Fannie Mae

Senate Banking Committee members feel urgency to pass a bill dealing with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the same obstacles that have stalled congressional action for years remain.

While many lenders lately managed their business expecting reduced volume, now they get to capitalize on extremely low mortgage rates. But today's benevolent conditions will not always be with the industry.

Expectations of lower mortgage rates are the only thing keeping up consumer confidence in the housing market, according to Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index.

The Treasury secretary said he hopes lawmakers will back reforms of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac within three to six months.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investors won a victory in their long battle to reap benefits from their stakes in the mortgage giants with a court ruling letting them pursue claims that the U.S. sweep of the companies’ earnings is illegal.

The Trump administration raised the goal posts for ending the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but how officials get there is still highly uncertain.

Nonbank mortgage companies added 4,600 employees to their payrolls in July and may add more to address continuing rate-driven increases in loan volume.

The Treasury Department made clear in a much-anticipated report that it prefers Congress take up reform of the government-sponsored enterprises, but it also recommended steps that federal agencies could take without legislation.

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization has released a dataset designed to prepare lenders for a new mortgage application and automated underwriting system upgrades at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

New Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data shows debt-to-income ratios have risen but also have been frequently cited among reasons for denials, suggesting lenders are becoming more cautious about this underwriting metric.