Fannie Mae

Don Layton, former Freddie Mac CEO, and self-proclaimed "GSEologist" predicts that a release of the two entities will occur within four to six years.

Omeed Malik, who runs a merchant bank and a hedge fund, is a Republican donor and works with Republican-linked businessmen including Donald Trump Jr.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte is the new chair for both and he has removed several members while adding a few new names at each.

The potential impacts of import tariffs cloud the outlook, though, and could lead mortgage rates to surge and fall throughout the coming year.

Fannie Mae set aside $752 million for credit losses in its apartment complex lending business in part because of fraud or suspected fraud, denting profits amid an industrywide scrutiny of borrowers. 

The enterprise failed to improve on its net income but did report a steady profit, and got closer to meeting minimum risk-based regulatory capital requirements.

Spreads for Fannie Mae current coupon mortgage bonds, a proxy for securities being created now, jumped 0.07 percentage point to 1.41 percentage point, on track for the most widening in a day since April.

A Fannie Mae survey-high 86% of prospective buyers said it was a bad time to buy a home in May.

A financial services veteran, Peter Akwaboah joins the government-sponsored enterprise after serving as a managing director for Morgan Stanley, where he led technology and innovation strategy.

December's shift in Federal Reserve policy gave a notable boost to the share of consumer respondents who think the affordability of home financing will improve.