The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) audited PNC Mortgage (PNC), a Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved nonsupervised lender and servicer. We selected PNC for audit based on a citizen’s complaint regarding National City Mortgage Corporation (National City). PNC acquired National City in December 2008. Therefore, the report will be addressed to the current entity. Our objective was to determine whether...

We audited Semper Home Loans, Inc. (Semper), a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lender approved to underwrite and close mortgage loans without prior FHA review or approval. We selected Semper because its early payment default rate was higher than the default rate in the local area in which it does business. Our audit objectives were to determine (1) whether Semper acted in a prudent manner and complied with U.S. Department of...

We audited the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA), a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved organization providing housing counseling services to qualified home buyers or homeowners with unaffordable mortgage payments. The audit was initiated at the direction of HUD's Inspector General. Our audit objective was to determine whether NACA properly administered its HUD grants used for housing...

We reviewed Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loan settlement documents from two branches of DHI Mortgage Company, LTD (DHI Mortgage), in Arizona. During a previous audit of loan origination by the same branches (audit report number 2009-LA-1018), there was information indicating that the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Act) might have been violated; however, we were unable to report on the issue at the time. Our...

We performed an audit of WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP (WR Starkey), located in Plano, TX, a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) direct endorsement lender. We selected WR Starkey for audit because of its high default rate of nearly 4.5 percent as compared to the average default rate for all FHA loans in Fort Worth, TX, of 4.1 percent. Our objective was to determine whether WR Starkey complied with U. S. Department of Housing and Urban...

We audited NFM, Inc. (NFM), a nonsupervised lender approved to originate Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family mortgage loans. We selected NFM based on significant risk indicators, which included a high percentage of loans with front- and/or and back-end ratios in excess of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements and loans defaulting within six or fewer payments. Our objective was to determine...

As part of our annual audit plan objective of improving the integrity of single-family insurance programs, we reviewed the independent public accountant’s working papers and the financial statements of Allied Home Mortgage Capital Corporation (Allied) for fiscal year 2009. The objective of the review was to determine whether Allied’s fiscal year 2009 financial statements submitted to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) accurately...

HUD OIG performed an audit of Nationwide Home Loans, Inc. (Nationwide), a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) approved direct endorsement lender located in Miami, Florida. The review was performed based on the lender’s high default rates. The purpose of the audit was to determine whether the lender followed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) requirements when (1) originating and underwriting loans and (2)...

HUD OIG performed an audit of Nationwide Home Loans, Inc. (Nationwide), a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) approved direct endorsement lender located in Miami, Florida. The review was performed based on the lender’s high default rates. The purpose of the audit was to determine whether the lender followed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) requirements when (1) originating and underwriting loans and (2)...

The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) performed an audit of Gold Financial Services, Inc. (Gold Financial), a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) direct endorsement lender and a branch of AmericaHomeKey, Inc., in San Antonio, TX. We selected Gold Financial for audit because its default rate was almost 10 percent for the audit period while the average default rate in the San...

We conducted a review of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans underwritten by Sterling National Mortgage Company, Inc. (Sterling), an FHA direct endorsement lender. The review was conducted as part of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Operation Watchdog initiative to review the underwriting of 15 direct endorsement lenders at the suggestion of the FHA Commissioner. The Commissioner expressed concern regarding the...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General performed an audit of Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Midwest (Consumer Credit), an affiliate of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, Inc. (National Foundation). We selected Consumer Credit based on a citizen’s complaint received by our office. Our objective was to determine whether Consumer Credit complied with HUD’s...

We conducted a review of 20 Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans underwritten by Pine State Mortgage Corporation (Pine State), an FHA direct endorsement lender. This review was conducted as part of our “Operation Watchdog” initiative to review the underwriting of 15 direct endorsement lenders at the suggestion of the FHA Commissioner. The Commissioner expressed concern regarding the increasing claim rates against the FHA...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited HUD’s Office of Lender Activities and Program Compliance, Quality Assurance Division. We did this review because during a prior audit, we saw instances in which indemnification agreements were not obtained from lenders under certain circumstances. Our objective was to determine whether the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban...

We conducted a review of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans underwritten by First Tennessee Bank, N.A. (First Tennessee), an FHA direct endorsement lender. This review was conducted as part of our Operation Watchdog initiative to review the underwriting of 15 direct endorsement lenders at the suggestion of the FHA Commissioner. The Commissioner expressed concern regarding the increasing claim rates against the FHA insurance...

We conducted a review of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans underwritten by Security Atlantic Mortgage Company, Inc. (Security Atlantic), an FHA direct endorsement lender. This review was conducted as part of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Operation Watchdog initiative to review the underwriting of 15 direct endorsement lenders at the suggestion of the FHA Commissioner. The Commissioner expressed concern regarding...

While performing an internal audit of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program, we noted one HECM loan underwritten by Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corporation, (Financial Freedom) of Irvine, CA, that was improperly insured as the property had several years of deferred property taxes, which is a violation of the HECM regulations. Neither Financial Freedom’s loan...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) audited Michaelson, Connor, and Boul, Incorporated (MCB), a management and marketing contractor for HUD real estate-owned properties in Michigan. We selected MCB based on the results of our audit of Custom Closing, a HUD-designated closing agent for the State of Michigan (see OIG audit report #2009-CH-1021, issued September 2009). Our...

We completed an audit of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Single Family Program Development Office’s automated underwriting process. We assessed whether HUD had in place appropriate and effective management controls over its automated underwriting process. The audit was performed as part of the HUD Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) fiscal year 2010 annual audit plan and supported the audit plan objective to...

We reviewed 20 Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans Alethes, LLC (Alethes), underwrote as a FHA direct endorser. Our review objective was to determine whether Alethes underwrote the 20 loans in accordance with FHA requirements. This review was part of Operation Watchdog, an Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiative to review the underwriting of 15 direct endorsement lenders, at the suggestion of the FHA Commissioner. The...