GSEs

Freddie Mac is in the market with its fourth risk-sharing transaction of the year.

In a sign that the GSEs may once again be trying to compete with each other, Freddie Mac will no longer charge lenders to use its Loan Prospector automated underwriting system.

Technology that takes into account the sales, cost and income approaches to property valuations is a more comprehensive method of risk assessment and can help detect pricing bubbles before they wreak havoc on the mortgage and real estate industries.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Britain's largest taxpayer-owned lender, could pay as much as $4.5 billion to resolve claims of misconduct in its handling of U.S. mortgage securities.

Veros will offer a direct connection to the Federal Housing Administration's new Electronic Appraisal Delivery portal using the same interface it offers for submitting appraisals to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Mortgage Collaborative has entered into an agreement with Fannie Mae that would make certain enhancements of its benefits available to its lenders.

Purchases of new homes in the U.S. rose more than projected in April, a sign this part of the market is picking up steam during the busiest selling period of the year.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose at a faster pace than projected in the year through March, reflecting a limited number of available properties on the market.

Exeter Financial has hired former Freddie Mac executive Paige Wisdom to be its chief financial officer.

More powerful employment and wage gains are necessary to fuel home purchases, according to mortgage industry economists.

Fannie and Freddie's profits depend on having their obligations backed by the U.S. Treasury. Therefore they should have to pay a sensible price for this backstop — just like big banks.

Fannie Mae has a pessimistic outlook on U.S. economic growth following underwhelming first-quarter numbers in 2015, though mortgage market optimism remains thanks to low interest rates.

Mortgage bankers facing new demands on their businesses are becoming increasingly interested in new sources of liquidity, particularly through mortgage servicing rights financing vehicles.

Mortgage rates fell for the first time in a month, cutting costs for buyers during the housing market's busiest time of the year.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council is encouraging mortgage agencies to continue clarifying when lenders must repurchase defective loans.

Weak economic growth in the first quarter did not temper Freddie Mac's projections for the mortgage market for the full year.

The proposed legislation for regulatory relief seeks to roll back critical mortgage protections put in place to prevent another housing crisis.

The Rural Housing Service should merge with the Federal Housing Administration to save money and improve service, the head of the Government Accountability Office testified Tuesday.

Lost in the debate so far over Shelby's regulatory relief bill are the significant changes it makes to the housing finance system. It essentially takes consensus elements from multiple past stabs at reform, leaving out the most controversial parts and making future reform far easier.

Fannie Mae is planning to follow the lead of its rival, Freddie Mac, and offer securities with exposure to actual losses on the single-family mortgages that it ensures.