The Mortgage Files

Nationally syndicated mortgage news and advice from Senior Loan Officer Scott Sheldon.

hat Happens If Fannie and Freddie Go Private?” with two stylized house icons, a padlock, a bar chart, and a dollar sign, symbolizing housing market uncertainty and financial impact

What Happens If Fannie and Freddie Go Private?

By Scott Sheldon / May 22, 2025

What Happens If Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Go Private? The housing market as we know it is built on a critical but often overlooked foundation: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) have been in federal conservatorship since 2008, following the financial crisis, and they remain under the oversight of the…

Read More
Scott Sheldon's The Mortgage FIles Blog

Understanding Income Averaging in Fannie Mae Loans

By Scott Sheldon / March 6, 2025

When qualifying for a home loan, one challenge many borrowers face is presenting irregular or fluctuating income in a way that accurately reflects their long-term earning potential. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac provide guidelines that allow mortgage lenders to use an averaged income approach to assess a borrower’s ability to repay a mortgage. This…

Read More
A couple discussing mortgage options, exploring how alimony impacts their home buying power."

How Alimony Can Boost Your Mortgage Buying Power

By Scott Sheldon / February 12, 2025

How Alimony Can Boost Your Home Buying Power If you pay alimony and thought it would hurt your ability to buy a home, I’ve got good news for you. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have updated their conventional loan guidelines, and they now treat alimony as a reduction to income rather than a debt. This…

Read More
accurate mortgage rates

Why the Media is Not Your Friend When It Comes to Mortgage Rates

By Scott Sheldon / August 7, 2024

When it comes to understanding mortgage rates, relying solely on media sources can be misleading. The best barometer for where mortgage rates truly stand is the actual source: FreddieMac.com. This is the entity that buys the loans made and sold by mortgage aggregators. When you see headlines claiming that interest rates are lower or have…

Read More
2023 Confirming Loan Limit Rise

2023 Confirming Loan Limit Rise

By Scott Sheldon / September 25, 2022

The federal housing finance agency recently released its 2023 conforming loan limit. The new loan limit for 2023 is $715,000. Here is what this means if you’re purchasing or refinancing a home… Each year the Federal Housing Finance Agency which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac releases its annual loan limit. The annual loan limit…

Read More
Why the purchase price in a real estate transaction should not be the single most important factor

Lending guidelines just got easier for conventional traditional mortgages

By sonomacountym / September 26, 2017

If you’re in the market for a mortgage and you are paying alimony, the guidelines just got easier to allow you to get a mortgage. Here’s how the new guideline will benefit you if you’re paying alimony… Previously, most mortgage companies would take an alimony payment obligation and use this debt against your income. Last…

Read More