What impact will FHFA’s fee increase have on lending — and the election?

On today’s episode, HousingWire Editor at Large Kathleen Howley is here to discuss her recent HW+ article on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s announcement last Wednesday to impose a 0.5% fee on refinance mortgages, and how this decision could become an election issue. 

For some background on the story, here’s a summary of the article:

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two largest mortgage financiers in the world, on Wednesday night announced they would impose a 0.5% fee on every refinanced mortgage starting Sept. 1. Look for it to become an issue in the campaign.

The new fee “exposes President Trump to charges that he is trying to tax housing at the height of the economic crisis,” said Jaret Seiberg, managing director of Cowen Group, a Washington D.C. research firm. “That is a political liability for the president. We expect Democrats will exploit this.”

For borrowers refinancing their mortgages, the new fee probably will cost them about $1,400 per loan, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. That’s money that could have gone toward bolstering the economy in the form of consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of the nation’s GDP.

The Daily Download examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.

HousingWire articles covered in this episode:

• Fannie, Freddie fee hike may become an election issue
• New fee on mortgage refinances could cost homeowners $1,400