GSE reform

Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York signaled which legislative provisions Democratic leaders would accept in a bipartisan housing finance package.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is planning on finalizing its proposed capital requirements for the government-sponsored enterprises this summer, the agency's acting director said Wednesday.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, by allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to split the CEO and president positions, let the companies dodge a congressionally mandated cap on executive salaries, the regulator's inspector general said.

Hugh Frater loses the "interim" title, taking full control of the government-sponsored enterprise as Congress begins debating (again) the future of Fannie as well as Freddie Mac.

Lawmakers still have a long way to go before enacting housing finance reform, but the testimony could signal how future legislative talks will play out.

There’s bipartisan consensus that the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are unsustainable, but that may not be enough for lawmakers to upend the current system.

The Senate Banking Committee will hold two hearings at the end of March on Chairman Mike Crapo’s most recent framework for housing finance reform.

In remarks to credit unions, the Senate Banking Committee Chairman said that fixing the government-sponsored enterprises and data security were priorities.

Mark Calabria, who could be confirmed as early as this month, is expected to focus on changes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s conservatorships to let the mortgage giants keep more of their profits.

The Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Realtors and 26 other groups warned the agency not to pursue steps reducing the scope of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could upset the mortgage market.