Housing markets

As lawmakers tackle Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, any revamp must lessen risk to the mortgage system and U.S. taxpayers.

Home prices have more than recovered since the recession, but higher-than-ever medical and student debt is robbing many homeowners from realizing the benefits, while keeping others away from the market, according to Zillow.

The three federal banking agencies moved to raise the threshold for residential transactions that require an appraisal from $250,000 to $400,000.

Readers sound off on climate change, the Federal Reserve's incoming real-time payments system, efforts for gender pay equity and more.

Industry groups are calling on the consumer bureau to eliminate the debt-to-income limit for “qualified mortgages” and provide a short-term extension of special treatment for Fannie- and Freddie-backed loans.

Hispanics will make up more than half of new homeowners by 2030, and credit unions need to actively market to this demographic, according to a panel discussion at Inclusiv's annual conference.

With the ongoing issue of the affordable housing crisis, the Mortgage Bankers Association – which many credit unions are members of – got behind the Build More Housing Near Transit Act, a bipartisan bill introduced in the House of Representatives.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said at an investor conference that the Trump administration's plan for Fannie and Freddie would provide more opportunities for financial institutions. He also called for an end to the U.S.-China trade war and weighed in on the prospect of interest rates falling to zero.

The industry has taken some steps to lower barriers to affordable housing, but some observers say that more can be done.

The Treasury’s takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac left legacy shareholders holding the bag.