Seasonal factors slowed production of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac MBS during the fourth quarter, although the refi sector showed some resilience in cash-out transactions. [Includes three data charts.]
As the former director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute, Mark Calabria brings a decidedly libertarian perspective to housing finance.
In what’s become a nearly annual event, the Congressional Budget Office this week suggested raising the guarantee fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and/or lowering the loan limit, in order to reduce the federal deficit.