Tag Archives: Freddie Mac

Freddie Mac’s getting fat, again. Just how much, however, pales in comparison to a few months prior. So just how well is the GSE doing? The answer’s in the numbers.

The Government has been trying to figure out where the profits from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will go for over four years now, but according to a prominent hedge fund manager, it could go on another five more. When investors bought into the GSEs during the 2008 housing crash, they were under the impression that the allocation of profit would be amongst the shareholders. When the company changed their terms in 2012, a legal battle ensued that could last a total of 10 years.

Two weekly reports show that mortgage rates are down—the lowest they’ve been in seven months, and mortgage application volume is up. Seasonally adjusted, purchase index is on the rise while unadjusted remains down over 10 percent. 10-year treasury yield also fell this week.

In February, the D.C. Circuit panel gave the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) a win over the allocation of profits from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to the Treasury. This affirmed a lower court’s ruling that actions taken under the FHFA’s conservatorship of the GSEs cannot be challenged in court, however Fannie and Freddie shareholders sued the two for agreeing to the deal. Now, the FHFA and Treasury are urging the D.C. Circuit not to modify its ruling.

According to the latest Mortgage Bankers Association weekly survey ending May 31, 2017, mortgage applications decreased since last week’s report. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage ...

As previously predicted, mortgage rates reacted to the recent drop in the Treasury yield, falling this week to a 2017 low. However, these low rates may soon bounce back, with 30 percent of mortgage professionals polled predicting that next week will see a rise in rates. For now, the industry is experiencing an increase in loan applications as applicants move to take advantage of the favorable market.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is looking to the public for input regarding Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in the mortgage lifecycle. LEF borrowers currently face challenges applying for mortgages because they risk not understanding or relying too much on a source that could mislead them. FHFA looks to better understand the experience LEP borrowers have in order to improve support from the mortgage industry.

Freddie Mac’s latest summary report reveals an increase in both its total mortgage portfolio and its mortgage-related securities. Its mortgage portfolio rose 0.5 percent over the year, while its mortgage-related securities and guarantees jumped by 2.1 percent. The government-sponsored enterprise has funded $127 billion mortgages year-to-date.

After undergoing an extensive testing process, a mortgage document preparation vendor announced its Uniform Closing Dataset XML file has been certified by the GSEs. This new way of submitting documents will be required by Fannie and Freddie starting in the fall for all lenders selling to them. The company trusts this will bring consistency, transparency and clarity to the mortgage industry.

On Thursday, both FHFA Director Melvin L. Watt and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin separately addressed the current state of the GSEs. Though Mnuchin discussed the priority of housing finance and regulatory reform in front of the Senate, at an industry conference Watt described the many successes of the FHFA in the last nine years. Watt warned that reforms made during conservatorship should not be ignored by congress during the reworking of housing finance reform.