How the GSEs Are Preventing Foreclosures

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed 38,968 foreclosure prevention actions in Q1 2019, bringing the total number of foreclosure prevention actions to 4,322,804 since September 2008 according to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Foreclosure Prevention Report.
Of the over four million foreclosure prevention actions taken by the GSEs, the FHFA notes that actions, 3,629,411 have helped troubled homeowners stay in their homes, including 2,336,047 permanent loan modifications. Additionally, around 38 percent of loan modifications completed in Q1 reduced borrowers’ monthly payments by more than 20 percent.
FHFA’s report also includes total numbers of home forfeiture actions. According to the report, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed 1,542 short sales and deeds in lieu in the first quarter, bringing the total to 693,393 since conservatorship began.
“The number of completed short sales and deeds in lieu decreased 13 percent in the first quarter compared with the fourth quarter of 2018,” the FHFA states. “These foreclosure alternatives help to reduce the severity of losses resulting from a borrower’s default and minimize the impact of foreclosures on borrowers, communities, and neighborhoods.”
Delinquencies are foreclosures are at record lows, according to Black Knight. Black Knight’s First Look at May’s mortgage performance data revealed that the national delinquency rate fell to another record low in May, at 3.36%, which is the lowest point since 2000.
Black Knight’s data also reveals that May saw the lowest number of foreclosure starts in 18 years, at around 39,000, while the number of loans in active foreclosure fell to a more than 13-year low. The total non-current rate has fallen to its lowest point since early 2005, driven by improvements in overall delinquencies.
Despite the record lows nationally, many southern states are still experiencing high rates of non-current loans. Mississippi leads with a non-current percentage of 9.86%, followed by Louisiana at 7.34% and Alabama at 6.37%. Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama also lead 90+ days delinquent loan volume.
DSNews