Notice2026-01040
Credit Watch Termination Initiative; Terminations of Direct Endorsement (DE) Approval
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 21, 2026
Issuing agencies
Housing and Urban Development Department
Abstract
This notice advises of the cause and effect of terminations of Direct Endorsement (DE) approval taken by HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) against HUD-approved mortgagees through the FHA Credit Watch Termination Initiative. This notice includes a list of mortgagees that have had their DE Approval terminated.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 13 (Wednesday, January 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2557-2558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01040]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-6548-N-03]
Credit Watch Termination Initiative; Terminations of Direct
Endorsement (DE) Approval
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing
Commissioner, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises of the cause and effect of terminations of
Direct Endorsement (DE) approval taken by HUD's Federal Housing
Administration (FHA) against HUD-approved mortgagees through the FHA
Credit Watch Termination Initiative. This notice includes a list of
mortgagees that have had their DE Approval terminated.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Higgins, Director, Quality
Assurance Division, Office of Housing, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20410-8000;
telephone (202) 402-6730 (this is not a toll-free number). HUD welcomes
and is prepared to receive calls from individuals who are deaf or hard
of hearing, as well as individuals with speech or communication
disabilities. To learn more about how to make an accessible telephone
call, please visit <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs">https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: HUD has the authority to address
deficiencies in the performance of lenders' loans as provided in HUD's
mortgagee approval regulations at 24 CFR 202.3. On May 17, 1999, HUD
published a notice (64 FR 26769) on its procedures for terminating
Origination Approval Agreements with FHA lenders and placement of FHA
lenders on Credit Watch status (an evaluation period). In the notice,
HUD advised that it would publish in the Federal Register a list of
mortgagees that have had their Approval Agreements terminated. HUD
Handbook 4000.1 section V.E.3.a.iii outlines current procedures for
terminating Underwriting Authority of Direct Endorsement mortgagees.
Termination of Direct Endorsement Approval: HUD approval of a DE
mortgagee authorizes the mortgagee to underwrite single family mortgage
loans and submit them to FHA for insurance endorsement. The approval
may be terminated on the basis of poor performance of FHA-insured
mortgage loans underwritten by the mortgagee. The termination of a
mortgagee's DE Approval is separate and apart from any action taken by
HUD's Mortgagee Review Board under HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 25.
Cause: HUD regulations and policy permit HUD to terminate the DE
Approval of any mortgagee having a default and claim rate for loans
endorsed within the preceding 24
[[Page 2558]]
months that exceeds 200 percent of the default and claim rate within
the geographic area served by a HUD field office, and that exceeds the
national default and claim rate for insured mortgages.
Effect: Termination of DE Approval precludes the mortgagee from
underwriting FHA-insured single-family mortgages within the HUD field
office jurisdiction(s) listed in this notice. Mortgagees authorized to
hold or service FHA-insured mortgages may continue to do so.
Loans that closed or were approved before the termination became
effective may be submitted for insurance endorsement. Approved loans
are those already underwritten and approved by a DE underwriter and
cases covered by a firm commitment issued by HUD. Cases at earlier
stages of processing cannot be submitted for insurance by the
terminated mortgagee; however, the cases may be transferred for
completion of processing and underwriting to another mortgagee with DE
Approval in that geographic area. Mortgagees must continue to pay
existing insurance premiums and meet all other obligations associated
with insured mortgages.
A terminated mortgagee may apply for reinstatement if their DE
Approval in the affected area or areas has been terminated for at least
six months and the mortgagee continues to be an approved mortgagee
meeting the requirements of 24 CFR 202.5, 202.6, 202.7, 202.10 and
202.12. The mortgagee's application for reinstatement must be in a
format prescribed by the Secretary and signed by the mortgagee. In
addition, the application must be accompanied by an independent
analysis of the terminated office's operations as well as its mortgage
production, specifically including the FHA-insured mortgages cited in
its termination notice. This independent analysis must identify the
underlying cause for the mortgagee's high default and claim rate. The
analysis must be prepared by an independent Certified Public Accountant
(CPA) qualified to perform audits under Government Auditing Standards
as provided by the Government Accountability Office. The mortgagee must
also submit a written corrective action plan to address each of the
issues identified in the CPA's report, along with evidence that the
plan has been implemented. The application for reinstatement must be
submitted through the Lender Electronic Assessment Portal (LEAP). The
application must be accompanied by the CPA's report and the corrective
action plan.
Action: The following mortgagees have had their DE Approval
terminated by HUD:
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Termination
Mortgagee name Mortgagee home HUD office jurisdictions effective Homeownership centers
office address date
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Equity Prime Mortgage LLC.... 5 Concourse Atlanta, Columbia, Dallas, 12/24/2025 Atlanta, Denver.
Pkwy., Ste. Houston.
2250, Atlanta,
GA 30328-7121.
Residential Acceptance 5027 W Laurel Tampa..................... 12/24/2025 Atlanta.
Corporation. St., Tampa, FL
33607-3816.
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Vance T. Morris,
Associate General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing.
[FR Doc. 2026-01040 Filed 1-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 21, 2026.
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