Tag Archives: Freddie Mac
Saving Fannie and Freddie—Part II
Financial FAQs The Federal Housing Finance Authority that supervises the so-called Government Supervised Enterprises (GSE), now including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, just announced restrictions that not only weaken Fannie and Freddie’s mandate, but the mortgage and housing markets in … Continue reading
Saving Fannie and Freddie Mac
The Mortgage Corner Fannie Mae (FNMA), or Federal National Mortgage Association, reported a record profit for 2012, a good reason to save the mortgage giant from dissolution, as the banking industry in particular has lobbied for. The government-sponsored enterprise had … Continue reading
Mortgage Activity Continues To Improve
The Mortgage Corner Increasing mortgage purchase and refinance activity, key forward looking indicators of our housing market, show 2013 should be a great year for housings’ continued recovery. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported its Refinance Index increased 4 percent from … Continue reading
Mortgage Quality Highest in Decade
The Mortgage Corner Record low interest rates and low prices, are making housing more affordable than ever. This is also helping lower default rates, as average credit scores have soared, and Debt to Income Ratios used to quality borrowers have … Continue reading
Housing Construction, Retail Sales Surge
The Mortgage Corner Another sign that the economy is finally recovering—new housing starts surged 15 percent, to their highest levels since 2008 and the beginning of the Great Recession. This is boosting construction employment in particular, but also finance, insurance … Continue reading
Real Estate Leading Recovery—Part II
The Mortgage Corner Further evidence that real estate is recovering is the drop in both vacancy rates and so-called Real Estate Owned (REO) properties—i.e., that banks have taken back in foreclosure. Several analysts, including Calculated Risk, believe this is absorbing … Continue reading
Housing Values Jump in Q2 2012
The Mortgage Corner Consumers, perk up, as I said last week. Housing values are finally rising nationally. In fact, housing prices in all 20 city-metro areas in the Case-Shiller Home Price Index rose for the first time in years, before … Continue reading
The National Mortgage Settlement
The Mortgage Corner The $25B National Mortgage Settlement has finally been signed off by a federal judge, and 5 of the largest banks will begin the process of providing relief to the estimated 9 million present or former homeowners who … Continue reading
HARP 2.0 Loan Modifications Begin This Week
The Mortgage Corner The revamped HARP 2.0 loan modification program for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans kicks off this week, which allows unlimited loan-to-values for existing 30 or 15-year fixed rate mortgages owned by Fannie and Freddie, and maximum … Continue reading
Can the Fed Rescue Real Estate?
The Mortgage Corner How can we thank Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke for keeping our economy afloat? Not only has the Fed kept interest rates low enough to prevent actual deflation, as happened to Japan over the past 20 years and … Continue reading
