GSEs

The government-sponsored enterprises are moving ahead with a new mortgage application that omits a previously planned language question, but are looking to serve limited English proficiency borrowers in another way.

At a House hearing covering a whole host of housing finance reform topics, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator said "if the circumstances" call for eliminating investors, "we will."

Renovation spending is decelerating faster than expected this year, but could slow with more deliberation than previously anticipated next year, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Single-family mortgage production this year is expected to be 3% higher than anticipated last month, according to Fannie Mae, which revised its estimates based partly on a stronger housing outlook.

A year after Fannie Mae launched its first credit-risk transfer securitization using a real estate mortgage investment conduit, Freddie is now electing to also opt for a REMIC format in offloading the credit risk to private investors.

The developer of the newly constructed Washington, D.C., headquarters for Fannie Mae is securitizing part of its $525 million, 10-year mortgage through a single-asset, mortgage-backed transaction.

David Lowman, executive vice president of the single-family business at Freddie Mac, has informed the company he will be stepping down from his position on or about Nov. 1.

September's increase in mortgage credit availability was driven by the expansion of jumbo products to record levels, which overcame a retrenchment in both conforming and government programs, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Consumer confidence in the housing market remains relatively strong, but economic uncertainty is testing its resiliency, according to Fannie Mae.

Fannie Mae is cracking down on homebuyer education requirements, particularly for first-time homebuyers and purchasers utilizing high loan-to-value mortgages.

Allowing the mortgage giants to retain profits resolves a short-term capital shortfall, but how much capital they would need after exiting conservatorship is still the bigger question.

Guild Mortgage, which originated loans on some of the first manufactured homes eligible for new lower-rate Fannie Mae financing, anticipates demand for this housing type will continue to grow this year.

Freddie Mac is increasing the number of companies offering merged reports from the credit bureaus through integrations with its Loan Product Advisor automated underwriting system.

The move to alter the government's preferred stock purchase agreements is the first major one under FHFA Director Mark Calabria's tenure to wind down the conservatorship of the government-sponsored enterprises.

Simone Grimes had alleged former FHFA Director Mel Watt made inappropriate advances toward her and she was paid less than the man who had previously held her position.

Rising demand and plummeting mortgage rates pushed multifamily origination dollar volume above 2017's record to a new peak, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The shareholders' claims against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator mirror arguments in cases challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Freddie Mac's efforts to improve underwriting could include the use of a technology firm's artificial intelligence-driven consumer-risk modeling software that can expand access to credit, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While no one is suggesting that the plan will help banks regain the share they've ceded to nonbanks, bankers believe that stabilizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could at least help them keep what they have.

Industry groups are calling on the consumer bureau to eliminate the debt-to-income limit for “qualified mortgages” and provide a short-term extension of special treatment for Fannie- and Freddie-backed loans.