The million-dollar question: Do $1M Freddie Mac mortgages conflict with affordable housing mission?

Redwood Trust, which issues jumbo loans that are off limits to Fannie and Freddie, says costlier markets are better served by private lenders. Continue reading

Fannie, Freddie raise loan limits to record high

Rapid home price appreciation during the pandemic means loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will make a record-breaking leap in 2022, fueling a debate over whether that’s ultimately in the best interests of would-be homebuyers struggling to find… Continue reading

Home price hikes persisted in Q3 as September signaled growth decline

Prices rose 4.2 percent in the third quarter of 2021 and were up 18.5 percent over the same time last year, according to the latest House Price Index by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Continue reading

More lenders jumping the gun on historic Fannie, Freddie loan limits

Rocket Mortgage and United Wholesale Mortgage — the nation’s top two lenders — and at least five others are raising conforming loan limit to $625,000 ahead of an official FHFA announcement. Continue reading

Fannie, Freddie loan limits set for record 50-year leap in 2022

Lenders are betting that home prices kept skyrocketing during the third quarter, and that they’ll be able to sell the bigger loans to Fannie and Freddie once the conforming loan limit officially goes up on Jan. 1. Continue reading

Home prices continued to see record gains in July: FHFA

U.S. home prices rose 1.4 percent between June and July 2021, and 19.2 percent year over year, according to a price index released Tuesday by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Continue reading

Regulators loosen reins on Fannie and Freddie

It’s been an abrupt about-face for Fannie and Freddie, which under the Trump administration were on a path to privatization. Democrats have put the brakes on those plans, seeing an opportunity to use Fannie and Freddie to provide better access to home … Continue reading

Fannie and Freddie must submit equitable housing finance plans

Having put the brakes on the Trump administration’s plans to reprivatize Fannie and Freddie, Democrats have been pushing for the “government sponsored enterprises” to provide more home loans for underserved borrowers. Continue reading

US home prices continued rapid climb in the second quarter: FHFA

The second quarter of 2021 marked the 40th consecutive quarter of home price increases, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Continue reading

Deep dive into mortgage data claims glaring racial disparities

Mortgage lenders are more likely to turn down homebuyers of color than white applicants with similar attributes, and algorithms are likely to blame, according to in-depth analysis by The Markup, a nonprofit newsroom that’s “watching big tech.” Continue reading