GSEs

Exploration and adoption of new technologies is essential for achieving strategic goals and satisfying the needs and expectations of mortgage borrowers.

The departing CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac oversaw significant cultural and operational shifts that made the housing finance system safer and more responsive to market needs, but a tough job lies ahead for their successors.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have launched an online clearinghouse with resources to assist lenders in serving borrowers with limited English proficiency.

It's a critical time in Washington, with many key institutions in the mortgage and housing industries getting new leaders. At the Mortgage Bankers Association, there's a renewed focus on maintaining effective influence with decision makers on initiatives like housing finance reform, innovation and the evolving needs of home buyers.

Home price index swaps, treated as a second lien on a property, will be used to reduce the default risk associated with low down payment mortgages, one of the program's creators said.

Fannie Mae has appointed Hugh Frater, a member of its board of directors, to serve as its interim chief executive officer after Timothy Mayopoulos steps down next week, the company said in a statement on Monday.

Freddie Mac made its first equity investment into a low-income housing tax credit fund in nearly a decade, through a partnership with Enterprise Community Investment.

Lenders offered fewer government-guaranteed mortgage programs in September, leading to an overall decline in mortgage credit availability, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding grew by 1.6% during the second quarter, benefiting from improved property values and low interest rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac issued new capital requirements for private mortgage insurers that will create big swings in carriers' asset reserves.