FHFA Increases Guarantee Fees

Freddie Mac Fannie Mae Mortgage Origination FHFA

On December 9, the FHFA directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to raise guarantee fees (g-fees). Under the directive, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will increase the base g-fee (or ongoing g-fee) for all mortgages by 10 basis points, and will update the up-front g-fee grid to better align pricing with the credit risk characteristics of the borrower. In addition, the up-front 25 basis point adverse market fee that has been assessed on all mortgages purchased by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae since 2008 will be eliminated except in four states. As described in the FHFA’s State-Level Guarantee Fee Analysis, mortgages newly acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that are originated in states that have expected carrying costs more than two standard deviations above the national average, will be charged an additional upfront guarantee fee of 25 basis points. The affected states include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida. The FHFA originally proposed charging fees on mortgages originated in all states over one standard deviation, which would have covered the four listed, plus Illinois. The new g-fees will apply to (i) all loans exchanged for mortgage-backed securities with settlements starting April 1, 2014, and (ii) all loans sold for cash with commitments starting March 1, 2014.