Tag Archives: Mortgages
Low rates, but not for you?
You’ve shopped around and finally zeroed in on a low mortgage rate. Your credit is stellar and you’re ready to pull the trigger. Trouble is, the lender has no incentive to give you the advertised lowest rate and offers a rate a full percentage point hi… Continue reading
NFIP lapse could delay closings
Congress has an array of issues to deal with as it returns from the summer break this week. One topic could have a major impact on real estate closings scheduled for next month.
The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, the only affordable flood… Continue reading
NFIP lapse could delay closings
Congress has an array of issues to deal with as it returns from the summer break this week. One topic could have a major impact on real estate closings scheduled for next month.
The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, the only affordable flood… Continue reading
Big banks face firing squad
The big banks are fielding a barrage of litigation and accusations for their part in the mortgage mess.
The latest salvo came from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The regulator filed suit Friday … Continue reading
Fed to buy mortgages again?
The Fed may switch gears into riskier territory to support a plan that could push mortgage rates even lower than they are now, in an effort to spur refinances, help underwater borrowers and boost the housing market.
I know, you’re tired of hearing abou… Continue reading
Jobs report: No jobs
Nada! Not a single job was added to the economy in August, the Labor Department said Friday. That’s the first time in 11 months that the United States did not show a net increase in jobs.
The unemployment rate remained at 9.1 percent, with 14 million A… Continue reading
Another bailout plan?
With the housing market in an unrelenting national depression, the Obama Administration is seeking solutions and Federal Housing Finance Agency acting director Edward DeMarco is feeling the heat.
One proposal put forth by President Barack Obama will ma… Continue reading
Home prices up — sort of
Home prices increased during the second quarter of the year, according to the latest Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index.
Before you celebrate, you should know that prices are actually down 5.9 percent when compared to the second quarte… Continue reading
Home sales join the slump
For the first time in three months, pending sales of previously-owned homes dropped in July, signaling yet again that the housing recovery is a long way from getting unstuck. Although pending home sales rose by 2.4 percent in June, July’s 1.3-percent d… Continue reading
4 more years of foreclosure
To cap off a nightmarish week on the housing front, everybody’s favorite ratings service Standard & Poor’s says the “shadow market” of foreclosures and distressed homes will haunt our neighborhoods for at least four more years.
S&P says that al… Continue reading