Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac issued a combined $65.85 billion of single-family mortgage-backed securities last month, a 1.0 percent decline from their June total, according to an Inside The GSEs analysis of MBS data. Compared to the first seven months of 2017, the GSE single-family business was down 7.4 percent as of the end of July. Most of the month-to-month slump was at Freddie, where MBS production fell 8.9 percent from June. Fannie managed a 5.0 percent increase in July. Both GSEs are off about the same on a year-to-date basis. [Includes two data charts.]
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt has been under a lot of scrutiny as his tenure winds down by yearend. Some observers claim the FHFA is allowing the GSEs to introduce pilot programs that conflict with the primary market. There is a sexual harassment allegation against Watt. And he is reportedly being investigated for intimidating the agency’s inspector general....
Freddie Mac launched a new pilot program geared toward keeping rents affordable for low-income and working families.The Mezzanine Loan program is different from other affordable housing efforts because it’s strictly voluntary and will offer lower cost financing to multifamily borrowers who agree to cap their rent increases for the life of the loan....
The government-sponsored enterprises’ new high loan-to-value refinance options will kick into gear for applications received on or after November 1. These programs serve as a replacement for the popular Home Affordable Refinance Program set to expire at the end of the year.
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