Credit risk transfer (CRT) has become, in relatively quick order, a core component of the business model of the two Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), Freddie Mac and…
Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
•
January 31, 2020
Despite slowing demand and the continued strength of new construction, rental markets in the US remain extremely tight. Vacancy rates are at decades-long lows, pushing up…
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), are required by law to be residential mortgage monolines. However, after the 2008 Financial…
Whitney Airgood-Obrycki, Jennifer Molinsky
•
January 14, 2020
As the overall population ages, the number of very low-income older adult households that qualify for HUD housing assistance is rising rapidly. Older adults tend to stay in…
As 2019 ends, the two Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae finally have some momentum in ending their conservatorships, the legal status under…
A significant feature of America’s residential mortgage system is its heavy politicization. This case study is about one long-running, specific aspect of that politicization…
Recent work has highlighted the significance of incarceration for wealth accrual and black-white gaps in homeownership, but the monetary sanctions and disruptions to…
Prior research suggests that comparison shopping for mortgages when purchasing a home helps secure a lower interest rate. In theory, the benefits of mortgage shopping should…
One of the justifications for federal involvement in the homeownership market is that it provides one of the few ways that low-income households can accumulate wealth. But…
Kerry Spitzer, Lauren Lambie-Hanson
•
November 6, 2019
The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan guaranty program lowers the cost of homeownership for veterans and their families by removing the barriers of a down…
