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WASHINGTON, DC - January 22, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a letter today, U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, urged federal banking regulators to simplify and synchronize underwriting standards for new mortgage lending rules to avoid permanently regulating the private sector out of the housing finance business. The qualified residential mortgage (“QRM”) being implemented under the Dodd-Frank Act currently exempts loans sold to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF), an independent national nonprofit dedicated to helping distressed homeowners navigate financial challenges and avoid mortgage foreclosure through its Homeowner’s HOPE™ Hotline, and Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper announced today that they have partnered on a statewide hotline to facilitate distressed homeowners’ access to available mortgage relief programs.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 20, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today sent a letter to Federal Reserve Governor Daniel Tarullo, head of Bank Supervision and member of the Federal Open Market Committee who voted last week for the Fed’s latest effort to stimulate the economy (known as quantitative easing or “QE3”), arguing activism at the Federal Reserve and flawed mortgage rules being written in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Act are counterproductive. Corker said a more thoughtful approach would be to fix the regulations instead of ballooning the Fed’s balance sheet and risking future inflation

WASHINGTON, DC - August 1, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, made the following statement today in response to a decision by Federal Housing Finance Agency Acting Director Ed DeMarco who rejected a proposal by the Obama administration to use taxpayer dollars to reduce principal on mortgages guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in which borrowers owe more than their homes are worth. FHFA’s analysis found such a policy would encourage underwater borrowers, most of whom are current, to stop making payments so they can benefit from a taxpayer-funded principal reduction. This outcome would put taxpayers at risk and would not reduce the chances of foreclosure for these borrowers

WASHINGTON, DC - November 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today called an effort to renew excessive loan limits for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration “unconscionable,” arguing the higher loan limits put taxpayers at risk when Congress should be restoring the private market for housing. A measure being added to an appropriations conference report would raise the FHA’s conforming loan limit to $729,750 after it had fallen to $625,500 in September.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) and Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), both members of the Senate Banking Committee, and Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced legislation to end the Housing Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

KNOXVILLE, TN - February 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against Jerry Kerley, 57, of Kodak, Tenn., and Jeffrey Whaley, 46, of Sevierville, Tenn.. The superseding indictment, which was returned this morning, charges Kerley and Whaley with conspiring to defraud Citizens Bank, located in New Tazewell, Tenn., and SunTrust Mortgage, Inc., located in Richmond, Va., through a mortgage fraud scheme. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy involved a "straw borrower" mortgage fraud scheme in which straw borrowers were induced to obtain mortgage loans in their names based on promises that they would not have to make a down payment or mortgage payments for the property, would receive cash at closing, and would share in the profit following a resale of the property.

Knoxville, TN - May 19, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Four individuals suspected of a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme in Shelbyville, Tennessee, were arrested today, without incident, by special agents of the Knoxville Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Chattanooga Resident Agency and investigators with the Bedford County Sheriff's Office (BCSO).

WASHINGTON, DC - May 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Phil Roe (TN-1) continues to fight for fundamental reform and accountability in many ways, including reform of organizations such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. However, HR 1728 makes no mention of these entities, it encourages excessive litigation for foreclosure related issues and it simply slows down the housing recovery process by undermining current efforts that are already underway.

WASHINGTON - July 26th, 2008 - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement after voting for the Housing bill (H.R. 3221),...