Tag Archive for: freddie mac

Refinance Rates Drop as FHFA Eliminates Fee

Last week on July 16, 2021, the FHFA formally announced plans to eliminate the 0.5% adverse market refinance fee, sending lenders into a competitive race to drop rates for qualified borrowers ahead of schedule. According to the FHFA press release, “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will eliminate the Adverse Market Refinance Fee for loan deliveries […]

Jumbo Loan Limits for 2021: Shop with Confidence

Earlier this year, jumbo loan limits increased to $548,250 in most of the U.S. and up to $822,275 in high-cost areas. Why does this matter? Jumbo loan limits put mortgages in two distinct buckets: conforming home loans and non-conforming home loans. Depending on your homeownership goals, you might want to shop within conforming limits so […]

Will Mortgage Rates Rise With Inflation and For How Long?

Mortgage rates are starting to fluctuate, and there are a lot of predictions floating around about rising mortgage rates. But the pandemic has taught us that nothing is for sure. Trends that used to be predictable are in question. So how can we know whether or not mortgage rates are going to rise or stay […]

Mortgage Rates Still at Record Lows — Don’t Wait!

It’s certainly easy to get distracted at this time of year. It seems that once we hit Thanksgiving Week, the rest of the year is a blur. Travel, festivities, family get togethers. They are smashed together within a 30 day period. Certainly the main priority is to enjoy the holidays with family and friends along […]

Overlays Explained

What are Overlays? An Overlay is a mortgage industry term. In simple terms, overlays are additional qualifying requirements on top of the guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as FHA, VA and USDA. These guidelines are set forth for several reasons but one is to provide lenders with mortgage program stability. […]

Why Do Lenders Sell Loans?

It can be somewhat surprising, especially for those who have just purchased their very first home, to discover the mortgage they recently got has been sold by their lender to someone else. The mortgage industry refers to this as a “goodbye letter” which, required by regulation, informs the borrowers their loan was sold and when […]

Conventional Loan Approval: Basic Guidelines

Conventional loans are by far the most popular choice among home buyers. Conventional loans are those underwritten to standards set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. When a loan is approved using these guidelines it is then eligible for sale in the secondary markets. Selling a loan allows the lender to continue making mortgages. […]