FHFA

Homeowners still deferring payments on federally backed loans as of Feb. 28 will be permitted to request an additional three months of relief.

The longtime senior advisor to the agency replaces Alfred Pollard, who retires in March.

The Biden administration could encourage the FHFA to increase the caps or restore exclusions for certain types of loans, which would boost overall volumes.

In a request for information, the agency sought feedback on how it should prioritize climate risks as part of its supervision of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks.

The government-sponsored enterprises’ moratoria will now continue well past inauguration day, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Pricing parity is a big hit with lenders, but the MBA questions retaining certain limits on what Fannie and Freddie can purchase.

The FHFA and Treasury will allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to hold more capital as part of the Trump administration's plans to release the companies from conservatorship. But it is unclear whether the incoming Biden administration will keep the mortgage giants on the same reform path.

President-elect Joe Biden’s team has held preliminary talks on how it could oust Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s regulator, a move that would let the new administration fill a post that’s crucial to the mortgage market and its goal of boosting affordable housing.

The agency's request for input will shape how mortgages underwritten by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac handle appraisals and curb risk.

Recipients can’t charge penalties for, or engage in, evictions solely for nonpayment, must provide a written notice of tenant rights, flexibility in repayment and, where applicable, 30-day vacate notices.

The proposal would require the government-sponsored enterprises to craft resolution plans similar to regulations imposed on the largest U.S. banks.

The proposal builds on guidance the agency gave to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac earlier this year.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has all but ruled out letting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac exit U.S. control before he steps down, leaving it to the Biden administration to decide the fates of the mortgage giants.

Many have assumed the high court would rule that presidents can fire the Federal Housing Finance Agency director at will. But during oral arguments in a case challenging the agency’s structure, some justices suggested they could stop short of such a decision.

Plus: per-loan profits break a record and FHFA extends pandemic-related measures.

Adolfo Marzol came to the agency after a stint at HUD and a 30-year career in the mortgage industry. He will depart on Dec. 18.

Fannie hasn't completed any credit risk transfers to private investors since the second quarter. Some experts worry the decision — likely spurred by the company’s concerns about a recent capital regulation — could put the mortgage giant on unsteady footing.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency said that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would extend the measures until “at least” Jan. 21, 2021.

President Trump is running out of time to do what hedge funds and other investment firms with big ownership stakes in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have wanted since he took office: put the mortgage giants on a path to exiting government control.

The price increase illustrates the extent to which federal rescue programs and a supply-demand imbalance have been counterweights to economic pressures from the pandemic.