Yesterday, the House Financial Services Committee passed the Mortgage Choice Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and Congressman Greg Meeks (D-NY). This legislation clarifies the definition of “points and fees” currently preventing some low and middle income families from attaining a qualified mortgage (QM). This bipartisan bill passed the committee by a vote of 46-13.
Congressman Bill Huizenga:
Consumers would lose the ability to take advantage of the convenience and market efficiencies offered by one-stop shopping. This is like telling Meijer that they can carry groceries but they can’t carry school supplies. You can’t have this one-stop shopping, and it doesn’t make sense to me.
The qualified mortgage represents the safest, best underwritten mortgage available on the market. It’s the gold standard. We should want more people getting qualified mortgages, not less. … These common sense changes will promote access to affordable mortgage credit for low and moderate income families and first-time homeowners by ensuring that safe and properly underwritten mortgages pass the QM test.
Congress has the opportunity to help more Americans realize a portion of the American Dream. Not by some grandiose law or decree, but by simply reforming a burdensome regulation. Homeownership has been a pillar of American life for generations. Today, we can reaffirm that pillar and reassert that homeownership can and should be an attainable goal.
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