Special Topics
In our Special Topics series, we look closely at data collected through our National Housing Survey®, Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey®, and customized research to explore specific trends, challenges, and opportunities facing consumers and mortgage lenders in today's housing market.
Most Consumers Support Building New Housing but Disagree on the Details in Their Own Neighborhoods
November 13, 2024
Our National Housing Survey asked consumers for their perspective on increasing housing density and zoning in their actual neighborhoods, including the expected impact on local home prices, rents, and taxes, and the types of housing supply they're most likely to support.
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Mortgage Lenders See Immense Value in Simplifying and Standardizing Closing-Cost Descriptions
October 22, 2024
In late July, we surveyed over 200 senior mortgage executives via our Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey to gather insights from lenders about opportunities to simplify and standardize closing cost line-item descriptions, as well as their opinions on which cost areas would benefit from clearer definitions to increase transparency for borrowers.
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Opportunities Exist to Offer Digital Verification Tools to More Homebuyers
August 8, 2024
Earlier this year, we surveyed recent homebuyers – those who purchased a home with a mortgage acquired by Fannie Mae between January 2023 and November 2023 – to better understand adoption rates and overall experiences with digital technology.
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Consumer Mortgage Understanding Study
July 15, 2024
In 2015, 2018, and again in 2023, Fannie Mae conducted a consumer survey that uncovered opportunities to close knowledge gaps around mortgage qualifications and underscored the need to continue to improve the mortgage process. While consumer knowledge of what it takes to qualify for a mortgage is mixed, Fannie Mae and the industry can help close the knowledge gap by making the mortgage process more intuitive and leverage underwriting innovations to make the dream of homeownership a reality.
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Mortgage Lenders Cite Talent Management and Cost-Cutting as Top Priorities
July 9, 2024
Mortgage lenders cited "talent management and leadership" and "cost-cutting" as their two most important business priorities of 2024, according to our latest Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey (MLSS).
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Mortgage Lenders View TSPs as Indispensable (but Expensive) Partners
April 18, 2024
Fannie Mae's Economic and Strategic Research Group surveyed nearly 200 senior mortgage executives to better understand how they feel about the TSP marketplace, as well as their experiences with the various services offered.
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Consumers Worried about Impact of Extreme Weather on Homes and Insurance Premiums
April 3, 2024
Research conducted by Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group indicates that nearly half of consumers are concerned about the impact of weather-related events on their homes.
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Older Homeowners are Financially Confident Aging in Place
February 29, 2024
Given the size of the aged 60-plus homeowner segment, we thought it was important to better understand their financial plans to determine how that might impact future housing market dynamics.
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Lenders Identify Risks and Opportunities for Condo Lending
February 21, 2024
Last November, Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group (ESR) surveyed senior mortgage executives via its Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey to gather input on existing condo project review requirements, and to help identify opportunities to streamline processes to better manage condo project risks.
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