Report 2009-108 Recommendation 4 Responses

Report 2009-108: California Department of Veterans Affairs: Although It Has Begun to Increase Its Outreach Efforts and to Coordinate With Other Entities, It Needs to Improve Its Strategic Planning Process, and Its CalVet Home Loan Program Is Not Designed to Address the Housing Needs of Some Veterans (Release Date: October 2009)

Recommendation #4 To: Veterans Affairs, Department of

In order to attract more veterans to the CalVet program, the department should continue working with the Federal Housing Administration and the Ginnie Mae to lower its interest rates on loans.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2013

Dept Response: CalVet has successfully completed the restructuring of our outstanding Farm and Home bonds that have enabled us to adjust our interest rates. As such, CalVet's rate is extremely competitive with the commercial market and loan production is up 100% as compared to the same time last year. Further, as we stated before the recommendation is not feasible to implement because FHA will not accept the use of our land sales contract in conjunction with FHA insured mortgage financings and in fact has twice denied our request to for approval.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

CalVet indicated that its continued efforts to work with the FHA were not successful. However, through other means its has successfully lowered its interest rates on loans since Ocober 2009, when the state auditor's report was released.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2012

The recommendation is not feasible. The department has requested approval from FHA to use our contract of sale (contract used for our loan transactions) with FHA mortgage insurance. FHA has twice denied the use of our land sales contract in conjunction with FHA insured mortgage financing. (attached copy of FHA's second denial)

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement

All Recommendations in 2009-108

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.