Multifamily caps have kept Fannie and Freddie from expanding their footprint in the apartment market, which grew by 25% in 2021 and is expected to expand by as much as 11% this year.

Don Layton believes the new 2022 loan limits will cause home prices to increase even more, but the politicization of the housing-finance system makes it unlikely FHFA will be able to do anything about it.

The new goals don’t deviate dramatically from what the agency proposed in August, but the mulitfamily goals will only apply to 2022 instead of the usual three-year time span.

GSEs issue lender letters/bulletins tweaking their guidelines for lenders and servicers.

The agency believes enforcing fair housing laws is central to its role as regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Under a proposed rule, Fannie and Freddie will have to describe their sources of capital over a five-year planning horizon.

In 2022, the GSEs will be able to purchase loans nearing $1 million, cutting into what has typically been the non-agency jumbo market.

SASB creates industry-specific standards that provide investors comparable data on companies’ ESG-related activities.

While Fannie and Freddie look to be reclaiming lost investor-property loan business, seller execution tactics haven’t changed much in recent months. Volume fell 14% from October. (Includes two data charts.)

Critics argue that the mechanical method for determining the loan limits distorts the market and makes it harder for the GSEs to meet their affordable housing goals.