GSEs

Former principal economist at the Federal Housing Finance Agency does the math on how the changes impact the missions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

LoanLogics, a Sun Capital affiliate, has purchased LoanBeam, a company with approvals from major government-related housing finance investors to provide digital processing and income calculations for tax documents.

Chryssa Halley, who has been with the company since 2006, was named CFO and Jim Holmberg was named controller.

Demand for advances from the Home Loan banks has plummeted as the Federal Reserve has flooded the financial system with liquidity. But with a nudge from Congress, these government-sponsored enterprises could remain relevant by broadening their mission and opening membership to more lenders.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency should consider allowing small depositories — those defined by regulators to be below $10 billion in total assets — to again make use of structured transactions for seasoned, performing loans, writes the chairman of Whalen Global Advisors.

More aggressive pursuit of government-related agencies’ affordable housing mission is expanding product availability, but government intervention can be a double-edged sword.

Numbers fell across all investor types, but exits hit their slowest pace since August.

Also, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae's securitization platform shuns private-label market, UniversalCIS and Credit Plus merge and Arizent research shows work remains to reach industry DEI goals.

Also, forbearances fall below 3%, Incenter offers Ginnie Mae MSRs and Democrats introduce a 20-year mortgage option.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency in the Trump administration had been preoccupied with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s capital position. Acting Director Sandra Thompson has shifted the agency’s focus to affordable housing and fair lending.

This year's assessment for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is the first to take into account a January agreement between the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Treasury Department that allowed the companies to retain more earnings.

Increased purchase lending and added pressure from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s new loan limits should drive the likelihood of borrower misrepresentation.

While the hot market’s actual and forecast home price gains were key drivers of Fannie’s results, they also present a challenge to the affordable housing mission that it’s working to address.

The government-sponsored enterprise's single-family credit reserve release caused earnings to spike.

A hike in guarantee fees charged to lenders for the companies’ backing of loans was due to expire this year, but lawmakers now want to extend it to raise $21 billion for the bipartisan package.

Ensuring the safety and soundness of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan banks is the core responsibility of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. That shouldn't change now that the president has the authority to fire the FHFA's director at will.

The guarantor has for the first time proposed a risk-based capital requirement for companies not subject to other federal regulation. The industry says the plan, which would impose a heavy charge for servicing portfolios, could drive lenders away from government-backed programs.

In 2011 Congress paid for payroll tax relief by raising secondary market guarantee fees for 10 years. The Mortgage Bankers Association, and others, don’t want to see that happen again.

The plan aims to cut monthly payments by roughly 25% for homeowners in government-backed mortgages who are negatively impacted by the pandemic.

The agency’s new chief said eliminating the “adverse market fee” — in place since December — will make it easier for families to refinance while mortgage rates are still low.