The guessing game of who will succeed current acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Ed DeMarco continues.
The next victim of the rumor mill is Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics.
Zandi was an economic adviser to the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and currently speaks frequently on fiscal issues and housing.
While both the FHFA as well as Zandi declined to comment on the rumored succession, the Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the matter when initially covering Zandi as a possible candidate.
The White House hasn’t yet decided whom to nominate as the next director of the agency, a position it has struggled to fill.
Last month, talks around the watering cooler were that veteran congressman and member of the House Financial Services Committee Mel Watt, D-N.C., was being considered to replace DeMarco.
However, various industry experts, including Paul Miller of FBR Capital Markets, were not worried about the confirmation of the Congressman because he may not meet statutory requirements for the director’s position.
Other potential nominations added to the laundry list of potential DeMarco successors include Ted Tozer, president of Ginnie Mae, as well someone from academic circles—namely Susan Watcher, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania.
DeMarco has at times clashed with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as well as homeowners – protesters broke out during his last hearing – and as a result, groups have campaigned to replace the acting director.
However, as the nomination list keeps growing and growing and… growing, the obvious question at hand continues to rear its ugly head: is there truly anyone fit to replace DeMarco?
With both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac returning profits for 2012 as well as the Home Affordable Refinance Program extended until 2015, the current acting director is firing on all cylinders.
