Mortgage software company Ellie Mae to be acquired for $3.7B

Ellie Mae, founded in 1997, processes 35 percent of all mortgage applications in the U.S., according to Banking Tech. Continue reading

NAR wants to replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) wants to replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a new entity that would be private, but regulated like a utility, that the organization believes would ensure the mortgage industry keeps running long-term. Continue reading

Blend names former Fannie Mae chief executive as first president

Blend, the digital mortgage application startup, has named former Fannie Mae chief executive Timothy Mayopoulos as its new president, the company announced. Continue reading

Shutdown prompts Fannie Mae to tweak lender requirements

As the government shutdown drags on with no end in sight, Fannie Mae is tweaking its lending requirements to accommodate people who aren’t currently getting paychecks and whose bosses aren’t around to confirm their employment. Continue reading

Housing market expected to stabilize in 2019: Fannie Mae

Economic growth is expected to slow in 2019 which means stabilizing home sales and mortgage rates in 2019, according to Fannie Mae’s economic and strategic research group.  Continue reading

Will Trump’s new housing finance director privatize Fannie and Freddie?

The Trump administration is preparing to nominate Mark Calabria to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the agency tasked with overseeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Continue reading

Millennials’ unconventional credit habits may change scoring models

According to the latest study by data scientists at VantageScore Solutions, a scoring model still struggling to gain acceptance by the federal agency that regulates the two secondary mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, millennials have similar … Continue reading

Death of the home appraisal?

Proposed government regulations announced by Office of the Comptroller of Currency would raise the threshold for transactions requiring an appraisal. Continue reading

FHFA raises conforming loan limits to $484,350

The Federal Housing Finance Agency gives 2019 homebuyers a break with a 6.9 percent increase in the max loan amount Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase. Homebuyers will be able to afford a little more house at a slightly cheaper rate next year than… Continue reading