GSEs

For nearly a decade, the FHFA has restricted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from trying to influence the raging debate over whether they should live or die.

Fannie Mae reduced its mortgage origination volume forecast for 2018 and 2019 as rising interest rates are affecting refinancings now, and will curtail purchase activity going forward.

Commercial and multifamily loan originations may not be up by much from a year ago, but borrowing and lending behaviors were drastically different in the first quarter.

John Krenitsky, who previously managed compliance for Discover Financial Services and various banks, is joining Freddie Mac as senior vice president and chief compliance officer on June 1.

Mortgage credit availability was unchanged in April, as originators tightened their government lending programs but made more jumbo offerings available.

In a bid to cut time and costs from the mortgage process, Fannie Mae is testing whether appraisers can accurately determine a home's value without actually visiting the property.

Freddie Mac has quietly started extending credit to nonbanks that issue mortgages, a move it says will help the companies maintain access to a crucial stockpile of cash if their home loans go sour.

Demands for loan quality aren't just coming from regulators and the government-sponsored enterprises. Secondary market partners and investors don't want to be left holding the bag if loans that lenders create have quality issues.

Fannie Mae's first-quarter profits were enough for it to rebuild its minimum capital buffer and pay the Treasury Department dividend after being forced to take a draw during the previous fiscal period.

In its latest effort to reach first time home buyers, Freddie Mac is launching a new 3% down payment program that casts aside a number of restrictions in its existing low down payment offerings.