FHFA redefining itself ahead of GSE overhaul
With policymakers focused on ending Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s conservatorship, their regulator is reorganizing key units and adding staff to position itself for the long term.
GSEs
FHFA picks Houlihan Lokey to advise agency on GSE plans
The regulator said the investment bank and financial services company will help in the process of strengthening Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s capital standing for their eventual exit from conservatorship.
Radian Guaranty to issue $646.3M in insurance-linked notes
Eagle Re 2020-1 is backed by the performance of a reference pool of 156,065 loans with an outstanding balance of $40 billion.
By
Glen Fest
New FICO score may reduce mortgage defaults, but will the GSEs use it?
FICO plans to release a new suite of scores that could reduce defaults on newly originated mortgages by 17%, but home lenders may not use it unless the government-sponsored enterprises do.
Where GSE reform could be headed and what it might mean for lenders
As officials prepare plans for the government-sponsored enterprises' exit from conservatorship, there's no shortage of speculation about what those plans might look like and how they might affect the mortgage industry.
FHFA revives the idea of tighter underwriting to address PACE risks
The Federal Housing Finance Agency is considering bringing back the idea of imposing stricter criteria for purchasing mortgages in areas where residential Property Assessed Clean Energy financing is available.
5 questions for former FHFA director Ed DeMarco
Getting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of conservatorship has been an elusive goal. It will remain elusive, says DeMarco, in the absence of broader reform of housing finance, something that will require bipartisan support.
Consumers positive on home purchase prospects in 2020: Fannie Mae
Consumer perception of the housing market ticked up slightly in December, as potential buyers remain bullish about making a home purchase in 2020, a Fannie Mae report said.
Opinion GSE investors better beware underlying risks
The FHFA’s attempt to move some of its balance sheet into the private sector could leave investors with greater liabilities than they were initially told.
Tobias Peter
American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center
Low mortgage rates persist as 2019 nears end
Mortgage rates ended the week little changed from the previous seven-day period and near historic lows for the year, according to Freddie Mac.
Fannie Mae elevates three-year mortgage origination estimate by $388B
With housing projected to grow hand-in-hand with the economy, Fannie Mae boosted its single-family mortgage origination outlook for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Big banks reach $250M settlement in suit alleging GSE bond-price fixing
A dozen of the nation's largest underwriters were accused of colluding with traders to artificially set prices on the secondary market for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities.
By
Glen Fest
Senate Democrats demand more GSE reform details from FHFA
The lawmakers say they need more information about the administration’s plans in order to conduct proper oversight.
Freddie Mac offers deal that helps pave the way for life without LIBOR
Freddie Mac launched a groundbreaking multifamily structured pass-through deal that includes a class of floating rate bonds indexed to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate for the first time ever.
Opinion: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac make the 30-year mortgage possible
If Fannie and Freddie are going to supply a government guarantee on mortgages, they might as well be part of the government.
GSE limit for single-family loans to surpass $500K in 2020
Loan limits for most mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy will exceed $500,000 for the first time ever next year, and the maximum for most high-cost areas will be $765,000.
5 nuances worth noting in mortgage and housing forecasts
From product-specific variations in refinancing rates to pockets of depreciation in an otherwise healthy market, here are some details in housing-related data that highlight important underlying trends in the mortgage business.
5 questions for former GSE regulator Armando Falcon
The former head of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight explains why he thinks the mortgage industry is closer than ever to having a truly paperless process, and weighs in on GSE reform.
FHFA will repropose capital rule for Fannie, Freddie
The Federal Housing Finance Agency is scrapping a capital proposal it released last year and will seek comments on a new plan in 2020.
Fannie Mae raises origination estimates as economic outlook improves
With economic expansion expected to keep churning through at least the first half of next year, Fannie Mae upwardly revised its single-family mortgage origination outlook for 2019 and 2020.
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