Beginning next year, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will have to obtain identification numbers for the loan officer, originating lender, and appraisers involved in each loan they buy or guarantee, their regulator said.
The requirement will help the government-sponsored enterprises monitor the performance of loans originated or appraised by specific companies or individuals, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said last week. "If originators or appraisers have contributed to the incidences of mortgage fraud, these identifiers allow the enterprises to get to the root of the problem and address the issues," James Lockhart, the agency's director, said in a press release.
Fannie and Freddie will issue in the next 30 days guidance to lenders on satisfying the requirement, the FHFA said. The GSEs are to use the numbers assigned to lenders and loan officers in a national registry set up by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.
