Tag Archives: Freddie Mac

In its weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Freddie Mac recorded the average rate for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) at 4.14 percent (0.6 point), down from 4.20 percent last week. Last May, the 30-year fixed was at 3.59 percent and climbing amid speculation the Federal Reserve would soon start tapering its monthly asset purchases. The first cut didn't arrive until seven months later, in December.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General (FHFAOIG) released its latest update on the status of the development of the Common Securitization Platform (CSP). In a recent speech, FHFA director Mel Watt said the continued development of the Common Securitization Platform is one of the most important goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac going forward.

According to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year average fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) eased to 4.20 percent (0.6 point) for the week ending May 15, a drop of just 1 basis point from the last survey. It was the third straight week of declines, Freddie Mac reported, bring the 30-year fixed average to a six-month low.

Despite some recent kickback from Senate Democrats, the Johnson-Crapo reform bill that plans to phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac passed the Senate Banking Committee by a bipartisan vote of 13-9. The legislation is an agreement between Chairman Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) "designed to stabilize the housing finance market and strengthen the American economy," the committee said in a press release.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has been busy. After a recent Mel Watt speech as well as a plan for the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government agency released its Foreclosure Prevention Report for February 2014. The report contains data regarding the foreclosure prevention activity of the GSEs as of the end of February.

In a speaking engagement at the Brookings Institution, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Melvin L. Watt spoke about his new 2014 Strategic Plan for the Conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, highlighting a few major changes to the plan. Notably Watt’s plan removes any intention to reduce the GSEs' presence in the market, a central part of former Acting Director Edward DeMarco's strategic plan.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released its strategic plan for the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In its report, the FHFA focused on three tenets going forward for the GSEs: maintain foreclosure prevention activities, reduce taxpayer risk, and build a new, single-family securitization infrastructure.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released its Quarterly Performance Report of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, as well as the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Overall, the performance report was good, noting increases in Fannie and Freddie earnings, as well as substantial advances by the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

A recently unveiled plan to phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and overhaul the secondary mortgage market may have hit a snag in the Senate. Six key senators reportedly decided not to give their support to the bill unless they’re able to make major changes during markup.

In its Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Freddie Mac clocked the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) at an average 4.21 percent (0.6 point), down from 4.29 percent and the lowest level since late last year. A year ago, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.42 percent. The 15-year FRM also moved down, dipping to 3.32 percent (0.6 point) from 3.38 percent in last week’s survey.