What We Do
Fannie Mae is a leading source of mortgage financing in the United States. We don't originate mortgage loans or lend money directly to borrowers. Instead, we purchase mortgage loans made by lenders, who are then able to use those funds to offer mortgage loans to more people. We partner with mortgage lenders and servicers, housing counselors, real estate agents, nonprofit organizations, and other industry professionals to help people obtain a home and stay in that home when faced with hardship or disaster.
Fannie Mae's work — expanding access and opportunity — is focused on two primary types of housing.
Single-Family
Our Single-Family business helps homebuyers purchase and refinance homes. We support mortgage lenders by acquiring the mortgage loans they originate. We package loans we acquire into mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that we guarantee, attracting investors to the U.S. secondary mortgage market. Our financing solutions enable lenders to offer 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages, which provide homeowners stable, predictable mortgage payments over the life of their loans.
We develop and maintain underwriting and eligibility standards for Fannie Mae loans. Most of the single-family loans we acquire are assessed by Desktop Underwriter® (DU®), our proprietary single-family automated underwriting system. We also establish servicing standards, including borrower assistance options for homeowners experiencing financial distress.
Multifamily
Our Multifamily business finances quality, affordable rental housing in every market, every day. The cornerstone of this business line is our Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS®) program. DUS is a unique model that leverages private capital to finance multifamily housing. We also invest in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties to help create and preserve affordable multifamily housing. Like our work in the single-family housing market, Fannie Mae helps maintain the flow of capital in the multifamily market by securitizing loans into MBS, increasing the availability of funds for financing rental housing projects.
Supporting and empowering renters, homebuyers, and homeowners
In addition to our work with lenders and industry partners, Fannie Mae provides educational resources to help you and your household make informed housing decisions. Here are a few ways we help:
- Housing education. You can count on us for useful information about renting, buying, and owning a home — from HomeView®, our comprehensive online course for first-time homebuyers, to interactive tools and calculators to help you make informed housing decisions.
- Financial and disaster relief. We provide access to housing counselors, as well as helpful resources and tools, that can help guide your financial recovery if your home is affected by difficult circumstances.
There are many more resources available. Explore our website for additional information, tools, and checklists for renters, homebuyers, and homeowners.
