Policy changes impacting 15% of GDP in an election year are inherently risky, according to Isaac Boltansky of Compass Point. The result, he said, is likely to be “a long and winding road” toward housing-finance reform.
The GSEs’ loan performance data excludes various loan types, such as ARMs and low-documentation loans, that performed poorly in the financial crisis. Nearly half of the GSE loans originated in 2006 and 2007 are expurgated from the data provided to CRT investors.
The Supreme Court will not hear arguments in Collins v. Mnuchin in its current session, but the issue of the constitutionality of the single-director status of the FHFA is still alive. That’s because oral arguments in Seila Law v. CFPB, a case addressing similar issues, are scheduled for early March.
The bulk of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s prevention actions were aimed at home retention, with 20,370 loans modified, repayment plans negotiated on 5,965 delinquent loans and 3,328 units receiving some sort of forbearance.
The move gives the regulator more direct control over Common Securitization Solutions, which is responsible for issuing and administering the uniform MBS.
The percentage of private mortgage insurance sales tied to the GSEs’ low-downpayment programs dropped from 20% in July to 12% in December, with industry players pinning the fall on lower income thresholds.
To make sure property markets aren’t creating excessive systemic risk, it’s important for regulators to look at the issue broadly, said FHFA’s Mark Calabria. That’s where an activities-based approach is critical.