Library — National Association of Mortgage Underwriters (NAMU)®

**SPECIAL OFFER** The Official NAMU® Underwriter Boot Camp - CLICK TO LEARN MORE >>

How Will Donald Trump's Second Term Affect Mortgage Lenders?

How Will Donald Trump's Second Term Affect Mortgage Lenders?

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

Later this month, Donald Trump will be inaugurated into his second term as President of the United States. Since his election victory two months ago, many have speculated what impact his administration will have on housing and the mortgage industry the next four years. Already, the transition to a second Trump administration has impacted a key federal agency.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

What Awaits Mortgage Professionals in 2025?

What Awaits Mortgage Professionals in 2025?

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

The mortgage industry will face its share of challenges, opportunities and unknowns in 2025. Here are a few trends on the horizon: Perhaps the biggest unknown for mortgage underwriters and processors is the effect of a second Donald Trump administration on the industry. The Biden administration’s priority in the housing sector was making housing more affordable and accessible. Vice President Harris and Trump both indicated a desire to make housing more affordable using different approaches.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

CBO Reports GSEs in Better Financial Position to Exit Conservatorship

CBO Reports GSEs in Better Financial Position to Exit Conservatorship

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has concluded that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in better financial position to repay the U.S. Treasury for its stake in the enterprises than they were four years ago. CBO conducted updated analysis on the effects of recapitalizing the GSEs at the request of the House Financial Services Committee. The original analysis was conducted in August 2020, while the CBO released its updated findings last week.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

FHFA, FHA Announce Conforming Loan Limits for 2025

FHFA, FHA Announce Conforming Loan Limits for 2025

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

Mortgage underwriters and processors can offer larger FHA mortgage loans and loans that conform to FHFA limits next year. Both agencies announced higher loan limits last week. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that conforming loan limit values (CLLs) for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be $806,500 for one-unit properties in most of the United States in 2025.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

CBO Report Analyzes Housing Goal Structure for GSEs

CBO Report Analyzes Housing Goal Structure for GSEs

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have met or exceeded nearly all of their housing goals in the last several years, according to a report released this month by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Using data published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the CBO concluded that the two GSEs met or exceeded yearly single-family housing goals from 2018 and 2022.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

GSEs Report Combined $7 Billion in Third-quarter Net Income

GSEs Report Combined $7 Billion in Third-quarter Net Income

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac produced profitable third quarter financial results consistent with recent trends. The government-sponsored enterprises released third-quarter results last week, with Fannie Mae reporting a $4 billion quarterly profit and Freddie Mac reporting $3.1 billion in net income.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

Potential FICO Price Hike Raises Ire of Politicians and Lender Group

Potential FICO Price Hike Raises Ire of Politicians and Lender Group

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

Politicians and a mortgage industry group have expressed concern about Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) this month, which coincided with the mere suggestion recently that FICO might raise the cost of credit reporting. A group of 34 Democrat U.S. senators and representatives, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), wrote a letter to President Joe Biden urging action on a number of initiatives to lower housing costs.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

Can Anything be Done to Help First-Time Buyers Afford Houses?

Can Anything be Done to Help First-Time Buyers Afford Houses?

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

The headline is optimistic. “Redfin Reports Buying a Starter Home Is Now Cheaper Than It Was a Year Ago,” may lead somebody to think housing is becoming more affordable. Further down, however, one would discover the problem of housing affordability is far from solved.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

Sales and Originations Hitting New Lows, But 2025 Rebound Still Expected

Sales and Originations Hitting New Lows, But 2025 Rebound Still Expected

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

Home sales are on the decline despite lower mortgage rates and increasing supply, with the latest projections indicating a 30-year low for this year. Real estate brokerage Redfin reported that existing home sales fell 3.1 percent year over year in August to their lowest mark since May 2020, when the pandemic brought the housing market to a standstill. Removing that month, August sales were the lowest since 2012.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.

Housing Affordability Improves, But Purchase Mortgages May be Slow to Rebound

Housing Affordability Improves, But Purchase Mortgages May be Slow to Rebound

Written By: Joel Palmer, Op-Ed Writer

Several reports released in the past week may give mortgage underwriters and processors a reason to feel more optimistic about the possibility of more potential borrowers in the near future. The bottom line in recent data is that buying a home is slowly becoming more affordable due to a combination of lower mortgage rates and slower growth in home values.

Read More

Share

Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) Disclaimer For NAMU® Library Articles: The views and opinions expressed in the NAMU® Library articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official NAMU® policy or position. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of NAMU®. Nothing contained in this articles should be considered legal advice.