Fannie Mae is also referred to, as FNMA. FNMA stands for Federal National Mortgage Association Freddie Mac is also referred to, as FHLMC. FHLMC stands for Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae both buy mortgages on the secondary market. This allows lenders to keep originating new mortgage loans constantly because Freddie and Fannie keep buying the mortgages from them, or from the primary market. An example of this is: You buy a home and obtain a mortgage from Bank A, Bank A is considered the primary lender, or the primary market, Bank A then sells your mortgage to Fannie or Freddie on the secondary market and this allows Bank A to have those funds available once again to give another homeowner a mortgage.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac computerized and simplified the loan underwriting process with the introduction of two automated underwriting systems. Freddie Mac's Loan Prospector and Fannie Mae's Desktop Underwriter revolutionized the mortgage industry by reducing the loan risk assessment process down to minutes rather than weeks.

Though Fannie and Freddie loans may offer the best rates, they are the most stringent around. If you have a unique situation it may be better to consider other options. Your loan officer can best describe these alternatives.

A large number of conforming loans are bought and serviced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Fannie Mae is a privately-owned corporation authorized to make loans and loan guarantees. Fannie Mae is not backed or funded by the U.S. government, nor do the securities it issues benefit from any explicit government guarantee or protection.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both offer programs to those with less than perfect credit as well. There is generally a pricing adjustment for such "just missed" loans.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government agencies designed truly with the peoples best interest in mind. mortgage interest rates, bad credit,sub prime loans,debt, income are all included in the complicated formulas which decide if you get a loan or not.[code][/code]

Fannie Mae (FNM/NYSE) and Freddie Mac (FRE/NYSE), two of the nation's largest sources of financing for residential mortgages, announced today the joint availability of 83 non-executable Spanish translations of the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Uniform Instruments to help lenders and others in the residential mortgage industry better serve Spanish-language dominant consumers in becoming homeowners. The translations are meant to complement the English-language documents a mortgage borrower would sign.

Conventional lending programs must follow the guidlines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Lenders will conform their conventional products to meet these guidlines in order to be able to sell the loan to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Conventional financing usually offers the best interest rate, however most lenders will offer alternative financing options that do not follow the strict guidlines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Contact your mortgage broker to see what fiancing option will best fit your needs and situation.