On March 5th, 2021 the US Government Accountability Office released a report titled,
“Home Foreclosures Sales: FHA, Rural Housing Service, and VA Could Better Align Program Metrics with Their Missions”
Why GAO Did This Study
Poor maintenance of foreclosed properties can negatively affect communities and threaten neighborhood stability. FHA, VA, RHS, and Freddie Mac are among the federal entities owning foreclosed properties through REO programs.
GAO was asked to review how these federal entities monitor REO property conditions. The objectives this report examines include trends in the number of REO properties; oversight of maintenance contractors; and whether metrics used to assess REO program performance align with entities’ missions.
GAO reviewed and analyzed reports and data on the number of REO properties and documentation on FHA, Freddie Mac, VA, and RHS oversight of REO property maintenance from 2017 to 2020. GAO also analyzed data on REO reimbursements to contractors for maintenance activities.
To view the homepage for this report, please click here.
To view the Highlights, please click here.
To view the full report including recommendations, please click here.