Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), under the direction of Bill Pulte, is charting a new course for its 2026–2030 strategic plan—one that shifts its focus from broad housing access and equity initiatives to a more risk-based supervisory framework. This pivot comes in direct response to recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, which have reprioritized regulatory approaches across federal agencies.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Federal Reserve is increasingly sounding the alarm about growing risks in the U.S. housing and labor markets. In its latest meeting minutes, officials emphasized that a “more substantial deterioration in the housing market” could spill over into broader economic weakening, with particular concern for employment.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
Mortgage industry data reveal signals pointing toward an uptick in home‑sales activity in 2026, driven largely by shifts in borrower behavior, equity patterns, and the unwinding of the “rate‑lock” effect. While affordability remains a headwind, the evolving mortgage landscape suggests increased turnover and sales opportunities on the horizon.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has unveiled its proposed housing goals for the 2026–2028 cycle, revealing a shift toward easing affordable housing mandates on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The changes reflect growing concerns that current benchmarks may be distorting market behavior and placing undue strain on lenders.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
President Donald Trump has publicly challenged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to catalyze a surge in homebuilding activity, asserting that developers are sitting on a record number of vacant lots. His remarks, made on October 5, signal renewed pressure on the government‑backed mortgage firms to play a more active role in alleviating housing shortages.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
Mortgage rates have already begun easing through 2025, falling from highs above 7% into the mid‑6% range. With the Federal Reserve initiating its first rate cuts in over a year, many buyers and homeowners are hoping for more substantial relief. But analysts caution that while further declines are possible in October, they are likely to be measured, not dramatic.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
Recent adjustments to FHA policy have significantly reshaped financing options for visa holders. Under the revised rules, non‑permanent residents are now excluded from FHA eligibility for Title I loans (which include property improvements and manufactured-home loans). This change tightens the window for many prospective immigrant buyers.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group has revised its expectations for mortgage rates and housing activity, offering a more tempered view of the market’s recovery path. In its September outlook, the ESR team now projects the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate to fall to 6.4% by the end of 2025 and further down to 5.9% by the close of 2026.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Federal Reserve’s anticipated quarter‑point rate cut has sparked optimism—but mortgage rates aren’t likely to tumble in tandem, leaving many buyers and refinancers with modest gains at best. Short‑term rate moves from the Fed often lose their punch by the time they reach consumers.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
With a Federal Reserve rate cut all but certain in the coming days, financial professionals are advising Americans to brace for a new wave of economic ripple effects. While markets have priced in a quarter-point reduction, the move could still influence everything from mortgage rates to savings yields—and not always in obvious ways.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
August saw a dramatic shift in mortgage market behavior as rate-and-term refinances surged and non-QM lending hit its highest level to date. While purchase activity continued to cool, a wave of homeowners rushed to take advantage of slightly improved rates, and lenders expanded their reach with creative non-agency loan offerings.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The administration may declare a national housing emergency as early as this fall, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. While no official framework has been released, potential executive actions under consideration include standardizing local building and zoning codes, lowering closing costs, and granting tariff waivers on construction materials.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has formally raised concerns to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) about how Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) debt should be treated in mortgage underwriting. In a letter submitted on August 25, the MBA highlighted risks that could undermine borrower affordability assessments and FHA’s financial safeguards.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
Markets were taken by surprise after a highly controversial decision from the White House rattled investor sentiment and reignited concerns about the political independence of the Federal Reserve. The sudden announcement of a Federal Reserve governor’s removal—based on disputed allegations of past mortgage-related impropriety—has triggered legal challenges and intensified debate about executive authority over monetary policy institutions.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
U.S. mortgage rates edged higher on August 25, pulling back slightly from their recent 10-month lows. The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan rose by just 0.02 percentage points, keeping rates firmly in historically favorable territory. This small uptick followed a period of sharp rate declines driven by a strong rally in the bond market.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is urging a major overhaul of how lenders access credit data for loans delivered to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, calling their tri-merge mandate—requiring credit reports from all three major credit bureaus—"an outdated relic" that drives up costs and limits choice.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
Mortgage rates held steady on August 12, 2025, providing a brief moment of calm for borrowers and lenders after a string of economic data releases. According to the Mortgage News Daily index, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate remains at 6.58%, unchanged from the previous day and comfortably within its recent range.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Trump administration is reportedly exploring an initial public offering (IPO) for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the end of 2025—a move that could generate up to $30 billion by selling between 5% and 15% of shares to public investors. If executed, the offering would be among the largest IPOs in history and signal a major shift in U.S. housing finance policy.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has launched a proposal to repeal its 2024 Fair Lending, Fair Housing, and Equitable Housing Finance Plans rule, citing redundancy with existing regulations and seeking to ease administrative burdens on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. The move marks a significant shift in housing policy less than two years after the rule was finalized.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
A new debate is emerging in Washington as lawmakers push back against a controversial move by Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte, who has instructed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to explore the use of cryptocurrency in mortgage underwriting. The initiative would permit borrowers to include crypto assets held on U.S.-regulated exchanges in their financial reserves—even without converting them to dollars—raising alarms among Senate Democrats.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
Home equity lending is growing rapidly in the U.S. as more homeowners unlock record levels of home value to fund renovations, consolidate debt, or access liquidity without refinancing their first mortgages. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, originations of home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and closed-end second mortgages rose by 7.2% in 2024, with outstanding balances climbing by 10.3%.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
FHFA has released detailed responses to lender questions concerning its recent directive expanding the use of VantageScore alongside FICO for mortgage underwriting. These clarifications are meant to smooth integration, maintain data consistency, and address concerns about compliance and operational challenges.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
June’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report likely closed the door on the possibility of a Federal Reserve rate cut in July, as inflation remains more persistent than many had anticipated. The data suggest that monetary policy will stay tighter for longer, leaving borrowers, homebuyers, and markets adjusting their expectations for relief.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
U.S. home prices are showing signs of slowing down, with more than half of the top 100 housing markets now reporting price levels below their spring peaks. This shift suggests the housing market may be entering a more balanced phase as affordability concerns temper the pace of price growth.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has rescinded more than a dozen sub-regulatory mortgage policies in an aggressive effort to streamline operations, cut costs, and reduce regulatory burdens on lenders and borrowers. The move is part of a broader strategy aimed at making FHA-backed loans more accessible and affordable.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
Across the United States, homes are taking noticeably longer to sell, signaling a shift in the housing market that is affecting the behavior of buyers, sellers, and agents alike. The typical time on market has climbed to about 60 days, up significantly from roughly 38 days this time last year.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
In a striking and unconventional move, former President Donald Trump has intensified his public campaign for lower interest rates by delivering a handwritten note directly to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The note, written in bold Sharpie on oversized paper, marks a rare personal appeal and escalates a long-running feud over monetary policy.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
U.S. home price growth is expected to moderate over the next two years, according to a new expert panel survey conducted by Fannie Mae and Pulsenomics. Economists forecast average annual increases of 2.9% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2026—marking a downward revision from earlier expectations of 3.4% and 3.3%, respectively.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged at its June policy meeting, maintaining the benchmark rate within the 4.25% to 4.50% range. While the move has been anticipated by markets, its implications for consumers, investors, and policymakers remain significant.
Written by: Internal Analysis & Opinion Writers
The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act, legislation aimed at curbing the controversial practice of selling “trigger leads” — a move that brings lawmakers closer to ending a long-standing industry tactic that many borrowers consider invasive. Trigger leads occur when credit bureaus sell consumer data after a mortgage lender pulls a borrower’s credit report.
Written By: NAMP® Staff Writer
2016 has seen numerous changes in guidelines for reviewing student loan qualifying payments. In this two part series, N.A.M.P. and N.A.M.U. will provide tools for processors and underwriters to use when determining which calculation should be used for qualifying student loan payments. Part I reviewed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s guidelines. We continue this series by exploring USDA, FHA and VA rules.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
2016 has seen numerous changes in guidelines for reviewing student loan qualifying payments. In this two part series, N.A.M.P. and N.A.M.U. will provide tools for processors and underwriters to use when determining which calculation should be used for qualifying student loan payments. We will begin with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s rules on this topic. Part II will explore USDA, FHA, and VA rules.
Written By: Carlette Emperator
There’s been several times that reimbursement from employee business expenses have been used against the borrower for mortgage qualification. This has caused the borrowers monthly income to be reduced based on the information noted in the two most current tax returns on schedule A or form 2106.
Written By: Carlotta Emperator, Op-Ed Writer
In recent year, FHA has published updates to the rules that affect how to process a FHA Reverse Mortgage or Home Equity Conversation Mortgage. This process is completed through what is a “Financial Assessment” that was added to the Reverse Mortgage effective date April 27, 2015. FHA required each lender to process a prospective mortgagor on all HECM transaction type.
Written By: Angelique Jackson, Op-Ed Ghost Writer
On March 29, 2016 Fannie Mae issued an updated regarding DU 10.0 and Multiple Financed Properties. Previously, we lenders had to manually calculate the reserve requirements because DU did not provide that information. Well, that will all change the weekend of June 25, 2016. DU will now calculate the number of financed properties the borrower has and calculate the reserves for both the subject property and the “Other financed properties.” But before we get into the calculations for the total number of financed properties and reserves, let’s talk about the multiple finance property rule and when it applies.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
Although the automated underwriting system provides guidance on loan analysis, it is critical to hone your guideline reviewing skills. Underwriting guidelines contain critical definitions, clarifications, and rules that must be applied on all loans. In some cases, the AUS will refer to the guidelines for the full list of requirements to address a particular loan characteristic. As a result, let’s review some best practices for using guidelines.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Writer
In the age of green technology the mortgage industry is beginning to see more properties with Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) systems, more commonly known as Solar Panels. In this 2-part article we will cover what solar energy is, how it works, the types of financing available and the documentation requirements. What are some of the benefits of using solar energy? It helps conserve our fossil fuel resources and reduces our reliance on imported fuels.
Written By: Angelique Jackson, Op-Ed Writer
Last week we covered the different types of financing available for solar panels such as a Solar Lease, Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), a Solar Loan and the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. With a Solar Lease or Solar Loan, the lease/loan payments are included in the DTI (a solar loan payment is added to the PITI as subordinate financing),while payments for a PPA are excluded from the DTI since the homeowner only pays for the energy that was produced.
Written By: NAMP® SOp-Ed Ghost Writer
Underwriters and processors that work for non-delegated lenders must submit loan packages for review. Those packages are subsequently reviewed by the MI or investor underwriting team. These packages may also be reviewed by management, sales professionals, and auditors. As a result, it is important to put your best foot forward and present as clean and transparent a package as possible.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
We have seen frequent changes in the requirements for including student loans over the last year. There was a time where student loans could be excluded from the qualifying ratios if the borrower was able to verify certain terms of deferment. In addition, income-based repayment plans and other temporary reduction plans were permitted. However, the agencies have recently released lender updates that are changing the student loan game.
SOURCE: Mortgage News Feed
GUS, or Guaranteed Underwriting System, is USDA’s automated underwriting engine. GUS can take some getting used to if you are most familiar with Desktop Underwriter or Loan Prospector. Here are some tips to help you navigate GUS and get the most accurate findings for submission to USDA.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
As the weather warms and the housing market gains steam, volume will increase. Production standards will be revisited by management and rush requests will become the new normal. The pressure to get loans out of the underwriting queue will increase. As a result, we must tighten up our process flow and put some best practices in place. One of the most fundamentally important best practices is the validation of the findings.
Written By: Angelique Jackson
On March 9, 2016 the final rule published in the Federal Register in February is now in effect. We have been working under the interim final rule since December 1, 2014. There are a few new items in the handbook along with the restructuring of the handbook similar to FHA’s 4000.1 where all information is gathered in one single source and divided in sections for Manual Underwriting and GUS Accept. Chapters 5-16 were updated with new guidance and/or clarifications to old guidance. I am not going to go over all of the changes but I will talk about some of the more pertinent changes and clarifications that were done.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
USDA introduced several changes on December 1, 2014. These were the interim rules that became effective with the introduction of the new guaranteed loan program regulations 7 CFR Part 3555. Since then, USDA has finalized these rules. Those final changes became effective March 9, 2016.The first highly anticipated change is that discount points may now be financed for all applicants.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
Recently Fannie Mae has issued communication regarding some upcoming changes with Desktop Underwriter (DU), the Single Family Selling Guide, and Collateral Underwriter (CU).
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
The busy season in the mortgage industry is fast approaching! Soon, the weather will break and homebuyers will come out of hibernation to begin searching for their next home. As a result, this is a good time to think about some best practices for maximizing productivity and efficiency. Time management is one of the most critical of these practices.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
Most underwriters and processors have the basics of calculating income down to a science. The hourly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and annual calculations are second nature to those of us who calculate income every day. As a result, many processors and underwriters will manually execute their calculations on an underwriting or processing worksheet. Many underwriters will also type their calculation on their underwriting transmittal. However, there are some drawbacks to manual calculations that an income calculation worksheet can overcome.
Written By: NAMP® Op-Ed Ghost Writer
The past year has seen sweeping changes in almost every area of loan origination, underwriting guidelines, and loan disclosures. USDA and FHA have both created new handbooks that came with completely new guidelines. The CFPB introduced the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosures which replaced the Good Faith Estimate, TIL, and HUD-1. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac introduced new guidelines for many topics including review of Schedule-A Unreimbursed Expenses and required reserves for borrowers retaining their home as a secondary or rental property.
Written By: Carlotta Emperator, Op-Ed Writer
Many borrowers have deferred student loans. A deferment, like forbearance is a temporary suspension of the obligation to repay a federal student or parent education loan. In order to qualify for a home mortgage, these obligations were being “omitted” or calculated incorrectly. Therefore, the borrower’s ratio would be affected based on the mortgage product.