Mortgages

Builder confidence had surged following Trump's election win but home financing costs stuck around 7% in recent months have sapped demand and sent builder stocks tumbling.

The lender says its first-of-its-kind program can give consumers up to $5,000 in credits based on their prior 12-month rent payment history.

With proposed tariffs on homebuilding materials working looming and a cloudy forecast for mortgage rates, young homebuyers are facing increased volatility.

The private mortgage insurers reported just 5% less business versus the third quarter and 33% more new insurance written over the fourth quarter 2023.

Fannie Mae set aside $752 million for credit losses in its apartment complex lending business in part because of fraud or suspected fraud, denting profits amid an industrywide scrutiny of borrowers. 

At the same time builders and lenders report contracting credit on offer, sentiment in the residential construction industry improved in the latter half of 2024.

The consortium of businesses intends to work with state regulators to protect consumers as interest from secondary market investors also grows.

If the government were to end the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conservatorships, the new status could constrain CRT deal ratings, as they are counterparties.

A $1 billion assessment announced Tuesday for California's FAIR Plan, the state-mandated insurer of last resort, is expected to drive up premiums as companies will likely pass some of the costs onto homeowners.

While Freddie Mac's weekly survey showed 30-year rates falling, other indicators paint a mixed picture for mortgage lenders and borrowers.