GSEs

There was another surprise Tuesday as Republicans managed to keep a Senate majority following the elections, likely giving the gavel of the Banking Committee to Sen. Mike Crapo, a right-of-center Idaho lawmaker who has proven willing to reach across the political aisle in the past.

Many issues facing President-elect Trump and the 115th Congress will have far-reaching implications for the mortgage industry. Here's a look at five of those most pressing questions awaiting elected officials when they take office in January.

Housing was the talk of the campaign two presidential elections ago, but it stayed under the radar in the 2016 race, leaving plenty of room to speculate about President-elect Donald Trump's likely mortgage policy for the next four years.

A Florida hedge fund transformed risky Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debt into investment-grade securities, and it could end up helping the mortgage giants' efforts to offload more of their risk.

Towd Point Master Funding, an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, was the winning bidder for two pools of reperforming mortgages with a balance of $789.2 million auctioned by Fannie Mae.

Lenders have the most consumer-facing role in the mortgage industry. By adopting three cultural adjustments, they can introduce more diversity into the workforce and create sustainable businesses and stronger communities.

Home purchase sentiment fell for the third straight month in October, reflecting the uncertainty consumers face, according to Fannie Mae.

Since the government-sponsored enterprises began experimenting with both frontend and backend deals in which part of the credit risk is shared with third parties, investors have been watching carefully.

Hiring by independent mortgage firms accelerated in September after a slowdown in the prior month.

Fannie Mae's new representation and warranty relief offers lenders a long-awaited incentive to use its automated loan validation technology. But is it enough for lenders to make the necessary technology updates and process changes to implement the tools?