Former President Donald Trump has renewed his focus on housing affordability, outlining a series of aggressive policy proposals aimed at reshaping the U.S. housing market if he returns to the White House. Framing housing costs as a central economic issue for American families, Trump has promised to pursue reforms that would expand supply, reduce regulatory barriers, and overhaul federal housing policies that he argues have contributed to rising prices and limited access to homeownership.
Fannie Mae remains one of the most closely watched — and widely misunderstood — names in U.S. housing finance, particularly among individual investors scanning ticker symbols and price movements. Though the company’s shares trade on over-the-counter markets rather than a major exchange, interest in the stock continues to surge whenever speculation grows about housing policy reform or a potential exit from government conservatorship.
Renewed discussion around privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has resurfaced as policymakers revisit the long-term structure of the U.S. housing finance system. While proponents of privatization argue that removing government control could reduce taxpayer exposure and encourage private capital, housing economists and policy experts warn that such a shift carries significant risks — particularly for affordability, market stability, and access to mortgage credit.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency has formally set updated housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, outlining expectations for how the government-sponsored enterprises will continue to support affordable housing access over the coming years. The goals, which apply to single-family and multifamily lending, are intended to reinforce the GSEs’ role in serving low- and moderate-income households while maintaining safety and soundness in a housing market shaped by affordability pressures and uneven supply.
Mortgage rates moved modestly higher this week, extending a pattern of volatility that has defined the market in recent months. While the increase was not dramatic, it underscored the fragile balance between optimism for eventual rate relief and persistent concerns about inflation, economic resilience, and the Federal Reserve’s path forward. For borrowers and lenders alike, the latest movement reinforces how sensitive mortgage pricing remains to shifting market expectations.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has proposed raising coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans and open-end lines of credit under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The bureau said the new thresholds would help small lenders. The proposed rule change would also clarify partial exemptions from certain HMDA requirements that were added in the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act.
Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a Scorecard Progress Report last week summarizing the 2018 activities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The activities summarized in the report are designed to achieve FHFA’s three strategic goals as conservator of the two enterprises, which were established in 2014.
Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum last week that serves as a key step in lifting Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae out of government conservatorship. The President’s Memorandum on Federal Housing Finance Reform directs the Treasury Secretary to develop a plan for administrative and legislative reforms to achieve a number of housing reform goals.
Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.
Fannie Mae has lowered its forecast for home sales in the first half of 2019, while Freddie Mac expects modest growth in 2019 due to lower mortgage rates. In its March Outlook, the Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group wrote that it expects the market to rebound in the second half of the year.
Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) released a pair of mortgagee letters earlier this month that remove a pair of regulations. The first communication announced the removal of the FHA Inspector Roster. FHA has deregulated the Inspector Roster requirements and will no longer keep an inspector roster.
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Industry experts expect another strong year for the multifamily market. The latest multifamily forecast was released by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Its 2019 Commercial/Multifamily Real Estate Finance Forecast projects that steady commercial real estate markets and equity and debt availability will keep commercial and multifamily mortgage originations on par with volumes of the past two years.
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Fannie Mae has doubled the limit on multifamily small mortgage loans, from $3 million to $6 million. In addition, the limit in high-cost markets has been raised to $5 million. Fannie said in a statement that the loan size increase will simplify the small loan definition. It will also provide more opportunities for borrowers to realize the benefits of streamlined third-party report, underwriting, and asset management requirements.
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Reform of the government-sponsored entities (GSEs) has been a hot topic since the new year began. Activity reached a peak earlier this month when it was reported that the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Joseph Otting, indicated that a plan to take the GSEs out of conservatorship was on the horizon.
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The Department of Housing and Urban Development has released guidelines to lenders and borrowers regarding the services available during the government shutdown. The federal government has been shut down for nearly a month. The impact has been felt in the housing and mortgage sector.
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The federal government shutdown that began just before Christmas is so far having a minimal impact on the mortgage industry. The National Association of Realtors surveyed its members on the shutdown’s impacts. Of the 2,211 members who responded, 75 percent said the shutdown had so far had no impact on their business.
Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.
Written By: Stacey Sprain
As an FHA originator, processor or underwriter, it’s likely that in the ongoing foreclosure market you’ll run across a HUD REO loan at some point. The purpose of this multi-part article is to provide you with some useful information to help in your endeavors.