Tag Archives: Freddie Mac

On Thursday, FHFA Director Melvin Watt told a senate committee that the future of the U.S. housing finance system is unsustainable as-is. He implored Congress to solve numerous tough questions involved in moving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out from under federal conservatorship. If not, taxpayers could be on the hook.

The House of Representatives has amended HR 1694, extending the nine exemptions of the Freedom of Information Act to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Georgia). Passed in April, HR 1694 requires the GSEs to adhere to the FOIA, something they've never had to do since entering conservatorship in 2008.

According to the enterprise’s recent financial results, Freddie Mac posted a net income of $2.2 billion for Q1 and will pay as much in dividends to the U.S. Treasury. The income is lower than Q4 2016, as are the agency’s single-family revenues, purchase volumes, and mortgage-related investments. Freddie attributed these declines to largely steady interest rates and low market spreads.

In an interview with Fox Business on Monday, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said he is committed to GSE reform—and that it might not include privatizing Fannie or Freddie. The main goal of the Trump administration, according to Mnuchin, is to provide "ample credit for housing" without putting taxpayers at risk. On the fate of the GSE's, Mnuchin said, "We’re committed to not leaving them as-is for the next four years." Mnuchin also discussed the Freedom of Information Act allowed GSE funds to be relocated toward other parts of the government—including the Affordable Care Act—without public knowledge.

On Tuesday at 9 a.m. EST, Freddie Mac will hold a conference call to discuss its Q1 2017 financial results. The call will be webcast on the Freddie Mac website as well, and will be replayable for approximately 30 days following the event. Freddie Mac’s previous results, for Q4 2016, showed a net interest income of 14.4 billion for the full year, down 4 percent year-over-year.

A key industry organization has released a white paper outlining a GSE reform plan. The paper details how the reform should occur, how to handle the transition, and the secondary market’s role in it all. The organization hopes to work with legislators on creating a bipartisan reform plan.

Low inventory continues to hinder the housing market. Many potential sellers simply aren’t selling out of fear of not being able to afford a new home. Moving may mean losing their low mortgage rates, which were locked in after the crisis.

Poor growth in the economy in the first three months of 2017, coupled Federal Open Market Committee’s March meeting minutes just released to spur a drop in mortgage rates. Thirty-year fixed mortgages and 15-year FRM both showed lower rates this week and a steady decline during the first three months of the year. This marks the third consecutive week of reductions.

According to a Progress Report released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency on Wednesday, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have made significant movement on goals set forth by FHFA in the 2016 Scorecard. The report notes credit risk transfer programs that reduce taxpayer risk and improved access to credit as just a few of the developments in the last year.

With proposals to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac popping up as part of an overall housing makeover, government and industry officials weigh the risks and rewards of various plans carefully since few are calling for wholesale reform. This select print feature originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of MReport magazine.