August 25, 1999

GE Capital Mortgage Services, Inc.
Three Executive Campus
Cherry Hill, New Jersey  08002

     Re:  GE Capital Mortgage Services, Inc. 1999-17 Trust
          REMIC Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 1999-17


Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am Vice President and General Counsel of GE Capital Mortgage Services,
Inc., a New Jersey corporation ("GECMSI"), and, in such capacity, I am familiar
with (i) the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Act"), of the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos.
333-68951 and 333-68951-01) as amended to the date hereof (the "Registration
Statement"), by GECMSI and GE Capital Mortgage Funding Corporation relating to
the registration of $15,000,000,000 aggregate principal in respect of mortgage
pass-through certificates issuable in series; (ii) the proposed issuance of
REMIC Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 1999-17 (the "Certificates") by
GE Capital Mortgage Services, Inc. 1999-17 Trust under a Pooling and Servicing
Agreement, dated as of August 1, 1999 (the "Pooling and Servicing Agreement"),
between GECMSI and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as trustee, and (iii)
the sale of certain classes of the Certificates (the "Offered Certificates") by
GECMSI to Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation ("DLJ") pursuant
to an underwriting agreement dated March 21, 1996, as amended and supplemented
by a terms agreement dated the date hereof (together, the "DLJ Underwriting
Agreement") and to Lehman Brothers Inc. ("Lehman" and together with DLJ, the
"Underwriters") pursuant to an underwriting agreement dated May 22, 1996, as
amended and supplemented by a terms agreement dated the date hereof (together,
the "Lehman Underwriting Agreement," and together with the DLJ Underwriting
Agreement, the "Underwriting Agreements") for public offer and resale by the
Underwriters pursuant to a Prospectus Supplement dated the date hereof to the
Prospectus dated August 19, 1999, relating to the Registration Statement.

     In arriving at the opinions expressed below, I have examined and relied on
the originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to my satisfaction of
all such documents, agreements and instruments, such corporate records of GECMSI
and such other instruments and other certificates of public officials, officers
and representatives GECMSI and such other persons and I have made such
investigations of law as I have deemed appropriate as a basis for the opinions
expressed below. In rendering the opinions expressed below, I have assumed and
have not verified that the signatures on all documents that I have examined are
genuine, and have assumed and not verified the accuracy as to factual matters of
each document I have reviewed.

     Based on the foregoing, it is my opinion that (i) the execution, delivery
and performance by GECMSI of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement, (ii) the
issuance of the Certificates pursuant to the Pooling and Servicing Agreement and
(iii) the sale of the Offered Certificates by GECMSI pursuant to the
Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by GECMSI.

     In giving the foregoing opinions, I express no opinion as to the laws of
any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of New Jersey.

     I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the
Registration Statement without admitting that I am an "expert" within the
meaning of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission issued
thereunder with respect to any part of the Registration Statement, including
this Exhibit.


                                   Very truly yours,

                                   /s/ Thomas F. Kleissler
                                   -----------------------
                                   Thomas F. Kleissler