Capital markets

MFA Financial has carved out an impressive niche for itself by buying reperforming and nonperforming residential mortgages and securities.

Mortgage rates were up slightly from last week in continued anticipation of a possible move by the Federal Reserve, but still near three-year lows, according to Freddie Mac.

When the administration changes at the end of the year, the development of a single mortgage-backed security could suffer a setback, Mortgage Bankers Association CEO Dave Stevens said Wednesday.

The California Association of Realtors has renewed its push for promised Federal Housing Administration guidance that would make Property Assessed Clean Energy liens subordinate to first mortgage liens.

Several civil rights and community development groups wrote Tuesday to urge the Federal Housing Finance Agency to recapitalize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is set to make the sales of nonperforming loans by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac more transparent, including providing information on trends at the individual pool level, according to a top agency official.

Banks have rushed to the exits when it comes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debt securities. Federal liquidity rules seem to be prompting big banks to do so, but why small banks are unloading the bonds, too, is more of a puzzler.

After a series of recommendations this year that didn't quite go as planned, Goldman Sachs has a new top trade idea.

The bank's new low-down-payment mortgage, an alternative to FHA loans, dispenses with the complex qualification requirements that have hampered recent efforts with low down payments by Fannie and Freddie.

Recent legislative proposals to make piecemeal changes to the government-sponsored enterprises could set broader GSE reform on the wrong path.