The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Thursday released its third Enterprise Non-Performing Loan Sales Report, which lists all the sales of all non-performing loans from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to the private sector through December 31, 2016. The report tracks total loan sales, total number delinquent assents unloaded, and time of delinquency. It also strives to track borrower outcomes and measure how many properties were foreclosed on, how many avoided foreclosure, and the difference between homes that were sold to third parties and benchmark NPLs.

Fannie Mae's April monthly summary was recently released showing slight growth for the month. Though temporarily, their Gross Mortgage portfolio increased at a compound annualized rate of 52.5 percent. Conversely, the Conventional Single-Family Serious Delinquency Rate decreased five basis points.

Due to a shortage of licensed and certified appraisers, major national financial regulatory agencies have issued an advisory to help reduce delays in the consideration of loan applications in rural communities. Since loans cannot be executed without appraisals, the advisory outlines two options to remedy the problem. The FDIC has suggested that states issue temporary practice permits and engage in reciprocity, or that effected institutions submit a request temporary waivers to set aside licensing requirements.

Nearly a decade after the housing crisis in 2008 and the passing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will soon be required by law to examine the Ability-to-Repay/Qualified Mortgage Rule and assess the rule’s effectiveness. With the housing market having bounced back since the crash, will some of the rule’s guidelines be amended? What could this mean for borrowers and mortgage professionals?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has conducted its monthly interest rate survey for 4,437 loans closed during the last five business days in April across 17 lenders, and has reported a decline by 14 to 15 basis points across all mortgage interest rates. The average loan amount has also seen a slight drop of $1,100 after experiencing a spike in March. And while average loan amounts fluctuate from one month to the next, interest rates have been dropping since February.

As the technology conversation in the mortgage industry heats up, many companies are attempting to meet industry demands and adopt streamlined industry processes. Today’s companies are driven by creativity and innovation and are fostered by client success. DS News spoke to James Vinci, VP and Chief Technology Officer at Equator, about what mortgage professionals can learn from other industries and what technology trends are having the most impact today.

A national study has suggested the current White House plan for tax reform will increase taxes for middle-class homeowners. Families with adjusted gross incomes between $50,000 to $200,000 could see an average annual increase of $815 on their federal income taxes. As federal tax deductions are one of the main incentives for homeownership, it is imperative for organizations in the industry to remain vigilant in working with Congress to draft tax reform that promotes owning a home.

On Wednesday, in response to recent Ransomware attacks across over 150 countries around the world including the publicized DocuSign, Fitch Ratings issued a press release reminding information technology (IT) companies in the mortgage finance industry the importance of remaining vigilant in the ever-present need for regular security testing. While it reports no operations have been effected, it stresses the need for continued and constant upgrades to both software and hardware.

The status quo for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be changing according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. He and FHFA Director Melvin Watt separately addressed the state of the GSEs Thursday. Watt explained that reforms during conservatorship need to be kept in mind when addressing housing finance reform.

A recent survey shows improved performances for mortgage performance for 1-4 family properties. Foreclosures in process fell as well. But new foreclosure starts picked up for the first time since 2014