John Ligon focuses his research on dynamic economic modeling of federal public policy as a senior policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis. His policy research and writing analyzes the economic effects of federal tax, energy, regulatory, housing and housing finance policies. Read his research.
View all authorsEconomyCommentary
In January 2017, the Obama administration decided to reduce the mortgage insurance premiums charged by the Federal Housing Administration. Fortunately, after taking office later that… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Recently, the House Financial Services Committee marked up a bill that would prevent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, under certain financial conditions, from funding two… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Because of the largesse of federally financed subsidies in the Federal Housing Administration’s reverse-mortgage program, the federal government has gradually crowded out private insurers from… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Only a few years after the Federal Housing Administration required $1.7 billion in special appropriations from Congress to cover losses in its single-family housing mortgage… Read More
EconomyCommentary
After nearly a decade since the 2008 financial crisis and collapse of the private label mortgage-backed securities market, the U.S. mortgage securitization market has remained… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a hearing last week to lay out guiding principles for housing finance reform legislation. While it is… Read More
EconomyCommentary
According to recent reports, Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored enterprise backed by federal taxpayers, plans to expand its role in the housing finance system by further… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Almost a decade removed from the last housing crisis, the economy and housing market have improved—yet the federal government continues to hold significant influence over… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Since 1989, when the Department of Housing and Urban Development started to pilot home equity conversion mortgages to U.S. homeowners over the age of 62,… Read More
EconomyCommentary
In the last few months of the Obama administration, the Federal Housing Finance Agency advanced a final rule for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac called… Read More
