Fannie, Freddie to adopt new underwriting standards for qualified mortgages on July 1

Mortgage Bankers Association says lenders have been gearing up for changes, and new standards will actually increase access to credit. Continue reading

HUD sends $690M to states for affordable housing

The Housing Trust Fund is funded by a fee on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and devoted to affordable housing for low- and extremely low-income households. Continue reading

COVID vaccinations give Americans more confidence in housing

Fannie Mae’s Home Price Sentiment Index increased by 5.2 points from February to 81.7 in March. Year over year, the index is up 0.9 points. Continue reading

Rising rates take toll on mortgage demand

Although mortgage rates came down slightly after seven consecutive weeks of increases, applications for refinancing and purchase loans both fell more significantly. Continue reading

Share of homeowners who can’t pay their mortgage hits new low

The share of mortgages in forbearance dropped below 5% in March for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, as homeowners resuming their payments continued to outnumber new requests for relief for the fourth week in a row. Continue reading

5 pandemic mortgage strategies for the self-employed 

Self-employment has advantages, notably the home office deduction and eliminating commute time. Getting a mortgage, however, is not one of them. Here are a few tips that address the newly stiffened requirements for approval. Continue reading

Share of mortgages in forbearance drop 3 points at end of February

The overall decline of mortgage loans in forbearance was led by Ginnie Mae loans, which dropped by 7 basis points from the previous week to 7.28 percent of loans in forbearance. Continue reading

Fannie Mae forecasts mortgage rates under 3% for 2021

The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage could hit 2.9 percent in 2021, according to Fannie Mae’s April housing forecast. Continue reading

Wells Fargo suspends jumbo mortgages as demand fades

In an unpredictable market, demand for jumbo mortgages is declining as more homeowners seek forbearances and investors look to more secure loans. Continue reading