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Kiefer, who will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming Five Star Government Forum in Washington, D.C. on March 18, said in Freddie Mac's March 2015 Economic and Housing Market Outlook the big reason for the bright outlook for housing is the improved job market for Millennial home buyers. Analysts agree the future of housing depends on taping into this key demographic. Last year, nearly 20 percent of Millennials were unemployed. That number is slowly decreasing and employment among this generation is inching closer to its peak level of 2008.

Hiring of the current CAE, John Forlines, was flawed for multiple reasons. One, he had not been identified for the CAE role in the senior management’s Succession Plan. The Succession Plan found that there was no internal candidate who was “ready now” for the CAE position and that a permanent successor would require an “external” candidate. Fannie Mae decided to compile a list of internal candidate six months after the Succession Plan was released.

The median age of millennial homebuyers was 29, their median income was $76,900 and they typically bought a 1,720-square foot home costing $189,900. The typical Gen X buyer was 41 years old, had a median income of $104,600 and purchased a 1,890-square foot home costing $250,000. When asked about the primary reason for purchasing a home, a desire to own a home of their own was highest among Millennials at 39 percent. Younger boomers were the most likely to buy because of a job-related relocation or move, and a change in a family situation, most likely the birth of a child, was the highest among Gen X buyers.

In 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued guidelines to expand the range of loan products that can be considered high-cost mortgages under the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA). According to the senators, the CFPB guidelines went into effect in January 2014 with the CFPB failing to recognize how unique manufactured home loans can be. After the guidelines were released a large percentage of small-balance loans used for the purchase of affordable manufactured housing were classified as high cost loans. As a result, lender liabilities associated with making and obtaining HOEPA high cost mortgage has increased. This could lead to a loss of credit available to those seeking to purchase manufactured housing.

The report also found improper use of lender credit and failure to provide Goof Faith Estimate (GFE) in a timely manner as other violations. Supervision found instances where lender amounts disclosed to HUD exceeded the GFE, due to inadequate training and policies. GFEs were delayed beyond the three-business day requirement at some institutions due to policies and procedures that did not properly define when an application was received. The CFPB also found social media advertising was not monitored by institutions, a violation of Regulation Z which requires disclosures to be posted with any advertisements.

Secretary Castro said combatting homelessness is a crucial component to the budget. According to Secretary Castro living in a safe, stable home is one of the biggest predictors of a child’s success in both school and overall health. He said that’s why the HUD budget is also “proposing funding that would effectively end chronic homelessness and make significant strides in our work to end homelessness among families and youth.”

The number of people buying homes in the U.S. has increased 5 percent within the last two years. Still, the survey found 2 in 5 American consumers feel there is a lack of inventory in their price range and 44 percent said they are not familiar with home affordability programs.

In recent interviews, the Fed has made it clear they want to move away from the pledge to be patient. They have held their benchmark short-term rate, the federal funds rate, near zero since December 2008. The lackluster housing market was concern on Yellen’s mind when she gave the speech emphasizing the patience pledge.

In the 1980s, only 3 to 4 percent of homes were sold in bidding wars. From 1995 to 2005 that number skyrocketed, with Washington D.C., having on the highest rates at nearly 30 percent of homes sold involved in bidding wars. However, according to the study although an increase in bidding wars was correlated with economic and housing booms, that rise was not consistent from one jurisdiction to another. In the Houston, the rate was only 11 percent, even though the city benefited from the housing boom.

Allegations of workplace discrimination within the CFPB arose in 2013 when documents were leaked by employees to the media. Employees alleged they were givin unfair evaluations based on gender, race, and age, not job performance. Head of the CFPB Rirchard Cordray admitted the employee evaluation system used in 2012 and 2013 was unfair and launched his own internal report last year. Cordray’s report found black and Hispanic workers, those over age 40, those outside Washington, D.C. and those in the union were more likely to get bad performance evaluations under the system, which worsened their pay and career advancement prospects.