Fannie Mae

David Brickman will take the helm of the mortgage giant at a time of transformation in the mortgage market and housing finance policy.

Mark Calabria has notably criticized the government’s role in housing, but some groups have taken him at his word when he told senators that he supported affordable housing initiatives.

Fannie Mae estimates the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to hold at 4.4% through 2019 and 2020 due to the overall slowdown in the economy, according to the March housing forecast.

There’s bipartisan consensus that the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are unsustainable, but that may not be enough for lawmakers to upend the current system.

As debate over the future of the mortgage finance system heats up, policymakers must ensure that small banks and credit unions maintain equitable access to the secondary market.

The Senate Banking Committee will hold two hearings at the end of March on Chairman Mike Crapo’s most recent framework for housing finance reform.

Mortgage lenders are optimistic about their business prospects during this spring's home purchase season even with the negative sentiments about demand in the previous three months, Fannie Mae said.

The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association approved changes to its good delivery guidelines that ease the path to the government-sponsored enterprises issuing uniform mortgage-backed securities starting on June 3.

American Banker and National Mortgage News are offering an exclusive discussion of how policymakers may revamp Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and what that will mean for mortgage lenders of all sizes.

Agency mortgage-backed security prepayment speeds increased in February with much of the refinance activity coming from newer loans and those with high coupons, a report from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods said.