Just because they said it, it's accurate, true and to be followed? What if someone said something inaccurate? Does that over-ride the regulation?
You are responsible for compliance. I don't think waiving an email - with no name on it - is going to hold any weight with your field examiners.
No, I don't think it's automatically true just because someone said it. But I also don't think it's true just because an email came from David Friend or Andrew Fay. Granted it holds more weight, but like RR Joker said - unless it's written in some kind of official document I don't think we can consider anything accurate. Even if it did have a name on it, would I then be expected to find out what exactly this person does at HUD and whether they are in a position to answer such questions? Where does it end? If they are answering the email then obviously HUD has given them the authority to do so.
And I do think it gives me a leg to stand on with examiners. I think we all can agree that the regulation doesn't REQUIRE a GFE to be re-disclosed if the loan amount changes. The fact that I have an email from HUD that confirms that just gives me a little extra ammunition. Can the examiners disagree with me? Certainly, but at least I've done my due diligence and followed HUDs own procedures for getting questions answered.