Fannie Mae website logo. Source: Shutterstock.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's watchdog has a vision for ending U.S. control of the mortgage giants that hinges on the companies holding more capital. But that dream could run into a cold political reality of making home loans more expensive as President Donald Trump ramps up his re-election bid.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria, who became Fannie and Freddie's regulator in April, has said the companies need to raise capital buffers to protect against the kinds of catastrophic losses they had during the 2008 financial crisis. He doesn't want to release Fannie and Freddie unless they have sufficient backstops to prevent another taxpayer bailout.

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