Freddie Mac

Mortgage rates continued their slide, with the conforming 30-year fixed at its closest point ever to breaching the 3% mark, according to Freddie Mac.

A bond market once thought to be key to the futures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — and the roughly $5 trillion of home loans they backstop — could instead find itself on the scrap heap due to their own regulator.

The number of loans going into coronavirus-related forbearance dropped for the third consecutive week, as the growth rate fell 8 basis points between June 22 and June 28, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Guarantee fees became the main source of revenue for government-sponsored enterprises during conservatorship, and reverting to a private stockholder model could create a need for more revenue.

While the multifamily loan forbearance rate is lower than the most pessimistic projections, Pat Jackson says borrowers are hardly out of the woods yet.

Legal experts say it is now more likely that the Supreme Court will strike down the single-director governance framework for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s regulator.

Mortgage rates reached their lowest level this week since Freddie Mac began its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in 1971, but they might not have yet gotten to their floor.

In a letter to Director Mark Calabria, 17 organizations requested an additional 60 days to weigh in on the proposal meant to strengthen Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's balance sheets post-conservatorship.

Multifamily borrowers with loans from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will get an extended break for coronavirus-related hardships if they continue to give their tenants relief as well.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to change the definition of what constitutes a qualified mortgage from a 43% debt-to-income limit to a price-based threshold, and further extend a temporary exemption given to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The FHFA and FHA both announced for the second time that they were delaying the freeze to protect borrowers and renters during the coronavirus pandemic.

As they prepare to exit government conservatorship, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have enlisted the investment banks to help them boost capital and evaluate market opportunities.

The number of loans going into coronavirus-related forbearance ground down to a growth rate of 2 basis points between June 1 and June 7, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mortgage rates increased slightly for the second consecutive week, buoyed early on by positive economic news such as the jobs report that came out last Friday, according to Freddie Mac.

The FHFA’s proposal is intended to strengthen Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but many experts warn that it could boost guarantee fees for lenders that they say may be passed on to borrowers.

The FHFA looks to shed light on the amount of funds Fannie and Freddie will need to hold for their risk-sharing deals.

The firm also predicts that the coronavirus pandemic will delay the GSEs' release from government control.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have different timelines for the switch.

Forecasts about the pandemic's impact on the mortgage market have grown less dire after forbearance requests by homeowners nearly leveled off in the first half of May.

Some observers wonder if proposed regulatory targets for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will stoke concerns about low shareholder returns. But others suggest those fears are unfounded.