The president wants Fannie and Freddie to buy $200 billion in agency MBS to lower interest rates and reduce the cost of buying a home. Initial reaction from MBS analysts was mixed.
Housing advocates say the new, lower benchmarks generally favor middle- and working-class borrowers at the expense low-income and very low-income borrowers.
A negative profitability gap means the guarantee fees on newly acquired loans weren’t enough to cover the expected cost of guaranteeing the loans and earning the expected return on capital.
Researchers tell Congress that, despite the role the FHLBanks played in the bank failures of 2023, a higher level of FHLBank borrowing has historically been associated with positive outcomes for members.
Although FHFA, under Director Bill Pulte, has shied away from the green and climate priorities of prior administrations, UAD 3.6 still allows green and energy efficiency features to impact valuations.
Between 2022 and 2024, Fannie’s open multifamily fraud investigations spiked from 14 to 193. In the same interval, actual fraud findings went from 3 to 87.
Freddie is revising its liquidity verification documentation requirements for sponsors to include a liquidity verification worksheet with delivery of the full underwriting package.
Lenders are ultimately responsible for the quality and accuracy of appraisals. That means their quality control teams need to review every appraisal to preserve rep-and-warrant protection.