In light of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s federal conservatorship status and the resulting control by the Treasury Department, the two GSEs are “effectively part of the government” and their operations should be reflected in the federal budget, according to the Congressional Budget Office.CBO has concluded that using a fair-value approach to estimate Fannie and Freddie’s subsidy costs is the best way to give Congress and taxpayers the most accurate accounting information.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s home retention activity declined for the most part during the first quarter, according to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Foreclosure Prevention and Refinance Report.Total home retention efforts dropped to 143,977 during the first three months of the year, down 20 percent from the fourth quarter, while loan modifications in the period also declined to 86,201, down 28 percent.

The sponsor of legislation that would make Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac subject to the Freedom of Information Act’s government transparency provisions told Inside The GSEs this week he is optimistic his bill has a “real fighting chance” of passage in the House.Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-UT, said his bill, H.R. 463, The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Transparency Act of 2011, has “picked up momentum” following a hearing two weeks ago, and the headlines it produced, in which the GSEs’ regulator panned the bill as potentially harmful to Fannie and Freddie.

An historic downturn in mortgage production that’s expected to unfold through the better part of 2012 could segue into a long-term contraction in the industry as new mortgage rules kick into gear. Emerging new rules on “qualified residential mortgages” and “qualified mortgages” resulting from...

Although some of the pressure of repurchase demands and mortgage insurance rescissions seems to be easing, industry experts caution that lenders will be grappling with these issues for years to come. The industry isn't done yet with purchases stemming from the 2006-08 vintages, said Arthur Prieston, chairman of...

Updated guidelines for the servicing of delinquent mortgages owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will expedite borrower outreach, align loan modification terms and establish a “consistent schedule of performance-based incentive payments and penalties,” according to...

Although community banks appeared to have fewer foreclosure processing problems and lower overall mortgage default rates, they should look at recent consent orders signed by 14 large servicers for best practices, according to a new Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. report. “Community banks fared far better than...

The Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development this week announced a civil lawsuit against Deutsche Bank and its mortgage unit for allegedly fraudulent mortgage practices that cost the FHA millions of dollars in insurance claims and related costs. Filed in U.S. District Court for...

House Republicans pushed ahead this week with legislation to bring the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a potential nemesis, under more control and oversight, although prospects in the Senate do not look strong. The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit this week approved...

A court ruling made late last month in a Michigan Court of Appeals decision further muddies the ability of Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems to initiate a foreclosure. In a split decision, the judges ruled 2-1 in favor of borrowers whose homes were foreclosed on. MERS, as mortgagee, held an interest in...