Mortgage industry stakeholders discussed what happens to the UMBS, LLPAs and capital rules if shares in the GSEs are sold without letting them out of conservatorship.
According to an analysis by a former FHFA economist, GSE market share ranges from 14.5% in Eagle Pass, TX, to 67.0% in Boulder, CO. Except for Puerto Rico, these disparities are widest in the South and Southwest.
Amid pressure from some lender trade groups, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increased their investments in agency MBS during the third quarter. The move can drive down mortgage rates and goose GSE profits. (Includes data table.)
Allowing the GSEs, under certain conditions, to purchase up to $300 billion in agency MBS each could reduce mortgage rates by as much as 30 basis points, lender groups say.
While market share of small- and mid-sized nonbank lenders grew, there was some leakage at the large nonbank lenders. Large mortgage companies’ market share fell sequentially to 53.8% from 56.1%. (Includes two data tables.)
Although FHFA Director Bill Pulte recently put the value of the GSEs at $1 trillion, most estimates are between $300 billion and $600 billion. Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that only a small portion of the GSEs will be sold via a stock offering.
An Ohio court found that Freddie’s rosy statements in 2007 about its exposure to subprime and Alt A loans weren’t misleading, in part, because there was no universal definition of those terms at the time.