction was extremely or very important to them.

“Recent progress has been made in bringing stability to the housing market and any changes to the MID now or in the future could critically erode home prices and the value of homes by as much as 15 percent, according to our research. This would negatively impact home ownership for millions of Americans, including those who own their homes outright and have no mortgage.

“Any further downward pressure on home prices will hamper the economic recovery, raise foreclosures and hurt banks’ abilities to lend and likely tip the economy into another recession resulting in further job losses for the country. It will effectively close the door on the American dream.

http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2010/12/deduction_vital

New Orleans, November 08, 2010

The National Association of REALTORS® urges the mortgage lending industry to reassess and amend their policies so more qualified home buyers can become home owners. NAR’s Board of Directors adopted this policy today during the 2010 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.

“REALTORS® believe in a responsible, sustainable model for home ownership, and current credit policy restrictions are not conducive to that model,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz. “The Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have a mission to provide mortgage liquidity to qualified home buyers, including low- and moderate-income families and first-time home buyers. That mission is being impaired by unnecessarily restrictive limits on the availability of credit, and these extremely tight credit policies are significantly delaying a housing market and economic recovery.”

Currently, FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac account for more than 90 percent of the mortgage market. Lenders refuse to make loans unless FHA will insure them or the GSEs will buy them. Stricter FHA and GSE underwriting rules eliminate many buyers with credit scores as high as 750, and lenders are imposing credit overlays of their own, restricting the availability of credit.

http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2010/11/qualified_buyers

Most buyers purchasing with FHA loans are doing so needing seller concessions to avoid depleting all of their savings. FHA currently allows seller concessions up to 6 percent. They are proposing a rule which would reduce the seller concessions to a maximum of 3 percent. In some states, (read OURS) closing costs are often hight than 3 percent. NAR (National Assoc. of Realtors) President Vicki Cox Golder said a reduction in permitted seller concessions will have a detrimental effect on the recovery of the real estate industry and make it more difficult for buyers to purchase a home. In a letter dated 8/16/2010, sent to FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens, NAR comments on the “Federal Housing Administration Risk Management Initiatives: Reduction of Seller Concessions and New Loan-to-Value and Credit Score Requirements” Federal Register Notice.

NAR also calls on FHA to lower the proposed the credit floor exemption for all FHA-insured borrowers seeking to refinance and to ensure that borrowers with nontraditional credit scores are not unduly burdened manual underwriting. FHA proposes a temporary exemption for refinances that involve a reduction of existing mortgage indebtedness but this excludes borrowers with a credit score below 500. Many borrowers have had credit scores above 500 when they purchased their homes but now have lower credit scores and they may still be good candidates for a refinance. Lastly, FHA proposes manual underwriting requirements for borrowers with nontraditional credit histories. NAR believes that the Technology Open to Approved Lenders (TOTAL) scorecard was created to consider unique factors presented by borrowers with nontraditional credit histories

FHA LAUNCHES SHORT REFI OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDERWATER HOMEOWNERS

Effort designed to encourage principal write-downs for responsible borrowers

WASHINGTON – In an effort to help responsible homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than the value of their property, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today provided details on the adjustment to its refinance program which was announced earlier this year that will enable lenders to provide additional refinancing options to homeowners who owe more than their home is worth. Starting September 7, 2010, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will offer certain ‘underwater’ non-FHA borrowers who are current on their existing mortgage and whose lenders agree to write off at least ten percent of the unpaid principal balance of the first mortgage, the opportunity to qualify for a new FHA-insured mortgage.

http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2010/HUDNo.10-173

Federally sponsored mortgage loan purchaser Fannie Mae announced plans this week to institute a new rule penalizing homeowners who walk away from their mortgages. If homeowners are able to afford home payments, Fannie Mae says they will pursue them in court and restrict their access to future home loans for seven years. The decision will affect many home-owning Americans since the mortgage market is nearly completely controlled by Fannie Mae, and its sister company Freddie Mac, as well as the Federal Housing Administration.

It was announced that troubled borrowers who do not try in good faith to work out a deal, but have the capacity to pay, are the targets of the policy.  Fannie Mae said that in locations where the law allows, it also plans to take legal action to recoup outstanding mortgage debt from borrowers who strategically default.  The company plans to instruct its servicers to monitor delinquent loans facing foreclosure and recommend cases to pursue for such judgments.