Secondary

The government conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac wasn't meant to last forever, but releasing the companies is complicated and should involve a diffident Congress, housing policy experts said during a Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta housing panel.

The most tangible concern is in the commercial real-estate market. But the rating agency's crystal ball is cloudy when it comes to single-family home loans.

FHFA director Pulte called these programs inappropriate for regulated entities, which are in government conservatorship, but said others are still able to offer them.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency found the practice aimed at selling more real-estate owned homes to occupants had downsides, according to a recent order.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's withdrawal of tenant requirements and an unfair or deceptive acts or practices bulletin sets the tone for the future.

The record-setting fixed-rate nonrecourse financing potentially opens up a new opportunity for nonbank mortgage companies with large MSR portfolios.

Second-lien loans make up virtually the entire pool, which carries some risk of poor recovery rates. Yet 78% of the pool is also considered safe-harbor mortgages.

Sales of so-called social bonds, which direct proceeds to areas like health, housing and education, jumped about 130% to $657 billion globally last year, and continued at a similar pace in the first quarter.

The Trump administration is considering an executive order on housing that may push for the privatization of home loan giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. 

Wall Street is weighing in on the possible fate of home loan giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, after a fleeting suggestion by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier this week that the government's stakes could eventually become part of the proposed US sovereign wealth fund.