GSE guaranty fees more than doubled from 2011 to 2015, increasing from an average of 26 basis points in 2011 to 56 basis points in 2015, according to a new report published this week. That sharp increase has prompted trade and community groups to lobby for lower fees. However, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt said this week that the current charges “strike the right balance, between safety and soundness and liquidity in the housing finance market,” according to a reply letter he sent to the Center for Responsible Lenders, Mortgage Bankers Association and a host of others seeking a fee reduction. In the FHFA’s annual report to Congress on guaranty fees...
The Federal Housing Finance Agency is well along on planning a replacement program for underwater mortgages with an announcement coming “relatively soon,” Freddie Mac CEO Donald Layton said this week. The successor program will be a “relief refinance” initiative, he said in an interview with Inside The GSEs, noting the borrower will be able to refinance “without going through a full new regular credit process.” Layton added that mortgage professionals should think of the new effort as a cousin to the Home Affordable Refinance Program, which is set to expire at the end of the year. There are approximately 325,290 borrowers still eligible for a refinance under the HARP initiative, according to FHFA’s figures.
Corona Asset Management XVIII won Fannie Mae’s fourth Community Impact Pool of nonperforming loans. Last week’s announcement represented the first time that the pool was sold to a private equity firm instead of a nonprofit group. The Community Impact Pool is structured to encourage nonprofits, as well as smaller investors and minority- and women-owned businesses. It’s designed to include geographically focused, high-occupancy collateral where bidders have a longer than usual time to participate in hopes of attracting diverse participation. Fannie began marketing this particular pool to possible bidders back in June with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and CastleOak Securities, L.P.
The Democratic Party released its 2016 platform and its priorities range from expanding foreclosure prevention programs to increasing access to affordable housing and preserving the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Dave Stevens, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, said that when it comes to housing, the Democratic and Republican platforms are starkly different. “The Republican platform is almost solely about removing burdens on financial institutions and others who build homes, and the Democratic platform deals with both the demand and supply side in their policies,” he said during one of several real estate panels held at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia Democrats specifically mentioned...
OPERS Lawsuit Reinstated Over Freddie Subprime Loans. The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision that had cleared Freddie Mac of charges that it misled investors about its involvement in the subprime mortgage market. The lawsuit was filed in 2008 by the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, which claimed Freddie made false public financial statements that hid its exposure to risky loans. The fund alleged that it lost more than $27.2 million as the value of Freddie stock plummeted. OPERS said the 29 percent drop in stock price in 2007 followed Freddie’s disclosure of a $2 billion loss. The pension fund claimed...
Overall, Fannie Mae’s bottom line was bolstered by a strong quarter for originations: $510 billion in the second quarter compared to $380 billion in the first, according to Inside Mortgage Finance.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency so far has resisted calls to lower guaranty fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and quietly set a “minimum base guaranty fee” for the two government-sponsored enterprises. The FHFA directive was revealed in the 10-Q filings issued by the two GSEs this week accompanying second-quarter financial results that showed a combined $3.94 billion in net income. Their Securities and Exchange Commission filings, however, provided little detail about what the minimum base fee is. “In July 2016,” Fannie’s 10-Q states...
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