Lomas mortgage USA

VP Danny Gardner

Danny Gardner has been vice president of Single-Family Affordable Lending and Access to Credit since March 2015. He came to this role with more than 20 years' experience in the mortgage industry, mainly promoting opportunities for first-time homeownership. Before joining Freddie Mac, Gardner was vice president of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Lending at Capital One Home Loans. Previously, he helped build and served as chief operating officer of the not-for-profit National Community Stabilization Trust. Before that, he oversaw CitiMortgage's lending performance under the CRA. Gardner began his career at Lomas Mortgage USA, where he focused on supporting local housing finance agencies.

Improving home energy and water efficiency is a meaningful way to help tackle two of today's most pressing concerns: housing affordability and society's impacts on the environment. But financing these improvements can be a challenge. Freddie Mac helps make it easier. And we're working to do even more.

Millennials and other new households should be camping out at open houses, if history is any guide. Mortgage rates are low, averaging four percent. Twice as many housing markets are growing or stable compared to this time last year. And, the nation's 86 million millennials, plus America's rapidly growing immigrant communities, are expected to produce about 1.2 million new households a year for the next ten years, according to statistics from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and the Collingwood Group.

Let's talk about the spring homebuying season.

I know, I know – you haven't even set your holiday dinner table yet. Why on earth would anyone want to be thinking about the spring homebuying season NOW?

With interest rates low (though rising), more credit available to qualified borrowers, and employment up, it's a good time to buy a home if you are financially ready and able. But many potential homebuyers see the down payment as a hurdle too high to jump. It might be lower than they think, however, and they might be eligible for a financial boost.

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Our Executive Perspectives feature insights from company leaders on key trends in housing finance and how Freddie Mac is supporting the nation's housing recovery.