Cash-out refinancing will be easier for furloughed workers, in the event of another government shutdown in February. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Better Mortgage have all announced plans to help furloughed workers who own a home more easily qualify for a cash-out refinance. The three have done so by modifying proof of income rules and removing the verification of employment. However, the borrower must have enough cash or assets to cover at least two months of mortgage payments, including taxes and insurance. Why might these workers want to refinance? Think fresh cash towards bills, expenses, and any other costs they’ve incurred.

Multifamily real estate just had its best year since 2000! Any way you look at it, 2018 was the best year for multifamily real estate this century: Renters paid more for housing than they ever have before, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae had banner years, and commercial and multifamily debt hit an all-time high, all while delinquencies remained at historic lows.

Is student loan debt reducing the number of homeowners? Three analysts from the Federal Reserve Board’s Division of Research and Statistics have now drawn a correlation between their 9-percentage point decline in homeownership and student loan debt.