Are settlement talks heating up between GSE shareholders and Uncle Sam? Hard to say, but at least the housing-finance train is on the move.

The new capital buffer deal has a limited life. At current earnings rates, Fannie will reach the $25 billion buffer cap in about two years, Freddie a little later.

Economists say an increase of 1 degree Celsius in a county’s 36-month average temperature reduces the mortgage approval rate in the county by about 0.9% and the average loan amount by 6.9%.