Weekly Real Estate News
The White House is considering a draft executive order that could direct federal housing agencies to examine ways to lower mortgage costs, according to an October 20 report by Scotsman Guide. No signed order has been confirmed.
Scotsman Guide reported that it obtained a draft titled Decreasing Housing Costs for the American People. The outlet said industry sources believed it might be issued as soon as October 21, but the timing, final language and legal effect remain uncertain. WRE News has not independently obtained or authenticated the draft.
Potential changes to refinancing and insurance
According to Scotsman Guide’s description, the draft would direct consideration of reduced or eliminated loan-level price adjustments for certain eligible refinances, broader alternatives to title insurance, and appraisal or documentation waivers for some limited cash-out refinances that lower monthly payments.
It also describes reviews of existing mortgage portfolios to identify borrowers who may qualify for cancellation of mortgage insurance. Any such program would be subject to existing laws, loan contracts, risk controls and implementation decisions.
The reported proposal further calls for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Agriculture to examine steps affecting mortgage borrowing costs, and for federal agencies to study standardized permitting and construction processes for manufactured housing.
Not enacted policy
None of these provisions should be treated as currently available mortgage products, lender pricing rules or guaranteed savings. The draft could change substantially or never be signed. Even a signed executive order could require separate agency action and legal review before affecting individual loans.
For mortgage lenders, brokers, servicers, title firms and appraisers, the report signals possible policy changes worth watching closely. It does not establish that FHFA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, VA or USDA has already implemented new underwriting or fee requirements.
WRE News will update this report if an official presidential action or agency implementation notice is released.
Source: Scotsman Guide, October 20, 2026. This report describes a third-party account of an unsigned draft, not an authenticated White House order.
