In an effort to inform Congress of the their regulated entities goals, activities, and missions, the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) recently released their 2014 Report to Congress, which examines and reports the activities of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, 12 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks), and the FHLBanks’ Office of Finance. The agency also reported the goals set forth for the GSEs and FHLBank’s mission and affordable housing programs they offer.
Read More »Senators Request Information from FHFA Concerning Credit Risk Transfers
A bipartisan group of Senate Banking Committee members wrote a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) requesting that the agency expand and provide better transparency of the development of the credit risk transfer programs. These programs shift credit risk from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the private sector, according to a press release.
Read More »FHFA and Case-Shiller Record Increasing Home Prices in Index Reports
According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) quarterly House Price Index (HPI), U.S. house prices increased 1.3 percent in Q1 2015. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices also indicated in their monthly report that home prices continued rise for March 2015.
Read More »FHFA Issues New Seller, Servicer Eligibility Requirements
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced in a news release that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will issue new operational and financial eligibility requirements for all current and potential single-family mortgage sellers and servicers.
Read More »FHFA Issues Update on Single Security Initiative
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently issued an update to mortgage-backed security (MBS) structure, also known as Single Security. The new changes to the Single Security structure are based on 23 responses to a “Request for Public Input: Proposed Single Security Structure (RFI)” released in August 2014 by the FHFA.
Read More »FHFA: Stress Tests Reveal How Low House Prices Can Go
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released a new working paper titled, “How Low Can House Prices Go? Estimating a Conservative Lower Bound,” identifying a conservative lower bound for home prices in relation to long-term trend.
Read More »Nomura Found Liable For Selling Toxic Mortgage-Backed Securities to GSEs
The nearly two-month long court battle between the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and Nomura Holdings came to an end Monday when a federal judge found the bank liable for selling shoddy mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac prior to the 2008 financial crisis.
Read More »FHFA Expands Push for Diversity on Federal Boards
The FHFA now requires that Federal Home Loan Banks and their Office of Finance include demographic data related to their boards of directors in their annual minority and women inclusion reports to the agency. The banks also must now include descriptions of their outreach activities and strategies designed to promote diversity in nominating or soliciting nominees for positions on boards of directors.
Read More »FHFA: Home Prices Nearing Pinnacle Reached in 2007
U.S. house prices overall rose 0.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from January to February, according to the agency’s monthly House Price Index report. Prices were up 5.4 percent nationwide compared to this time last year. The HPI is calculated by using home sales price information from mortgages sold to, or guaranteed by, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Read More »FHFA to Host HARP Outreach Event in New Jersey March 4
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) will be trying to get the more than 20,000 New Jersey residents still eligible to sign up for the Home Affordable Refinance Program at their fifth outreach event to be held in Newark on March 4.
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