Tag Archives: Fannie Mae

Keeping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as-is? That’s no longer an option according to remarks heard by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs today. But what’s necessary to push through reform? And what would the agencies look like on the other side? Today’s hearing offered much-needed insight.

Two Senators could be drafting legislation to split up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to Bloomberg. The move would be made in an effort to increase competitiveness in the secondary mortgage market. What's their plan, and how might it affect the secondary mortgage market?

Lenders are continuing to loosen up their credit standards—and they have been for some time, according to a new survey from Fannie Mae. But what’s causing this easing and how long will it go on? The GSE may have the answer.

The Government has been trying to figure out where the profits from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will go for over four years now, but according to a prominent hedge fund manager, it could go on another five more. When investors bought into the GSEs during the 2008 housing crash, they were under the impression that the allocation of profit would be amongst the shareholders. When the company changed their terms in 2012, a legal battle ensued that could last a total of 10 years.

When it comes to homeownership, things can get confusing. It was recently reported that almost half of homebuyers were unable to answer questions about key mortgage qualification criteria and consumers are in agreement that homeownership education is helpful and should occur earlier in the process. So what needs to be done in order to educate while not delaying closing?

The U.S. Treasury Department could finally be getting a new Deputy Secretary in the near future according to three sources inside the department. Brian Brooks, General Counsel, EVP, and Corporate Secretary for Fannie Mae, is said to be filling the position. Goldman Sachs Executive Jim Donovan was previous in line for the vacancy, but recently withdrew.

A Purchase Sentiment Index was released Wednesday by Fannie Mae based on answers to six NHS questions that solicit consumers’ evaluations of housing market conditions and address topics that are related to their home purchase decisions. The index ultimately reports on whether consumers think it is a good or bad time to buy or sell a house, what direction they expect home prices and mortgage interest rates to move, how concerned they are about losing their jobs and whether their incomes are higher than they were a year earlier. Findings show patterns only seen twice in the surveys history.

In February, the D.C. Circuit panel gave the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) a win over the allocation of profits from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to the Treasury. This affirmed a lower court’s ruling that actions taken under the FHFA’s conservatorship of the GSEs cannot be challenged in court, however Fannie and Freddie shareholders sued the two for agreeing to the deal. Now, the FHFA and Treasury are urging the D.C. Circuit not to modify its ruling.

Discouraging results in the May 2017 Employment Situation are leading experts to believe there could be a rate hike in 2017. Unemployment rates were fairly stagnant and though total nonfarm payroll increased, results were well under predictions. Wage growth showed no improvement. 

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is looking to the public for input regarding Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in the mortgage lifecycle. LEF borrowers currently face challenges applying for mortgages because they risk not understanding or relying too much on a source that could mislead them. FHFA looks to better understand the experience LEP borrowers have in order to improve support from the mortgage industry.