It has been 14 years since Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were put under full operational control of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) at the height of the financial crisis in September 2008. At the time, then-Treasury Secretary Henry ...
Read More »Should Conforming Loan Limits be Capped?
In November, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced its annual change to the conforming loan limit for loans purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs). For 2022, it was announced that the limit increased by 18% to $647,200, reflecting the average increase of home prices over the last year. But ...
Read More »Rethinking Housing-Finance Policy
An expert in the subject says it is time to "step back, take stock, and look for fresh ideas" surrounding America's homeownership rate and related financial health.
Read More »Homeowners’ Renovation Spending Doubled Since 2001
The remodeling industry has responded with shifts in scale and specialization, according to a study by Harvard's JCHS.
Read More »FHFA Director Addresses Underserved Markets
Through its Duty to Serve program, the FHFA is seeking equitable housing options for underserved markets as a solution to closing the affordability gap.
Read More »Despite Pandemic, the Need for Smaller Homes Remains
A study released by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies has found that while the pandemic has yielded the need for bigger and more spacious homes, the demand for smaller and more modestly-priced homes remains relatively high.
Read More »Demographic Impacts on Housing, Economic Security
Even though older adults reportedly are more vulnerable to the coronavirus and related physical effects, American households headed by this population seem to be more insulated from pandemic-related economic pains.
Read More »Three-Decade Study Finds Young Households in a Bad Place
A look at how the U.S. housing market has grown over the past 30 years paints a sobering picture of imbalance, particularly for younger and poorer Americans.
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