GSEs

The announcement Thursday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt agreed to let Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each build a $3 billion capital buffer avoided a potential crisis.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be allowed to build capital buffers to protect against losses under an agreement between the Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced on Thursday.

The two government-sponsored enterprises have relied on the “classic” FICO credit scoring model for the past 12 years. But the Federal Housing Finance Agency is weighing whether the GSEs should upgrade to more recent scoring alternatives.

Updated dynamic and interactive versions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's redesigned Uniform Residential Loan Application are out.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's final Duty to Serve plans are moving ahead with expanded support for manufactured housing through both single-family and multifamily programs, including controversial personal property loans.

The Home Affordable Refinance Program recorded a 45% drop in volume in October from the previous year as it continunes to wind down, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Freddie Mac is broadening its capital markets vehicles with its first offering of participation certificate securities backed by multifamily tax exempt loans.

The $1.5 billion FREMF 2017-K1 has a in-trust stressed loan-to-value ratio of 120%, as measured by Kroll; that's projected to fall to 108.7% when the deal matures.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will suspend the evictions of foreclosed single-family properties during the holiday season, according to the government-sponsored enterprises.

Fannie Mae is starting to relocate staff in the Dallas area into a new office and will soon move its Washington, D.C., headquarters.