Fannie Mae

Nonbank mortgage companies cut payrolls by 3,100 full-time employees in December, bringing the level of the hiring in the industry to its lowest point in more than two years.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman released an outline for overhauling the U.S. housing finance system more than 10 years after the government put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship.

Affordability remains a challenge for homebuyers, but barely any mortgage lenders attribute last year's sluggish home sales to insufficient consumer income or lack of loan products for new buyers, according to Fannie Mae.

The agency's acting director said he welcomes lawmakers' “insight and perspective” on how to end the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

A White House spokeswoman said the administration wants to work with Congress on a housing finance reform plan, providing evidence that changes might not be imminent.

Fixing the housing finance system is "the last piece of unaddressed business from the financial crisis," according to a summary of to-do items released by the Banking Committee's chairman.

As 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose 30 basis points year-over-year, non-QM originations are estimated to grow 400% in 2019.

The acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has promised substantial changes for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the exact mechanics and timeline of an administration plan are still a mystery.

Recent comments attributed to the acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (who is also comptroller of the currency) have stoked speculation about the Trump administration’s housing finance policy.

While Fannie Mae's multifamily origination volume took a step back from 2017's record high of $67 billion, its delegated underwriting and servicing program provided $65 billion in financing in 2018, led by Wells Fargo.