GSEs

In response to the guidance offered by one of our commenters recently, Freddie Mac sets the record straight about their review process.

A lot of bankers want on-balance-sheet mortgages declared ultrasafe under federal rules, and Wells Fargo executive Brad Blackwell explains why he thinks it's in their self-interest more than ever to live up to their arguments in favor of such a policy.

Genworth Financial Inc., the insurer divesting units after posting record losses, has sold 14% of its Australian mortgage-guaranty unit, the company announced on May 11.

Home prices climbed in 85% of U.S. metropolitan areas in the first quarter as low mortgage rates and the strongest labor market in almost seven years spurred demand.

Trading of securities backed by Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie is down sharply since the beginning of the year. Bankers' concerns about capital and rates are among the reasons, and the problem may ultimately make the underlying market for mortgages less liquid.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage loan originations in the first quarter were up 49% year over year, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Fannie and Freddie will have more room to finance affordable rental housing, but it is unclear if it's enough to prevent possible disruptions later this year.

Fannie Mae reported net interest income of $5.1 billion in the first quarter, over half of which came from guarantee fees rather than its investment portfolio.

Conforming loan rates hit their highest levels in two months during the first week of May, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

Fannie Mae will pay the Treasury Department $1.8 billion after reporting net income of $1.9 billion for the first quarter.

The regulator of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae plans to ease annual restrictions on their apartment mortgage business to prevent a lending slowdown.

President Obama's administration has joined Democratic and Republican lawmakers in attacking potential raises for the top executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Bolstered by higher originations, Freddie Mac reported Tuesday that net income was $524 million for the first quarter, up from $227 million a quarter earlier.

Freddie Mac will return $746 million to the Treasury Department next month after reporting first-quarter net income of $524 million, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday.

The silver lining of the market crash was a unique opportunity for non-legislative reform that would not have otherwise come to bear.

Ocwen Financial's shares jumped 19% to more than $10 a share as of late morning Friday, the day after it reported a first-quarter profit and highlighted an expansion into mortgage lending.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could require an additional bailout of as much as $157.3 billion in a deep recession, according to the results of stress tests released by the regulator for the U.S.-owned companies.

Housing and the mortgage industry are every bit as important to the U.S. as the national transportation or healthcare systems.

Freddie Mac plans to auction off $233 million of nonperforming loans, the government-sponsored enterprise announced.

A House subcommittee approved a bill Wednesday that would redirect money from an affordable housing fund that receives money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into another program run by HUD.