GSE reform

Despite the release of Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo's outline of a government-sponsored enterprise reform plan, most policy changes will likely come from the White House, and may even materialize this year, said Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

As policymakers consider administrative reforms to Fannie and Freddie, they must address the problem of capital arbitrage to avoid overleveraging the mortgage system.

Just as the Trump administration appears focused on releasing a framework without Congress, the Senate Banking Committee has re-entered the policy fray with a new proposal.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman released an outline for overhauling the U.S. housing finance system more than 10 years after the government put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship.

The agency's acting director said he welcomes lawmakers' “insight and perspective” on how to end the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

A White House spokeswoman said the administration wants to work with Congress on a housing finance reform plan, providing evidence that changes might not be imminent.

Fixing the housing finance system is "the last piece of unaddressed business from the financial crisis," according to a summary of to-do items released by the Banking Committee's chairman.

The acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has promised substantial changes for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the exact mechanics and timeline of an administration plan are still a mystery.

Recent comments attributed to the acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (who is also comptroller of the currency) have stoked speculation about the Trump administration’s housing finance policy.

Several new members of the House Financial Services Committee with backgrounds in housing could use their experience to address Chairman Maxine Waters' top agenda items.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shares soared Friday amid fresh reports that the Trump administration is working on proposal that would recommend freeing the mortgage-finance giants from government control.

The Milken Institute's plan to address the housing finance system proposes a number of measures that could be carried out by regulators, after years of stalled legislative attempts.

A federal appeals court ruling that found the leadership structure of the FHFA unconstitutional will face an "en banc" review later this month.

The White House has officially nominated Mark Calabria as the next director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

With its bolstered fundraising cache, the Mortgage Bankers Association Political Action Committee should hold an increased influence over the industry's policy and regulation issues in the coming year.

After 10 years of conservatorship, the new year could finally usher in big steps toward housing finance reform.

The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing to examine the outgoing committee chairman's bipartisan GSE reform bill, but lawmakers were already looking ahead.

The process to confirm Mark Calabria as FHFA director could be lengthy, forcing the White House to consider how it will proceed with housing finance reform under Joseph Otting as acting head of the agency.

From a housing market in turmoil and the technology to save it to the myriad new faces in both the industry and Washington, here's a look back at some of the biggest and most read mortgage and housing stories of 2018.

For hedge funds that have been hoping the Trump administration would deliver a windfall on their investments in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, 2019 could be a make-or-break year.