The first rule would remove DTI requirements and the second would amend how income and debt is evaluated.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released two notices of proposed rulemaking surrounding what’s commonly known as the QM Patch. One of those rulemakings would remove the debt-to-income requirement from qualified mortgages. Back in January, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger sent a letter to several prominent members of Congress, saying the bureau has decided to propose an amendment to the QM Rule that would “move away” from DTI as a factor in mortgage underwriting. Specifically, Kraninger said at the time that the CFPB has decided to shift from the DTI standard and move to an “alternative, such as a pricing threshold (i.e., the difference between the loan’s annual percentage rate and the average prime offer rate for a comparable transaction.)” In the first notice of proposed rulemaking, the bureau wants to amend the qualified mortgage definition in Regulation Z to replace the DTI limit with a price-based approach, saying it preliminarily concludes that a loan’s price, as measured by comparing a loan’s annual percentage rate to the average prime offer rate for a comparable transaction, is a more holistic and flexible measure of a consumer’s ability to repay than DTI alone. For eligibility for QM status under the General QM definition, the bureau is proposing a price threshold for most loans as well as higher price thresholds for smaller loans, which is particularly important for manufactured housing and for minority consumers. The notice also proposes that lenders take into account a consumer’s income, debt and DTI ratio or residual income and verify the consumer’s income and debts. The QM Patch exempting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is due to expire in January 2021, and last year the CFPB moved to officially do away with the QM Patch on its stated expiration date, however the second notice of proposed rulemaking from the CFPB would move that date to ensure a smooth transition.

Source HousingWire