Definition of "Ginnie Mae"

Melody Smedick, Broker/Owner real estate agent

Written by

Melody Smedick, Broker/Ownerelite badge icon

Preferred Real Estate Group

Looking to understand what is Ginnie Mae? You’ve been hearing about it and knows not what it means. Let us help with the most succinct Ginnie Mae definition possible: Ginnie Mae is the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA). It’s basically the phonetic sound of the initials. Say “GNMA” quickly and you get the “Ginnie Mae” sound.

The mission of Ginnie Mae is to fund high-risk mortgages for high-risk borrowers that are typically located in areas approved for government construction projects that have no other funding sources. The government body also offers guarantee mortgages issued by others, such as commercial banks, mortgage banks, and insurers.

You can’t tell Ginnie Mae’s history without talking about Fannie Mae. Ginnie Mae is almost like a younger sister or spiritual daughter of Fannie Mae. Here’s the timeline: Fannie Mae was founded in the 1930’s as a fully government-owned company, then became a mixed-ownership company, and then, in 1968, when it came time to go full private sector, the Government thought it was important to conserve a similar federal operation, thus spawning Ginnie Mae and making it part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to expand affordable housing finance. Ginnie Mae is the primary financing mechanism for all mortgage loans that are government-insured.

Real Estate Tips:

Don’t know if you qualify for Ginnie Mae and this whole names-galore – yes, because we didn’t even bring up the Freddie Mac definition to make it simple – is it making you confused? Reach out to a real estate agent and let him (or her!) point out the best direction for your case.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Business that transforms an underdeveloped tract of land into plots ready for construction. ...

An offering of securities, stock and/or debt, directly to investors rather then through the public exchange markets. An advantage of a private placement to a real estate business is that ...

An individual appointed by a court to manage the affairs and property of a legally incompetent party. The conservator has full decision-making authority over the affairs of the property in ...

People often ask themselves, what does interim mean? By definition, interim means a break or pause in a particular activity. As an adjective, interim means a temporary, provisional, or ...

Deed used to transfer property rights to a governmental authority. ...

Total transfer of one's rights under a real estate contract to another. ...

Agreement by a lender to loan money to suitable borrowers within a given time period but without identifying those borrowers. ...

Contract containing provisions of the insurance policy specifying who the parties are, what amounts and due dates, deductibles, time period, ceilings, kind of property., location of ...

As a legal term, abandonment defines a deliberate renunciation of rights to an asset or a business relationship. What does abandonment mean in real estate? In real estate, abandonment, ...

Popular Real Estate Questions