GSEs

The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index fell 1.7 points to 81.5 in January, reflecting the effects of decreasing housing affordability.

Housing policy focused on government guarantees and the 30-year mortgage hasn't done much to help low- and middle-income homeowners build wealth.

Arbor Commercial Mortgage has created an online loan-origination service for multifamily lenders.

Opus Capital Markets Consultants, a unit of Wipro, has created a division for identifying operational and loan-level risks within a residential mortgage servicing operation.

Freddie Mac has taken out another reinsurance policy that transfers risk of default on mortgages it insures.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac unveiled an appeals process Tuesday that will allow an independent arbitrator to resolve disputes between lenders and the government-sponsored enterprises over loan repurchase demands.

Lenders argue that the GSEs would be better off buying more loans that are already insured, rather than transferring credit risk after holding them for a time. But Freddie Mac's Kevin Palmer says certainty of reimbursement is more important than the timing of risk transfers.

Loan originations for commercial and multifamily properties climbed in the fourth quarter compared to last year, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's Duty-to-Serve rule must include a substantive commitment from the government-sponsored enterprises to purchase chattel loans.

United Guaranty's spinoff from American International Group will result in changes to its capital structure that could shake up the competitive landscape in the private mortgage insurance market.

The U.S. housing market continued to improve in November, as some local economies continued to bounce back from the recession, according to Freddie Mac.

Interest rates on fixed-rate mortgages dropped again this week as the Fed decided to hang tight on interest rates, according to Freddie Mac.

Freddie Mac has priced a $757 million offering of structured pass-through certificates under its "K Certificates" program that securitizes recently originated multifamily mortgage loans.

In the absence of congressional action on housing finance reform, here is what the Federal Housing Finance Agency should do sooner rather than later.

The mortgage industry can better manage disparate regulatory requirements with a comprehensive approach that streamlines compliance.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose at a faster pace in the year ended November, underscoring the shortage of supply amid steady demand.

American International Group Inc., the insurer being pressured by activist investor Carl Icahn to shrink the company, plans to pursue a partial spinoff of its mortgage guaranty unit.

First-time homebuyers are finally jumping into the U.S. property market.

The average interest rate on the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates fell this week to a three-month low, as investors exited stocks and commodities for the safety of government bonds.

Redwood Trust in Mill Valley, Calif., plans to stop buying mortgage loans to resell to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as it looks to cut costs.