FHFA evaluates portable mortgages amid affordability push

The Trump administration is exploring portable mortgages that would let homeowners carry their existing rates when moving, FHFA Director Bill Pulte said, as part of a broader push on affordability that also weighs assumable loans and a 50-year option. With over half of mortgage holders below 4% while new loans sit near 6%–7%, officials hope portability could unlock supply. But experts warn it could rattle mortgage backed securities, complicate contracts tied to specific properties, and might require Congress. FHFA offered no details. One lender called the idea a “logistical nightmare,” and take-up of assumable loans remains limited.