Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Multifamily Mortgage Market

Book excerpt: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two principal government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) in the mortgage markets, have come to play an increasingly important role in the multifamily housing finance system. Newly available loan-level data, released as part of HUD's GSE oversight activities, are used to evaluate the performance of GSEs in meeting the mortgage credit needs of properties affordable to low- and moderate-income families and of properties located in underserved geographic areas. The extent to which GSEs have been successful in addressing segments of the multifamily mortgage market affected by credit gaps is examined in the context of broader market trends, HUD's GSE housing goals, and the GSEs' need to manage default risk.