[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 8243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03139]



[[Page 8243]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

24 CFR Part 203

[Docket No. FR-5845-N-01]


HUD's Qualified Mortgage Rule: Annual Threshold Adjustments to 
the Points and Fees Limit

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing 
Commissioner, HUD.

ACTION: Announcement of HUD's qualified mortgage rule's annual 
threshold adjustments.

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SUMMARY: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final 
rule entitled ``Truth in Lending (Regulation Z) Annual Threshold 
Adjustments (CARD ACT, HOEPA and ATR/QM)'' on August 15, 2014. The 
final rule re-calculated the annual dollar amounts for the points and 
fees limit in CFPB's ``qualified mortgage'' definition to reflect the 
annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index in effect on June 
1, 2014. HUD's ``qualified mortgage'' definition incorporates CFPB's 
qualified mortgage points and fees limit and the requirement that the 
points and fees limit be adjusted annually. This document clarifies 
that all annual adjustments to the qualified mortgage points and fees 
limit issued by the CFPB to reflect the Consumer Price Index apply to 
HUD's points and fees limit provision, including CFPB's most recent 
final rule.

DATES: Effective Date: February 17, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael P. Nixon, Office of Housing, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 
9278, Washington, DC 20410; telephone number 202-402-5216, ext. 3094 
(this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech 
impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the Federal 
Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (this is a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    On December 11, 2013, at 78 FR 75215, HUD published a final rule 
that established a definition of ``qualified mortgage'' for single 
family residential mortgages that HUD insures, guarantees, or 
administers. Under HUD's qualified mortgage rule, qualified mortgage 
status attaches at origination and insurance endorsement to those 
single family residential mortgages insured under the National Housing 
Act (12 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), section 184 loans for Indian housing 
under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 
1715z-13a), and section 184A loans for Native Hawaiian housing under 
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 1715z-
13b). HUD's definition of ``qualified mortgage'' is codified for each 
program at 24 CFR 201.7, 203.19, 1005.120 and 1007.80.
    HUD has defined ``qualified mortgage'' in a manner that aligns 
HUD's definition, to the extent feasible and consistent with HUD's 
mission, with that of the ``qualified mortgage'' definition promulgated 
by the CFPB, and which is codified at 12 CFR 1026.43. HUD undertook the 
alignment for the purpose of lessening future differences in standards 
for HUD's single family residential insured mortgages and those 
established by the CFPB, which apply to conventional, federally-related 
mortgages for which designation as a qualified mortgage is sought.
    HUD's alignment to CFPB's standards at 24 CFR 203.19 includes a 
cross-reference to the CFPB's limit on points and fees for a qualified 
mortgage at 12 CFR 1026.43(e)(3). The CFPB's qualified mortgage limit 
on points and fees requires that to be a ``qualified mortgage,'' the 
transaction's points and fees must not exceed 3 percent of the total 
loan amount for a loan amount greater than or equal to $100,000; $3,000 
for a loan amount greater than or equal to $60,000 but less than 
$100,000; 5 percent of the total loan amount for loans greater than or 
equal to $20,000 but less than $60,000; $1,000 for a loan amount 
greater than or equal to $12,500 but less than $20,000; and 8 percent 
of the total loan amount for loans less than $12,500. The definition 
also provides that the dollar amounts should be adjusted annually on 
January 1 by the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index 
for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) that was reported on the preceding June 
1. Members of the public interested in more detail about HUD's 
qualified mortgage regulations may refer to the preamble of HUD's 
September 30, 2013, proposed rule and HUD's December 11, 2013, final 
rule, at 78 FR 59890 and 78 FR 75215, respectively.

II. HUD Notice of CFPB's Final Rule

    On August 15, 2014, the CFPB issued a final rule ``Truth in Lending 
(Regulation Z) Annual Threshold Adjustments (CARD ACT, HOEPA and ATR/
QM).'' (79 FR 48015) CFPB's final rule amended the points and fees 
limit at 12 CFR 1026.43(e)(3), as required by 12 CFR 1026.43(e)(3)(ii), 
to reflect the annual inflation in the (CPI-U), as published by the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of June 1, 2014. The adjustment adopted 
reflected a 2 percent increase in the CPI-U for the required period and 
is rounded to whole dollars for ease of compliance. The new points and 
fees limit, effective January 1, 2015, requires that for a covered 
transaction to be a qualified mortgage the total points and fees must 
not exceed 3 percent of the total loan amount for a loan greater than 
or equal to $101,953; $3,059 for a loan amount greater than or equal to 
$61,172 but less than $101,953; 5 percent of the total loan amount for 
a loan greater than or equal to $20,391 but less than $61,172; $1,020 
for a loan amount greater than or equal to $12,744 but less than 
$20,391; and 8 percent of the total loan amount for a loan amount less 
than $12,744.
    HUD's reference to 12 CFR 1026.43(e)(3) in its final rule included 
the requirement that the points and fees limit be updated annually to 
reflect the CPI-U. Therefore, this document clarifies that all 
adjustments to the CFPB's point and fees limit consistent with 12 CFR 
1026.43(e)(3)(ii) are to be incorporated into HUD's points and fees 
limit per the effective date of the CFPB's adjustment, including the 
most recent change issued on August 15, 2014.

    Dated: February 9, 2015.
Biniam Gebre,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2015-03139 Filed 2-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P