FHFA

FHFA: U.S. House Prices Rise 1.7 Percent in First Quarter 2018

 Monthly Index Shows 0.1 Percent Increase in March U.S. house prices rose 1.7 percent in the first quarter of 2018 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI).  House prices rose 6.9 percent from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018.  FHFA’s seasonally adjusted monthly index for…

FHFA: 2017 Report to Congress Released

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its 2017 Report to Congress.  The statutorily-required report provides information about FHFA’s 2017 examinations of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (the Enterprises), 11 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) and the FHLBanks’ Office of Finance.  The report also describes FHFA’s actions as conservator of the Enterprises during the year…

FHFA: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Refinance Volume Down in First Quarter 2018 as Mortgage Rates Rise

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today reported that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed 356,003 refinances in the first quarter of 2018, compared with 446,295 in the fourth quarter of 2017.  FHFA’s first quarter Refinance Report also shows that 4,139 loans were refinanced through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), bringing the total number of HARP…

FHFA: Correction and Extended Comment Period for Proposed Rule Amending FHLB Affordable Housing Program Regulation

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that it is extending the comment period for the Agency’s proposed rule to amend the Federal Home Loan Banks’ Affordable Housing Program by 30 days.  The comment period was previously set to close on May 14, 2018, 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.  The comment…

FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Increased in March 2018

Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from February to March, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.49 percent for loans closed in late March, up 21 basis points from 4.28 percent in February….

FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.6 Percent in February 2018

U.S. house prices rose in February, up 0.6 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). The previously reported 0.8 percent increase in January was revised upward to 0.9 percent. The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages…

FHFA: Progress Update on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Credit Risk Transfer Programs

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today issued a Credit Risk Transfer Progress Report describing the status and volume of credit risk transfer (CRT) transactions through the fourth quarter of 2017.  The Report provides a comprehensive picture of how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) transfer a substantial portion of credit risk to the…

FHFA: Progress Report on the 2017 Scorecard for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a Progress Report today summarizing the 2017 activities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) to further FHFA’s three strategic objectives as conservator: Maintain, Reduce, and Build. The Report describes efforts taken by the Enterprises during 2017 to address factors limiting access to mortgage credit for creditworthy…

FHFA: June 2019 Implementation of the New Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security Announced

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that on June 3, 2019 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will start issuing a new, common security, the Uniform Mortgage-Backed Security (UMBS), in place of their current offerings of TBA-eligible mortgage-backed securities.  The new UMBS will be issued through the Enterprises’ joint venture, Common Securitization…

FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Increased in February 2018

Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from January to February, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.28 percent for loans closed in late February, up 16 basis points from 4.12 percent in January….