Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Clarify Seller-Paid Financing Rules

Louisiana REALTORS® • April 18, 2024

A Message from Ken Fears, NAR Director of Conventional Finance and Valuation Policy

Earlier this week, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac published explicit confirmations that buyers whose agent is compensated by the seller will continue to have access to financing through those institutions.  Furthermore, so long as it remains "customary" for the seller to pay commissions, those will not be added to the interest party contributions (IPC) and subject to the caps on IPCs.


Interpretation of this rule under the proposed settlement was of great concern, and NAR wrote to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHA seeking confirmation of our interpretation. In a letter to NAR, FHA confirmed that this interpretation does hold.


NAR will continue to press for access to affordable financing options and keep you up to date on any changes.


To view the post on The Hub on NAR's website, please click here.

By Louisiana REALTORS® • September 21, 2026
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined Governor Jeff Landry and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot today to announce that Louisiana is investing an additional $20 million in Fortified homes, bringing the total amount invested in state Fortified projects this year to $100 million. Governor Landry announced that $20 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be transferred to the Louisiana Office of Community Development Restore Resilient Opportunities for Overhead Fortification (Restore ROOF) program to strengthen residential structures and reduce long-term disaster risk. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows $50 million in additional Katrina and Rita bond money from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to be added to the Department of Insurance’s Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). Also beginning this year, LFHP is projected to receive approximately $30 million annually from taxes and fees the Louisiana Department of Insurance collects from the insurance industry. “Building stronger homes is a vital part of making homeowners insurance affordable in Louisiana,” said Commissioner Temple. “I appreciate Governor Landry’s leadership and support as we work with legislators like Chairman Talbot to make Louisiana a national leader in the adoption of Fortified roofs.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has finalized its promulgation of Regulation 136—Fortify Homes Premium Discounts. The purpose of Regulation 136 is to implement the statutory provisions set forth in La. R.S. 22:1483, et seq. , which require that all Louisiana property and casualty insurers provide premium discounts or insurance rate reductions for homes constructed or upgraded in accordance with the fortified standards created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. View Regulation 136 here .
By Louisiana REALTORS® • September 11, 2026
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