Tag Archives: Freddie Mac

JPMorgan Chase's $4 billion settlement with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reached late last week ""sets a relatively high bar"" for the 13 other banks still facing litigation from the federal agency, according to Fitch Ratings, which suggested Tuesday that some of the banks may need to increase their litigation reserves before settling. The $4 billion is about 12 percent of the original face value of the private-label mortgage-backed securities for which FHFA sought damages.

JPMorgan Chase reached agreements to resolve its mortgage-backed securities litigation with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and rep and warranty repurchase claims from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Altogether, the bank has agreed to pay $5.1 billion to the GSEs.

Though Capitol Hill's gridlock over the debt ceiling was resolved--for now, at least--mortgage rates this week took a spill as market uncertainty spooked investors. Freddie Mac released its Primary Mortgage Market Survey Thursday, which shows the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falling to an average rate of 4.13 percent for the week ending October 24, down from 4.28 percent last week and hitting its lowest point in about four months.

A 10-person panel of jurors is holding Bank of America and a mid-level manager liable for high-risk mortgages originated by Countrywide through a program known as Hustle and then sold off to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. After hearing arguments for four weeks in a Manhattan federal court, the jury returned a decision finding BofA liable on one charge of fraud in the civil case and finding Rebecca Mairone, former COO of one of Countrywide's lending divisions, liable on the one civil fraud charge she faced.

As the government works toward GSE reform, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) says reform for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) should also be a top concern. Though FHA has raised premiums, sold off distressed loans, and reduced its share of low down payment loans to counter its shrinking mortgage insurance fund, KBW's analysts underscore the need for longer-term measures of change, and they say reform legislation currently on the table is unlikely to pass.

Mortgage rates broke their streak of declines this week. Analysts say while the potential drag from the government shutdown and looming debt ceiling deadline had pulled rates lower in recent weeks, hopes that a promising deal was in the works served to ease those concerns and push rates higher. Freddie Mac reports the 30-year rate rose from 4.23 percent to 4.28 percent over the last week.

Fannie Mae priced its first risk-sharing transaction under the Connecticut Avenue Securities series (C-deals). The $675 million note offering is scheduled to settle on October 24 and is similar in structure to the STACR risk-sharing transaction from Freddie Mac this summer. Likewise, Fannie Mae's C-deal is intended to attract private capital to the housing market and reduce taxpayer risk.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) called on all approved mortgagees and lenders to be sensitive to the financial hardships some borrowers are facing as a result of the federal government shutdown, including those subject to furlough, layoff, or a reduction in income. The agency is instructing its industry partners to extend informal forbearance plans and exhaust all available loss mitigation options.

Freddie Mac has announced the completion of its first multifamily bulk loan sale to a global real estate investment firm. An affiliate of Colony Capital purchased the GSE's portfolio of 27 performing loans with an unpaid principal balance of $195 million.

As the industry prepares to comply with the January implementation of new rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac updated their servicing guides to bring GSE standards in line with the new regulations. Among the guideline changes, servicers are prohibited from mentioning foreclosure earlier than 121 days into delinquency.