(a) Relief of housing shortage; advances

In order to assist in relieving the acute shortage of housing which now exists and to promote the production of housing for veterans of World War II at moderate prices or rentals within their reasonable ability to pay, through the application of modern industrial processes, the Secretary is authorized to insure loans to finance the manufacture of housing (including advances on such loans) when such loans are eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided.

(b) Eligibility requirements

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Loans for the manufacture of houses shall be eligible for insurance under this section if at the time of such insurance, the Secretary determines they meet the following conditions:

(1) The manufacturer shall establish that binding purchase contracts have been executed satisfactory to the Secretary providing for the purchase and delivery of the houses to be manufactured, which contracts shall provide for the payment of the purchase price at such time as may be agreed to by the parties thereto, but, in no event, shall the purchase price be payable on a date in excess of thirty days after the date of delivery of such houses, unless not less than 20 per centum of such purchase price is paid on or before the date of delivery and the lender has accepted and discounted or has agreed to accept and discount, pursuant to subsection (i) of this section a promissory note or notes, executed by the purchaser, representing the unpaid portion of such purchase price, in which event such unpaid portion of the purchase price may be payable on a date not in excess of one hundred and eighty days from the date of delivery of such houses;

(2) Such houses to be manufactured shall meet such requirements of sound quality, durability, livability, and safety as may be prescribed by the Secretary;

(3) The borrower shall establish to the satisfaction of the Secretary that he has or will have adequate plant facilities, sufficient capital funds, taking into account the loan applied for, and the experience necessary, to achieve the required production schedule;

(4) The loan shall involve a principal obligation in an amount not to exceed 90 per centum of the amount which the Secretary estimates will be the necessary current cost, exclusive of profit, of manufacturing the houses, which are the subject of such purchase contracts assigned to secure the loan, less any sums paid by the purchaser under said purchase contracts prior to the assignment thereof. The loan shall be secured by an assignment of the aforesaid purchase contracts and of all sums payable thereunder on or after the date of such assignment, with the right in the assignee to proceed against such security in case of default as provided in the assignment, which assignment shall be in such form and contain such terms and conditions, as may be prescribed by the Secretary; and the Secretary may require such other agreements and undertakings to further secure the loan as he may determine, including the right, in case of default or at any time necessary to protect the lender, to compel delivery to the lender of any houses then owned and in the possession of the borrower. The loan shall have a maturity not in excess of one year from the date of the note, except that any such loan may be refinanced and extended in accordance with such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe for an additional term not to exceed one year, and shall bear interest (exclusive of premium charges for insurance) at not to exceed 4 per centum per annum on the amount of the principal obligation outstanding at any time.

(c) Release of security

The Secretary may consent to the release of a part or parts of the property assigned or delivered as security for the loan, upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe and the security documents may provide for such release.

(d) Payments; default; insurance benefits for mortgagee; prerequisites; value of mortgage

The failure of the borrower to make any payment due under or provided to be paid by the terms of a loan under this section, or the failure to perform any other covenant or obligation contained in any assignment, agreement, or undertaking executed by the borrower in connection with such loan, shall be considered as a default under this section, and if such default continues for a period of thirty days, the lender shall be entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance hereinafter provided upon assignment, transfer, and delivery to the Secretary within a period and in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of (1) all rights and interest arising with respect to the loan so in default; (2) all claims of the lender against the borrower or others arising out of the loan transaction; (3) any cash or property held by the lender, or to which it is entitled, as deposits made for the account of the borrower and which have not been applied in reduction of the principal of the loan; and (4) all records, documents, books, papers, and accounts relating to the loan transaction. Upon such assignment, transfer, and delivery, the Secretary shall, subject to the cash adjustment provided for in section 1739(c) of this title, issue to the lender debentures having a face value equal to the unpaid principal balance of the loan.

(e) Debentures; date of issuance; interest

Debentures issued under this section shall be issued in accordance with the provisions of section 1739(d) of this title except that such debentures shall be dated as of the date of default as determined in subsection (d) of this section and shall bear interest from such date.

(f) Applicability of other provisions

The provisions of sections 1713(k) and 1738(a) of this title shall be applicable to loans insured under this section, except that as applied to such loans (1) the reference in section 1713(k) of this title to “subsection (g)” shall be construed to refer to “subsection (d)” of this section; (2) the references in section 1713(k) of this title to insured mortgages shall be construed to refer to the assignment or other security for loans insured under this section; and (3) the references in section 1738(a) of this title to a mortgage or mortgages shall be construed to include a loan or loans under this section. The provisions of section 1738(d) of this title shall also be applicable to loans insured under this section and the reference in section 1738(d) of this title to a mortgage shall be construed to include a loan or loans with respect to which a contract of insurance is issued pursuant to this section.

(g) Disposal of evidence of debt, contract, claim, personal property, or security; collection or compromise of obligations and rights

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall have the power to assign or sell at public or private sale, or otherwise dispose of, any evidence of debt, contract, claim, personal property, or security assigned to or held by him in connection with the payment of insurance heretofore or hereafter granted under this section, and to collect or compromise all obligations assigned to or held by him and all legal or equitable rights accruing to him in connection with the payment of such insurance until such time as such obligations may be referred to the Attorney General for suit or collection.

(h) Premium charges; amount; manner of payment; application fees

The Secretary shall fix a premium charge for the insurance granted under this section, but such premium charge shall not exceed an amount equivalent to 1 per centum of the original principal of such loan, and such premium charge shall be payable in advance by the financial institution and shall be paid at such time and in such manner as may be prescribed by the Secretary. In addition to the premium charge herein provided for, the Secretary is authorized to charge and collect such amounts as he may deem reasonable for examining and processing applications for the insurance of loans under this section, including such additional inspections as the Secretary may deem necessary.

(i) Insurance for accepting and discounting promissory notes; contract provisions; default in payments; remedies; debentures; interest; premium charges

(1) In addition to the insurance of the principal loan to finance the manufacture of housing, as provided in this section, and in order to provide short-term financing in the sale of houses to be delivered pursuant to the purchase contract or contracts assigned as security for such principal loan, the Secretary is authorized, under such terms and conditions and subject to such limitations as he may prescribe, to insure the lender against any losses it may sustain resulting from the acceptance and discount of a promissory note or notes executed by a purchaser of any such houses representing an unpaid portion of the purchase price of any such houses. No such promissory note or notes accepted and discounted by the lender pursuant to this subsection shall involve a principal obligation in excess of 80 per centum of the purchase price of the manufactured house or houses; have a maturity in excess of one hundred and eighty days from the date of the note or bear interest in excess of 4 per centum per annum; nor may the principal amount of such promissory notes, with respect to any individual principal loan, outstanding and unpaid at any one time, exceed in the aggregate an amount prescribed by the Secretary.

(2) The Secretary is authorized to include in any contract of insurance executed by him with respect to the insurance of a loan to finance the manufacture of houses, provisions to effectuate the insurance against any such losses under this subsection.

(3) The failure of the purchaser to make any payment due under or provided to be paid by the terms of any note or notes executed by the purchaser and accepted and discounted by the lender under the provisions of this subsection, shall be considered as a default under this subsection, and if such default continues for a period of thirty days, the lender shall be entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance, as provided in subsection (d) of this section except that debentures issued pursuant to this subsection shall have a face value equal to the unpaid principal balance of the loan plus interest at the rate of 4 per centum per annum from the date of default to the date the application is filed for the insurance benefits.

(4) Debentures issued with respect to the insurance granted under this subsection shall be issued in accordance with the provisions of section 1739(d) of this title except that such debentures shall be dated as of the date application is filed for the insurance benefits and shall bear interest from such date.

(5) The Secretary is authorized to fix a premium charge for the insurance granted under this subsection, in addition to the premium charge authorized under subsection (h) of this section. Such premium charge shall not exceed an amount equivalent to 1 per centum of the original principal of such promissory note or notes and shall be paid at such time and in such manner as may be prescribed by the Secretary.