The government-sponsored mortgage giants have been in a conservatorship for over 15 years, but traders are laying bets they'll soon be reprivatized.

Housing observers see an opportunity to fundamentally remake a system to close the gap on serving historically marginalized communities.

The U.S. government may soon return Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to private markets less than two decades after turmoil nearly toppled the mortgage industry.

These are today's mortgage and refinance rates. Mortgage rates may not drop as much as expected this year, hurting affordability.

Two mortgage giants essential to the U.S. housing market could be released from the government into the private sector. What that means for you.

The potential impacts of import tariffs cloud the outlook, though, and could lead mortgage rates to surge and fall throughout the coming year.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac support the U.S. mortgage market. The two were placed into a strict form of government oversight called "conservatorship" in 2008 as the global financial crisis mounted. This has at times limited Fannie's and Freddie's ability to raise capital.

Many experts say privatizing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could significantly alter the mortgage market. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac help keep the mortgage market stable by buying home loans, selling mortgage-backed securities and establishing lending guidelines.

"However, in practice, most cases of VA loans usually only involve two persons: one veteran and a spouse," says Alexei Morgado, a Realtor and founder of Lexawise, a real estate exam preparation course. "Adding additional persons to a VA loan can complicate factors, particularly in regards to occupancy and entitlement computation."

Current risks to Fannie Mae's outlook are higher than normal due to uncertainty around trade policy, including additional tariff proposals.

Several Trump administration members and a range of real estate experts have expressed interest in removing conservatorship. Now what?