Although consistent rent payments over time are one of the best indicators of a borrower’s ability and willingness to repay a mortgage, GSE programs that exploit that information are woefully under-utilized.
The FHFA director believes mortgage fraud is rampant at Fannie and Freddie. That includes allegations that New York Attorney General Letitia James, a nemesis of President Trump, fraudulently obtained GSE-backed loans. James denies the allegations.
FHFA directed the GSEs to end their SPCPs, prompting renewed concerns that the Trump administration could take further actions to limit special purpose credit programs in the mortgage market.
FHFA Director Bill Pulte gets a glimpse of what congressional oversight looks like as leading Democrats criticize him for actions in his first weeks in office.
During a confirmation hearing last week, Trump’s nominee to head FHFA was noncommittal in response to questions about GSE reform, a hint that the administration has other priorities.
The government watchdog said federal agencies associated with housing finance have met three of five critical criteria for mitigating the risk they pose to taxpayers.