SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 5, 2012 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — International Document Services (IDS), a mortgage document preparation vendor, has revised its flagship mortgage document preparation system, idsDoc, to reflect the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) mortgage insurance (MI) premium increase. The increase, one quarter of one point, will be applied to all 15-year and 30-year mortgages backed by the agency.
The increase is in response to a congressional mandate permitting the FHA to increase premiums and keep its insurance fund liquid. The higher premiums were also outlined in President Obama’s 2012 fiscal budget, which estimates that FHA will insure $218 billion in loans during the 2012 fiscal year.
In order to accommodate for these regulation changes, on May 1 IDS added a new field called “FHA Endorsement Date”, which allows lenders to select the appropriate MI rate based on the date of application. The FHA MI rate increase was initially implemented on April 9 and is scheduled to increase again on June 11.
“Our main concern with any regulatory change is to ensure that our customers are able to demonstrate without a doubt their adherence to both the letter and spirit of that change,” said IDS Executive Vice President Mark Mackey. “Whether, as in this case, it’s a small system change or a large-scale development overhaul, we’re willing to do whatever it takes to keep our customers compliant.”
According to IDS customer Andrew Weiss-Malik, chief operating officer of 360 Mortgage Group, his company, while not an advocate of increasing charges to borrowers, recognizes that the FHA must do what is necessary stay profitable.
“Interest rates are at record lows and an increase in the actual rate, taking into account the mortgage insurance, still results in a phenomenal rate,” Weiss-Malik said. “These changes will affect the industry by making private mortgage insurance more competitive. I would expect to see more FHA eligible business move over to conventional programs.”
About IDS Inc.:
IDS is a nationwide provider of mortgage documentation and compliance services. IDS’s services include software for the preparation of closing documents, initial disclosures and fulfillment. IDS’s solution, idsDoc, is recognized in the industry for its ability to be customized to meet specific lender needs. IDS backs the system with unsurpassed customer service, cutting-edge technology, compliance and document guarantees and a solid compliance team. Lenders looking for additional information concerning IDS’s products and services can visit the IDS website at http://www.idsdoc.com or call 800.554.1872.
News Source: International Document Services, Inc. :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source by Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®. View all current news at the Send2Press for Journalists Portal: http://Send2PressNewswire.com .