GSEs

Fannie Mae's latest offering of Connecticut Avenue Securities, its last of the year, is the first to offer exposure to actual losses on residential mortgages that it insures.

Private mortgage insurers are seeking a larger share of the credit risk on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-guaranteed loans.

Housing finance reform in Congress is stalled, but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (often under pressure from their regulator) are forming partnerships, developing new products and finding ways to share risk with the private sector to correct flaws in the housing system.

Over a third of appraisals during the third quarter featured property quality or condition ratings that did not match previous ratings, according to an Oct. 19 report from Platinum Data Solutions.

Ginnie Mae's limited resources are going to be focused on working with its existing issuers, especially those that are not creating new securities, according to its president.

Next year Fannie will require that mortgage lenders use so-called trended credit data for all mortgage borrowers, a move it says could broaden access to credit.

The White House is pushing back on suggestions that it will cut a deal to recapitalize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before the end of President Obama’s term, putting the pressure back on Congress for a solution.

The White House is preparing to push back on the flurry of hedge fund speculation that it may change course on policies that have kept Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under government control since the financial crisis.

The servicing industry is also facing higher capital requirements under the Basel III accord that are being phased in.

Quicken Loans is partnering with Freddie Mac to boost business among first-time and middle-income borrowers as it battles allegations over its past underwriting practices on Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgages.