Secondary

Conforming mortgage rates remained steady despite many indications that the Federal Reserve is considering bumping up short-term interest rates, according Freddie Mac.

Purchases of previously owned homes unexpectedly rose in July to the highest level since February 2007, consistent with further strength in the housing market.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Wednesday officially increased the target for loans purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that benefit affordable housing, but the uptick is not satisfying housing advocates.

Sabal Financial Group has put a $541 million portfolio of real estate loans up for sale.

Mortgage lending to low-income families could increase slightly under a plan by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt.

Fannie Mae has closed a credit risk-sharing transaction, with an international reinsurance company participating in this type of deal for the first time.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's decisions to make their automated underwriting systems free to use will feed more data to the GSEs, but do little to better serve lenders and borrowers.

New-home construction climbed in July to the highest level in almost eight years, indicating the industry will pick up in the second half of the year.

Confidence among homebuilders climbed in August to the highest level in almost a decade, indicating the residential real estate market is making strides.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have a regulatory mandate to shrink. But that's easier said than done, given the GSEs' outsized presence in the mortgage industry, as their latest quarterly results show.