Going forward, the FHFA will seek public comments when the GSEs are looking to launch new activities or products. There are also some broad exceptions to the public notice standard.
The Community Home Lenders of America wants federal officials to ban significant disparities in the fees charged to lenders for credit reports, but analysts say it’s unlikely that policy pressure will stop them.
Homeownership programs could take a lesson from scholarship models in the education field: Intentional first-generation assistance programs could add five million net new homeowners.
After years of court maneuvers, the most prominent of the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac shareholder lawsuits finally went to trial. Now it’s in the hands of a jury.
Activity at the GSEs is moving away from areas where the non-agency market could compete with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Cash-out refi business could be the next category to take a hit as FHFA has directed the GSEs to increase upfront pricing. (Includes data chart.)
FHFA applies a capital treatment to banks that differs from those used by federal banking regulators. The differences could limit banks’ ability to access Federal Home Loan Bank advances.