Although Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s regulator has previously telegraphed additional increases in the government-sponsored enterprises’ guaranty fees sometime this year, it remains to be seen when or whether the Federal Housing Finance Agency will follow through on its 12-month-old proposal to charge higher g-fees on loans in states with slow foreclosure processes. One year ago this week, the FHFA solicited public comments on a proposal to adjust the single-family g-fee that the GSEs charge in five states with unusually slow foreclosure times. The five states – Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey and New York – would be subject to an additional upfront fee of between 15 and 30 basis points charged to lenders. The FHFA has said...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s amended final rule on ability to repay and qualified mortgages may have justifiable reasons but it is very complicated and difficult to implement, and likely to have unintended consequences, according to industry attorneys. Notwithstanding recent amendments to address concerns raised by the mortgage industry, the rule continues to pose challenges to lenders and attorneys in various areas. There are problems in the rule’s content and requirements as well as in developing policies and procedures to support it and the software to implement it, attorneys said. “We’re talking...

Analysts are now suggesting that higher interest rates along with rising home prices will constrain housing affordability.

Fannie Mae has yet to implement a red flag system to identify trends and data anomalies for servicer reimbursements, according to a new report from the FHFA Inspector General.

If FHFA lowers the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac loan limit, will that business shift over to the FHA?

The top 20 bank and thrift mortgage servicers all reported increases in their MSR valuations, according to exclusive figures from Inside Mortgage Trends.

Mortgage buybacks can vary significantly among seller/servicers because it’s driven by business and legal processes rather than current market dynamics.

Despite growth in the non-agency jumbo market, primary market lenders remain focused on production that they can safely securitize through the GSEs and Ginnie Mae.

Terry Edwards has received high marks for his accomplishments at Fannie Mae. But can he get the CSP off the ground?

As Fannie Mae prepares to emulate the risk-sharing bond recently issued by Freddie Mac, concerns are arising that the government-sponsored enterprises are giving away a bit too much yield. Former GSE officials who have looked at Freddie Mac’s recent $500 million Structured Agency Credit Risk bond say the debt offering is a good investment for investors who are taking little risk while garnering a nice yield. According to Freddie Mac’s July offering circular on its STACR deal, the notes are divided...