Fannie Mae

Increased consumer debt and the threat of an economic downturn increase the default risk for government-sponsored enterprise mortgages during the first quarter, according to Milliman.

A gradual approach would help the market absorb loans affected by the government-sponsored enterprises' expiring qualified mortgage exemption, a Redwood Trust executive told analysts during a recent earnings call.

Before signing a home purchase contract, the vast majority of potential homebuyers already selected their mortgage lender in order to compete with investors, a Fannie Mae survey found.

Many in the industry say releasing GSE-backed loans from stringent underwriting rules has helped the housing market recover, but a new level of regulatory burden could reverse those gains.

Fannie Mae's current tack could help it weather some of the new challenges confronting the government-sponsored enterprises, including the planned expiration of its qualified mortgage rule exemption and rate-driven earnings volatility.

The Federal Housing Administration is aiming to limit the share of borrowers who have been withdrawing money from the value of their homes.

Some believe the administration will delay action on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to avoid any political fallout. Others say the window for reform is closing.

Lenders looking to keep up with the competition should adopt a digital mortgage process because a key borrower segment and the government-sponsored enterprises increasingly expect them to offer one.

The agency’s director said it will let a temporary GSE exemption from the “qualified mortgage” regulation expire.

Mortgage lenders continue prioritizing technology efforts over all else in hopes of tackling a slew of market hurdles and threats, according to Fannie Mae.