Government Flashcards
Fannie Mae (FNMA)
A government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) that was created in 1938 to expand the flow of mortgage money by creating a secondary mortgage market. Fannie Mae is a publicly traded company which operates under a congressional charter that directs Fannie Mae to channel its efforts into increasing the availability and affordability of homeownership for low-, moderate- and middle-income Americans.
Fannie Mae purchases and guarantees mortgages that meet its funding criteria. Through this process it secures mortgages to form mortgage-backed securities (MBS). The market for Fannie Mae’s MBS is extremely large and liquid. Pension funds, insurance companies and foreign governments are among the investors in Fannie Mae’s MBS. In order to promote homeownership, Fannie Mae also holds a large portfolio of its own and other institution’s MBSs, known as its retained portfolio. To fund this portfolio, Fannie Mae issues debt known in the market place as agency debt.
Fannie Mae’s “little brother” is Freddie Mac. Together, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchase or guarantee between 40 to 60% of all mortgages originated in the United States annually, depending upon market conditions and consumer trends.
Ginnie Mae (GNMA)
Ginnie Mae neither issues, sells or buys pass-through mortgage-backed securities, nor does it purchase mortgage loans. It simply guarantees (insures) the timely payment of principal and interest from approved issuers (such as mortgage bankers, savings and loans, and commercial banks) of qualifying loans, such as those issued by the FHA and RHA.
Unlike its cousins Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Sallie Mae, Ginnie Mae is not a publicly-traded company. An investor in a GNMA security will not know who the underlying issuer of the mortgages is, but merely that the security is guaranteed by GNMA, which is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S government, just like U.S. Treasuries.
Freddie Mac (FHLMC)
A stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) chartered by Congress in 1970 to keep money flowing to mortgage lenders in support of homeownership and rental housing for middle income Americans. The FHLMC purchases, guarantees and securitizes mortgages to form mortgage-backed securities. The mortgage-backed securities that it issues tend to be very liquid and carry a credit rating close to that of U.S. Treasuries.
its ties to the U.S. government allows it to borrow money at interest rates lower than those available to other financial institutions. With this funding advantage, it issues large amounts of debt (known in the market place as agency debt or agencies), and in turn purchases and holds a huge portfolio of mortgages known as its retained portfolio.
LIHTC
Low Income Housing Tax Credit. IRS program. Tenants with income no higher than 30% AMI. Investor entitled to tax credit for 10 consecutive years. Project must be available to low-income renters for 15 years.
2 sets of rates:
4% and 9%
Allocated in competitive rounds done by state. At least 10% of the tax credits must legally go to nonprofit developers.
Historic Tax Credit
A federal tax incentive to encourage real estate developers to renovate, restore and reconstruct old buildings. Certified historic structures are eligible for a 20% credit. The credit applies to the building’s rehabilitation costs, but not to the cost of purchasing the building or to repairing sidewalks, parking lots and landscaping.
Banks are the principal purchasers of tax credits. Administered by both the state and NPS.
