Regulators order mortgage firms to repay homeowners for wrong foreclosures

and that it planned to levy fines in the future. All three government agencies said they would review the foreclosure audits.

In the four years since the housing bust, about 5 million homes have been foreclosed upon. About 2.4 million primary mortgages were in foreclosure at the end of last year. Another 2 million were 90 days or more past due, putting them at serious risk of foreclosure.

MORE: Critics say new rules aren't tough enoughSTORY: States help homeowners avoid foreclosureCritics, including Democratic lawmakers in Congress, say the order is too lenient on the lenders. House Democrats introduced legislation Wednesday that would require lenders to perform a series of steps, including an appeals process, before starting foreclosures.

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