Economy

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.

Loans with coronavirus-related forbearance have to be reported as current to the credit bureaus but there’s a ripple effect from them that has implications for credit reports and underwriting.

The much-anticipated proposal, which would not go into effect until after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are privatized, reflects Director Mark Calabria’s aggressive efforts to get the companies on a strong financial footing.

Director Mark Calabria, who abandoned the Fannie and Freddie capital proposal written by his predecessor, said he expects a revised framework to be ready “very soon.”

Sellers are currently willing to concede discounts of around 5%, while bidders are hoping for about 20% off pre-pandemic prices. That estimated gap, which is likely wider in specific cases, has put a freeze on deals.

The two mortgage giants said they would begin the process of hiring outside firms to help raise capital that will be needed to exit conservatorship.

Eligible borrowers can add the forborne payments to the end of their loan term.

Rick Thornberry is looking to the lessons from the Great Recession and applying them to current conditions.

The agency is being methodical in its rollout of the Main Street Lending Program in hopes of avoiding missteps that followed the launch of other coronavirus relief efforts. But observers say delaying aid brings its own risks.

PACE sponsors are raising capital and promoting plans to retroactively fund stalled CRE projects amid the COVID-19 outbreak, giving a potential boost to ABS activity in the space.

Because of debt restrictions in Main Street lending programs, many speculative-grade borrowers appear ineligible for federal loans to alleviate COVID-19 stresses, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings.

Many originators stopped making riskier products, including jumbo loans and low credit score offerings, during April.

The government-sponsored enterprises have set new temporary limits on mortgage sales while extending processing flexibilities related to COVID-19.

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are backing the first commercial mortgage-backed securities activity in two months, through two deals that exclude hotel or department store retail assets that are most exposed to pandemic-related stresses.

The other parts of the Day 1 Certainty program regarding income and asset verifications remain in effect.

Some benefits are materializing from Fannie Mae's pledge to limit servicers' exposure to principal-and-interest advances the way Freddie Mac does, but counterparties of both GSEs remain exposed to other concerns.

Mortgage lenders have imposed steep pricing adjustments for cash-out refinancing as more borrowers seek forbearance.

Delinquencies in U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities jumped in April, with the economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index hasn't yet reflected the impact of the coronavirus, but an independent market maker has some thoughts on how it might.

While Freddie Mac stabilized liquidity in mortgage markets, coronavirus-related credit losses drove the GSE's income down in the first quarter of 2020.