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.

The Pandemic's Impact on Mortgage Digitization and Homebuyer Satisfaction
July 15, 2021​
As part of Fannie Mae's Q1 2021 National Housing Survey, consumers reported a preference for a mix of digital and in-person resources, depending on the task, and once again expressed satisfaction with the mortgage process, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.
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Mortgage Lenders Cite Business Process Streamlining and Talent Management as Top Business Priorities
July 12, 2021​
For three consecutive years, lenders have cited business process streamlining, talent management and leadership, and consumer-facing technology as their top business priorities.
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Lenders Report on Remote Work Productivity and Post-pandemic Workplace Plans
April 20, 2021​
While a majority of lenders reported that working remotely improved productivity and lowered operating costs, post-pandemic, most lenders indicated a preference to employ a hybrid model utilizing a mix of remote and in-office workforces.
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Consumers Continue to See Housing as a Safe, High-Potential Investment
April 2, 2021​
Americans appear to have an ingrained belief that housing investments are almost as safe as a money market or savings account, but also that they have the growth potential of a stock investment.
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Servicers report biggest challenges implementing COVID-19 assistance programs
January 12, 2021​
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted many industries, leaving many households with reduced income or unemployment. In response to this unprecedented challenge, mortgage lenders and servicers adapted rapidly to implement nationwide forbearance programs mandated under the CARES Act. We surveyed over 100 mortgage executives, via the Fannie Mae Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey®, to better understand the biggest challenges servicers faced in offering assistance to impacted homeowners via forbearance programs and in communicating post-forbearance repayment plan options.
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The COVID-19 Impact Continues: Where Consumers Feel the Effects Most
December 18, 2020​
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a particularly severe impact on renters, minorities, and lower-income households, according to the third quarter National Housing Survey^®, as the overall results indicate broad financial and employment repercussions due to the virus. Additionally, survey questions regarding changes in childcare and working from home reveal a considerable impact on many households across the entire survey population.
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