By raising the income limit for RefiNow and RefiPossible, FHFA has upped the pool of borrowers eligible for a refi by nearly a third. What that does to prepayment speeds depends on the uptake of the programs.

Fannie paused its CRT issuance in 2020 after the FHFA proposed changes to the capital treatment of CRT transactions. Freddie continued to issue deals, but Fannie wasn’t persuaded to return until a proposal by the FHFA in September.

The Fed will stop being the hog at the MBS trough, one of these days. Ramifications and opportunities for other buyers?

Issuers are still stocking non-agency MBS with GSE-eligible mortgages for investment properties. Lenders and issuers are considering their options following a suspension of limitations placed on the GSEs.

Some of the Trump-era restrictions placed on the GSEs have been put on hold for at least a year. That includes a cap on acquisitions of mortgages for investment properties.

The blueprint would reverse capital requirements set in December, which offered few incentives for the GSEs to complete credit-risk transfer transactions.

Nonbanks, risky or not for the MBS market? Ginnie Mae’s new capital proposal may finally settle the question. If it becomes final...

Experts say a modest taper in Fed MBS purchases is unlikely to have a serious impact on bond prices or the housing market.

Fannie and Freddie, the linchpin of the nation’s MBS market, may never get out of conservatorship. Right? Actually, they might. A pending risk-based capital rule could play a role in the drama.

Industry insiders are speculating whether former FHFA Director Mark Calabria delayed the release of the 2020 stress tests results because they contradicted his proposed capital rule.