Briefs, Notes & White Papers

Data on the Risk Characteristics and Performance of Single-Family Mortgages 2001-2008

There has been considerable public discussion of the roles Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) may have played in the financial crisis that began in the third quarter of 2007. This Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) data release contributes to that discussion by summarizing information on the risk characteristics and performance of two sets of single-family mortgage loans originated from 2001 through 2008 and financed in the secondary mortgage market: those acquired by the Enterprises and those financed through the issuance of private-label mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities (collectively called private-label MBS). The period 2001 through 2008 encompasses the development and peak of the recent single-family mortgage lending and house price boom and the beginning of the ensuing bust. The release focuses on conventional loans—those without government insurance or a government guarantee.For Appendix Tables and Data, click here.​​