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Fannie Mae offering buyers incentives on HomePath Properties

Dennis Norman

Fannie Mae is offering 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance or an equivalaent amount in appliances for people purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned HomePath® property.

Fannie Mae is trying to entice buyers to buy one of their HomePath® homes by offering to pay up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance or an equal amount [...]

What does 2010 hold in store for the Housing Market?

Dennis Norman

In a just a few days we will say goodbye to 2009; a year that has been brutal to the housing market.  So as the new year comes in, what will 2010 hold in store for the housing market?

To answer this question I turned to the housing forecast just released by Fannie Mae to see [...]

Evictions and foreclosure activities suspended over holidays for some borrowers

Dennis Norman

Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and CitiMortgage give borrowers a break over the holidays…

Within the past day Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have both announced that they are suspending evictions from December 19, 2009 through January 3, 2010 on foreclosed homes, two families and four families, that they hold. 

CitiMortgage and CitiFinancial announced yesterday a [...]

Owner occupants get first shot at Fannie Mae foreclosures under ‘First Look’ initiative

Dennis Norman

Fannie Mae just announced their new “First Look” initiative which is aimed at supporting neighborhood stabilization and promoting home purchases by owner occupants by providing owner occupants an advantage in purchasing Fannie-Mae-owned foreclosed properties.

Under the First Look program only offers from owner occupants and buyers using public funds are considered during the first 15 [...]

Fannie Mae launches new HomePath Site in Spanish

New Site Aimed at Helping More Hispanics Buy Homes

FannieMae announced the company launched a Spanish version of its HomePath.com website designed to help more potential homeowners who speak Spanish purchase Fannie Mae-owned properties.

The new website in Spanish mirrors the English version of HomePath.com featuring an interactive search tool of Fannie Mae-owned properties nationwide, details [...]

New alternative for some homeowners facing foreclosure; Deed for Lease

Dennis Norman

If you are a homeowner facing losing your home in foreclosure but you do not qualify for or have not been able to sustain other loan-workout solutions, such as a modification, you may have another alternative: The Deed for Lease program announced yesterday by Fannie Mae for homeowners with loans insured by Fannie Mae.

“The [...]

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Increase LTV’s on Home Affordable Refinance to 125%

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

Effective the 1st of this month The Federal Housing Finance Agency has authorized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to expand the Home Affordable Refiance Program (HARP) to homeowners who are current on their mortgage payments from the present maximum loan to value of 105% to 125%. 

The program is designed to allow [...]

Fed regulator says we may be seeing some bottoming of the market

James B. Lockhart III, Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency

By: Dennis Norman

In an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box  James Lockhart, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency which is the regulator of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Banks had a few good things to say about the real estate market.

When asked [...]

Home Valuation Code of Conduct; HVCC – What it is and what it isn’t

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

Practically the entire real estate industry seems to be abuzz about the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) that went into effect May 1st. I first wrote about it back in early April in a post on this blog.

Since Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac implemented the new rule there have been [...]

Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC): Protection for Lenders and Homebuyers

After May1st Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will no longer accept loans that do not comply with The new Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC).