Code of Federal Regulations (alpha)

CFR /  Title 12  /  Part 1281  /  Sec. 1281.1 Definitions.

As used in this part:

Acquired Member Assets (AMA) program means a program that authorizes a Bank to hold assets acquired from or through Bank members or housing associates by means of either a purchase or a funding transaction, subject to the requirements of 12 CFR parts 955 and 980, or successor regulations.

AMA-approved mortgage means a mortgage that meets the requirements of the AMA program at 12 CFR part 955, and is approved to be implemented under 12 CFR part 980, or successor regulations.

Balloon mortgage means a mortgage providing for payments at regular intervals, with a final payment (balloon payment) that is at least 5 percent more than the periodic payments. The periodic payments may cover some or all of the periodic principal or interest. Typically, the periodic payments are level monthly payments that would fully amortize the mortgage over a stated term and the balloon payment is a single payment due after a specific period (but before the mortgage would fully amortize) and pays off or satisfies the outstanding balance of the mortgage.

Bank System means the Federal Home Loan Bank System, consisting of the 12 Banks and the Office of Finance.

Borrower income means the total gross income relied on in making the credit decision.

Conforming mortgage means, with respect to a Bank, a conventional AMA-approved single-family mortgage having an original principal obligation that does not exceed the dollar limitation in effect at the time of such origination and applicable to such mortgage under 12 CFR 955.2(a)(1)(i) and 12 U.S.C. 1717(b)(2), as these sections may be amended.

Conventional mortgage means a mortgage other than a mortgage as to which a Bank has the benefit of any guaranty, insurance or other obligation by the United States or any of its agencies or instrumentalities.

Data Reporting Manual (DRM) means the manual prepared by FHFA in connection with the Banks' reporting requirements, as may be supplemented from time to time, including reporting requirements under this part.

Day means a calendar day.

Designated disaster area means any census tract that is located in a county designated by the federal government as adversely affected by a declared major disaster administered by FEMA, where individual assistance payments were authorized by FEMA. A census tract shall be treated as a ``designated disaster area'' for purposes of this part beginning on the January 1 after the FEMA designation of the county, or such earlier date as determined by FHFA, and continuing through December 31 of the third full calendar year following the FEMA designation. This time period may be adjusted for a particular disaster area by notice from FHFA to the Banks.

Dwelling unit means a room or unified combination of rooms intended for use, in whole or in part, as a dwelling by one or more persons, and includes a dwelling unit in a single-family property, multifamily property, or other residential or mixed-use property.

Families in low-income areas means:

(1) Any family that resides in a census tract or block numbering area in which the median income does not exceed 80 percent of the area median income;

(2) Any family with an income that does not exceed area median income that resides in a minority census tract; and

(3) Any family with an income that does not exceed area median income that resides in a designated disaster area.

Family means one or more individuals who occupy the same dwelling unit.

FEMA means the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

HMDA means the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 (12 U.S.C. 2801, et seq.), as amended.

HOEPA mortgage means a mortgage covered by section 103(aa) of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1602(aa)), as amended by the Home Ownership Equity Protection Act (HOEPA), as implemented by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

HUD means the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Low-income means income not in excess of 80 percent of area median income.

Median income means, with respect to an area, the unadjusted median family income for the area as most recently determined by HUD. FHFA will provide the Banks annually with information specifying how the median family income estimates for metropolitan areas are to be applied for the purposes of determining median family income.

Member means an institution that has been approved for membership in a Bank and has purchased capital stock in the Bank in accordance with 12 CFR 1263.20 or 1263.24(b), or successor regulation(s).

Metropolitan area means a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), or a portion of such an area, including Metropolitan Divisions, for which median family income estimates are determined by HUD.

Minority means any individual who is included within any one or more of the following racial and ethnic categories:

(1) American Indian or Alaskan Native--a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment;

(2) Asian--a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam;

(3) Black or African American--a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa;

(4) Hispanic or Latino--a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; and

(5) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander--a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Minority census tract means a census tract that has a minority population of at least 30 percent and a median income of less than 100 percent of the area median income.

Moderate-income means income not in excess of area median income.

Mortgage means a member of such classes of liens, including subordinate liens, as are commonly given or are legally effective to secure advances on, or the unpaid purchase price of, real estate under the laws of the State in which the real estate is located, together with the credit instruments, if any, secured thereby, and includes interests in mortgages. ``Mortgage'' includes a mortgage, lien, including a subordinate lien, or other security interest on the stock or membership certificate issued to a tenant-stockholder or resident-member by a cooperative housing corporation, as defined in section 216 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and on the proprietary lease, occupancy agreement, or right of tenancy in the dwelling unit of the tenant-stockholder or resident-member in such cooperative housing corporation.

Mortgage data means data obtained by the Director from the Bank or Banks under this part and/or the Data Reporting Manual.

Mortgage purchase means a transaction in which a Bank bought or otherwise acquired a mortgage.

Mortgage with unacceptable terms or conditions means a single-family mortgage, including a reverse mortgage, or a group or category of such mortgages, with one or more of the following terms or conditions:

(1) Excessive fees, where the total points and fees charged to a borrower exceed the greater of 5 percent of the loan amount or a maximum dollar amount of $1,000, or an alternative amount requested by a Bank and determined by the Director as appropriate for small mortgages;

(i) For purposes of this definition, points and fees include:

(A) Origination fees;

(B) Underwriting fees;

(C) Broker fees;

(D) Finder's fees; and

(E) Charges that the member imposes as a condition of making the loan, whether they are paid to the member or a third party;

(ii) For purposes of this definition, points and fees do not include:

(A) Bona fide discount points;

(B) Fees paid for actual services rendered in connection with the origination of the mortgage, such as attorneys' fees, notary's fees, and fees paid for property appraisals, credit reports, surveys, title examinations and extracts, flood and tax certifications, and home inspections;

(C) The cost of mortgage insurance or credit-risk price adjustments;

(D) The costs of title, hazard, and flood insurance policies;

(E) State and local transfer taxes or fees;

(F) Escrow deposits for the future payment of taxes and insurance premiums; and

(G) Other miscellaneous fees and charges that, in total, do not exceed 0.25 percent of the loan amount;

(2) An annual percentage rate that exceeds by more than 8 percentage points the yield on Treasury securities with comparable maturities as of the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the application for the extension of credit was received;

(3) Prepayment penalties, except where:

(i) The mortgage provides some benefit to the borrower in exchange for the prepayment penalty (e.g., a rate or fee reduction for accepting the prepayment premium);

(ii) The borrower is offered the choice of another mortgage that does not contain payment of such a premium;

(iii) The terms of the mortgage provision containing the prepayment penalty are adequately disclosed to the borrower; and

(iv) The prepayment penalty is not charged when the mortgage debt is accelerated as the result of the borrower's default in making his or her mortgage payments;

(4) The sale or financing of prepaid single-premium credit life insurance products in connection with the origination of the mortgage;

(5) Underwriting practices contrary to the Interagency Guidance on Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks (71 FR 58609) (Oct. 4, 2006), the Interagency Statement on Subprime Mortgage Lending (72 FR 37569) (July 10, 2007), or similar guidance subsequently issued by federal banking agencies;

(6) Failure to comply with fair lending requirements; or

(7) Other terms or conditions that are determined by the Director to be an unacceptable term or condition of a mortgage.

Non-metropolitan area means a county, or a portion of a county, including those counties that comprise Micropolitan Statistical Areas, located outside any metropolitan area for which median family income estimates are published annually by HUD.

Owner-occupied housing means single-family housing in which a mortgagor resides, including two- to four-unit owner-occupied properties where one or more units are used for rental purposes.

Purchase money mortgage means a mortgage given to secure a loan used for the purchase of a single-family residential property.

Refinancing mortgage means a mortgage undertaken by a borrower that satisfies or replaces an existing mortgage of such borrower. The term does not include:

(1) A renewal of a single payment obligation with no change in the original terms;

(2) A reduction in the annual percentage rate of the mortgage as computed under the Truth in Lending Act, with a corresponding change in the payment schedule;

(3) An agreement involving a court proceeding;

(4) A workout agreement, in which a change in the payment schedule or collateral requirements is agreed to as a result of the mortgagor's default or delinquency, unless the rate is increased or the new amount financed exceeds the unpaid balance plus earned finance charges and premiums for the continuation of insurance;

(5) The renewal of optional insurance purchased by the mortgagor and added to an existing mortgage; or

(6) A conversion of a balloon mortgage note on a single-family property to a fully amortizing mortgage note where the Bank already owns or has an interest in the balloon note at the time of the conversion.

Residence means a property where one or more families reside.

Residential mortgage means a mortgage on single-family housing.

Seasoned mortgage means a mortgage on which the date of the mortgage note is more than one year before the Bank purchased the mortgage.

Second mortgage means any mortgage that has a lien position subordinate only to the lien of the first mortgage.

Secondary residence means a dwelling where the mortgagor maintains (or will maintain) a part-time place of abode and typically spends (or will spend) less than the majority of the calendar year. A person may have more than one secondary residence at a time.

Single-family housing means a residence consisting of one to four dwelling units. Single-family housing includes condominium dwelling units and dwelling units in cooperative housing projects.

Very low-income means income not in excess of 50 percent of area median income. [75 FR 81105, Dec. 27, 2010, as amended at 78 FR 2328, Jan. 11, 2013]