FHFA

Calls for “reform” in times of high liquidity ignore the scalability of the system, and the need to have it around in times of trouble.

Moving towards bank-like capital standards for all independent mortgage banks that sell loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could limit consumer access to mortgage credit, writes Community Home Lenders Association executive director Scott Olson.

If lenders get to choose the credit-scoring model, the Big Three credit bureaus will likely set a price for VantageScore that is super low, so low that FICO cannot compete, just as Uber decimated the taxicab industry by setting prices artificially low until the taxicabs were gone, writes an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.

If put into force, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s plan will severely impact the working capital and profitability of IMBs, and reduce volumes in the industry, Whalen argues.

These standalone properties make up nearly half of all rental units and the financing of them by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should reflected in the Federal Housing Finance Agency's affordable housing goal calculations, writes Manchester.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have used the classic FICO score since 2003.

Its modifications aim to help two government-sponsored mortgage investors manage risk and rebuild capital while retaining enough flexibility to fulfill their affordable housing missions, said the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s acting director, Sandra Thompson.

The move confirms speculation that the Federal Housing Finance Agency would return to a pre-pandemic plan to tighten requirements for mortgage lenders and servicers that work with two government-sponsored enterprises.

The mention echoes previous recommendations to give the Federal Housing Finance Agency more authority over non-depositories that service loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In an open letter to Sandra L. Thompson, President Biden’s nominee for Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, two longtime advocates of the Federal Home Loan banks suggest a new path forward.