FHFA: Total Refinance Volume Ticks Up Slightly in Third Quarter 2017
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today reported that more than 362,934 refinances were completed in the third quarter of 2017, compared with 356,707 in the second quarter. FHFA’s third quarter Refinance Report also shows that more than 6,913 loans were refinanced through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), bringing the total number of HARP…
FHFA: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Will Re-enter the LIHTC Market
Equity Investments Will Support Underserved Markets The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will be allowed limited re-entry into the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) market as equity investors, effective immediately. The LIHTC, established in the Tax Reform Act of 1986, is the primary government program…
FHFA: 2017 Performance and Accountability Report Released
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its Performance and Accountability Report, which details FHFA’s activities as regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank System and as regulator and conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during fiscal year 2017. For the ninth consecutive year, FHFA received an unmodified audit opinion on its FY…
FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Decreased in September 2017
Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages decreased from August to September, 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 4.00 percent for loans closed in late September, down 5 basis points from 4.05 percent in August….
FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.7 Percent in August 2017
U.S. house prices rose in August, up 0.7 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). The previously reported 0.2 percent increase in July was revised upward to 0.4 percent. The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages…
FHFA: Preferred Language Question to be Added to the Redesigned Uniform Residential Loan Application
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced its decision to add a preferred language question to the redesigned Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA). This question will enable borrowers who prefer to communicate in a language other than English to identify that language. It also provides clear disclosures that the mortgage transaction is likely to…
FHFA: Agency Issues 2016 Report to Congress on Guarantee Fees
As required by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its annual report on the single-family guarantee fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). The report discusses guarantee fees charged in 2016 and provides a five-year perspective with data back to 2012. The…
FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Increased in August 2017
Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from July to August, 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 4.05 percent for loans closed in late August, up 6 basis points from 3.99 percent in July….
FHFA: Input Requested On Draft Strategic Plan For Fiscal Years 2018-2022
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is requesting input on FHFA’s Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2018-2022. FHFA’s draft strategic plan reflects the Agency’s priorities as regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank System and as regulator and conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). FHFA is requesting input from Members of Congress, the…
FHFA: Second Quarter 2017 Foreclosure Prevention Report Shows Foreclosure Preventions Surpass 3.9 Million
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its second quarter Foreclosure Prevention Report, which shows that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) completed 48,760 foreclosure prevention actions in the second quarter of 2017, bringing the total number of troubled homeowners helped to 3,931,224 since the start of the conservatorships in September 2008. Of…