A U.S. District judge denied the U.S. Department of Treasury's motion to strike Pershing Square Capital Management's voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit it filed in August over misappropriation of government funds.
Read More »FHFA House Price Index Up 0.8% in November
Based on home sales price information from mortgages sold to and guaranteed by the GSEs, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reported that its House Price Index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent month-over-month in November.
Read More »Fannie: Economy to Drag ‘Unspectacular’ Housing Activity Up
Fannie's 2015 economic forecast, released Thursday, is less a picture of a purely positive housing market than an expectation of an economy so strong across several key growth sectors that it will propel the national housing market to greater heights than in 2014.
Read More »Accurate Group Announces Support for Fannie Mae’s CU
In Ohio, Accurate Group announced its support for the imminent release of Fannie Mae's Collateral Underwriter (CU) in the form of enhanced appraisal processes, updates to the company's Valuation Compliance Report (VCR), and training and certification of its appraisal review team.
Read More »HARP Activity Drops Further as Refinances Sink
Monthly data released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) shows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac together reported 134,582 refinances in November 2014, down from nearly 139,000 in October. As overall refinancing fell, so too did the number of mortgages refinanced under the Obama administration's Home Affordable Refinance Program.
Read More »FHFA Details GSE Goals in 2015 Scorecard
As FHFA Director Mel Watt revealed in his first public speech as the agency's chief, the companies' new direction revolves around three main objectives: maintain, reduce, and build. "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made significant progress toward achieving the goals in FHFA's Strategic Plan for the Conservatorships last year and we look forward to building on that progress in 2015," Watt said Wednesday.
Read More »Report: Five Major Developments to Bolster Housing in 2015
With 2015 less than two weeks underway, Fitch Ratings is the latest forecaster predicting great things for housing in the coming year. However, unlike other commentators, whose projections were based on encouraging market trends, the ratings agency says it's a combination of recent government actions that reinforces its view.
Read More »Fannie Mae Economist Weighs Impact of Jobs Data on Housing
December's job gain was close to 2014's average monthly increase, and 2014 was the best year of job growth in the United States since 1999. According to Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan, the underlying data may not be so encouraging for the housing market, however.
Read More »High-LTV Programs Lift Mortgage Availability in December
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Thursday that its Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) edged up to a reading of 115.7 in December. The clear driver behind the increase was an announcement earlier in the month that both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are launching new 97 percent loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage programs for qualifying homebuyers, said Mike Fratantoni, MBA's chief economist.
Read More »Americans’ Economic Confidence Grows, but Housing Doubts Persist
Out of a group of 1,000 Americans polled in Fannie Mae's December National Housing Survey, 41 percent said they now believe the economy is "on the right track," up from 36 percent in November, the company reported. In contrast to December's slightly more positive economic attitudes, consumer sentiment toward the housing market remained subdued for another month.
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