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Delaware General AssemblyDelaware RegulationsAdministrative CodeTitle 52200

Last Updated: December 12 2018 22:41:12.
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1 For example, ARMs known as “2/28” loans feature a fixed rate for two years and then adjust to a variable rate for the remaining 28 years. The spread between the initial fixed interest rate and the fully indexed interest rate in effect at loan origination typically ranges from 300 to 600 basis points.

2 “Subprime” and “subprime loans” are defined by the 2001 Interagency Expanded Guidance for Subprime Lending Programs. To promote consistency and uniformity, the Commissioner supports these definitions for the purposes of this Statement.

3 Payment shock refers to a significant increase in the amount of the monthly payment that generally occurs as the interest rate adjusts to a fully indexed basis. Products with a wide spread between the initial interest rate and the fully indexed rate that do not have payment caps or periodic interest rate caps, or that contain very high caps, can produce significant payment shock.

4 As noted by Agencies in the final statement, the Subprime Statement focuses on subprime borrowers; however, the statement applies to ARM products that have one or more characteristics that can cause payment shock. Providers should look to the principles of this statement when such ARM products are offered to non-subprime borrowers.

5 For example, ARMs known as “2/28” loans feature a fixed rate for two years and then adjust to a variable rate for the remaining 28 years. The spread between the initial fixed interest rate and the fully indexed interest rate in effect at loan origination typically ranges from 300 to 600 basis points.

6 The most prominent are the 1993 Interagency Guidelines for Real Estate Lending (Real Estate Guidelines), the 1999 Interagency Guidance on Subprime Lending, and the 2001 Expanded Guidance for Subprime Lending Programs (Expanded Subprime Guidance).

7 As with the Interagency Guidance on Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks, 71 FR 58609 (October 4, 2006), the interagency Subprime Statement applies to all banks and their subsidiaries, bank holding companies and their nonbank subsidiaries, savings associations and their subsidiaries, savings and loan holding companies and their subsidiaries, and credit unions. This Statement is applicable to all state-supervised mortgage providers.

8 The fully indexed rate equals the index rate prevailing at origination plus the margin to be added to it after the expiration of an introductory interest rate. For example, assume that a loan with an initial fixed rate of 7% will reset to the six-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus a margin of 6%. If the six-month LIBOR rate equals 5.5%, providers should qualify the borrower at 11.5% (5.5% + 6%), regardless of any interest rate caps that limit how quickly the fully indexed rate may be reached.

9 The fully amortizing payment schedule should be based on the term of the loan. For example, the amortizing payment for a “2/28” loan would be calculated based on a 30-year amortization schedule. For balloon mortgages that contain a borrower option for an extended amortization period, the fully amortizing payment schedule can be based on the full term the borrower may choose.

10 A prudent practice used by the industry is to include a borrower’s total monthly debt obligations as a percentage of gross monthly income in the DTI analysis.

11 For those providers that portfolio loans, they may need to account for workout arrangements as troubled debt restructurings and should follow generally accepted accounting principles in accounting for these transactions.

12 Providers generally can address these concerns most directly by requiring borrowers to escrow funds for real estate taxes and insurance.

13 To illustrate: a borrower earning $42,000 per year obtains a $200,000 “2/28” mortgage loan. The loan’s two-year introductory fixed interest rate of 7% requires a principal and interest payment of $1,331. Escrowing $200 per month for taxes and insurance results in a total monthly payment of $1,531 ($1,331 + $200), representing a 44% DTI ratio. A fully indexed interest rate of 11.5% (based on a six-month LIBOR index rate of 5.5% plus a 6% margin) would cause the borrower’s principal and interest payment to increase to $1,956. The adjusted total monthly payment of $2,156 ($1,956 + $200 for taxes and insurance) represents a 41% increase in the payment amount and results in a 62% DTI ratio.