Now that he is officially installed as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mark Calabria is taking GSE reform head-on. Calabria seems set on privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, though not necessarily at the same time.

Some might say that so far, 2019 is looking to be the year of the iBuyer. The term has exploded across the internet as major companies like Redfin and Zillow expand their reach into the business of buying homes directly from sellers. Here’s an up-close look at where these companies operate and where they’re headed next.

The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill Thursday that would significantly improve Americans' ability to save for retirement by making it easier for employers to offer 401(k)s and for employees to live off those balances in their later years. If passed, it would impose the greatest changes to the nation's retirement system in 13 years.

Freedom Mortgage and RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing are planning to merge, the companies announced Friday. The deal will make RoundPoint a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom and boost its servicing portfolio to more than $300 billion. Click the headline to read more.

Robert Morgan, one of the largest landlords in the country, was hit with multiple charges this week by both the DOJ and the SEC for allegedly running a Ponzi-type scheme that involves shuffling around money from investors and falsifying loan documents. The charges are the culmination of a cross-agency investigation into a massive multifamily mortgage fraud scheme that raises serious questions about GSE regulations for multifamily financing.

When a top executive at Walmart told Wall Street analysts last week that tariffs on Chinese goods would lead to higher prices for his customers, people who follow the housing and mortgage industry felt a sense of foreboding. Higher consumer prices lead to higher inflation, which leads to higher mortgage rates.

The Congressional Budget Office released a report Thursday exploring four proposed solutions for lessening the cost and risk of the reverse mortgage program to the federal government. And, the report explores the potential impact of each solution on lenders, borrowers and the budget. Here’s a recap.

Stephen Calk, the CEO and founder of the Federal Savings Bank of Chicago, was indicted Thursday for approving $16 million in mortgage loans for Paul Manafort in exchange for the former Trump campaign chairman’s help in landing a senior post with the administration. The move was unsuccessful, in more ways than one. Click the headline for the full story.