Freddie Mac

A bipartisan group of senators told Mel Watt, the regulator who oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that he shouldn't allow the companies to recapitalize without congressional approval.

In a bitterly partisan Congress, two senators are making a rare push across party lines to solve a persistent riddle with huge implications for the U.S. housing market: What to do with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

Suspending Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regular dividend payments to the Treasury, thus enabling the companies to replenish their reserve capital, would put their future on better footing.

Most tax lien and civil judgment data will be taken out of credit bureau files on July 1, possibly inflating scores and raising concerns about liability for mortgages that sour.

With refinance volume shrinking, some lenders are making up the difference by turning to alternative loan products for borrowers with lower credit scores.

Freddie Mac will soon allow automated underwriting of borrowers who lack scores but have other financial records.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.23% for the week ending March 23, down from last week when it averaged 4.3%.

Freddie Mac is bolstering its relationships with housing finance agencies after it fell short of reaching two affordable housing goals last year.

Modification activity increased slightly in January over December as servicers worked their way through the remaining Home Affordable Mortgage Program applications.

Mortgage rates are being pushed higher by the same economic factors that led the Federal Open Market Committee to increase short-term rates.

Freddie Mac is considering backing loans that finance single-family rental homes for the first time, mirroring a controversial transaction that Fannie Mae disclosed in January.

Freddie Mac is preparing a transaction that transfers credit risk on $640 million of super-conforming residential mortgages.

Mortgage interest rates increased 11 basis points over the previous week, reaching their highest level so far in 2017, according to Freddie Mac.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary-designate Ben Carson is open to finding alternatives to the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, but believes there must be some government backstop to the housing market.