National News

Foreign Lending Standards Speculated to Increase, Ill Boding for the U.S. Economy

Speculations of the Federal Reserve’s coming quarterly report entail fears that the European debt crisis may have a strong, adverse impact on foreign bank lending in the United States. The fourth quarter senior loan officer survey report, which is

HARP 2.0: Rise of the Appraisal Machines

The federal government’s long-awaited revisions to the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP 2.0 as it’s been called by the press, primarily work through offering underwater homeowners a chance to refinance their loans, but recent agreements between the government

NAR Provides Five-Point Plan for Housing Recovery

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently worked alongside policy leaders, industry representatives, congress members and the media in an effort to present ideas and formulate recommendations on a strategy to aid the housing market, create jobs and stimulate

No Debt Collectors at Freddie Mac

Mortgage debts took a turn for the better in the third quarter, as Freddie Mac reported that a large amount of refinancing homeowners were able to either maintain or reduce their mortgage debts. In total, 82 percent of homeowners

Pent-Up Demand – The Future of Housing

We all know housing is tough, right now. Media sources abound with new lows in construction, mortgage filings and existing-home sales. New data from JPMorgan Chase, though, as pinpointed by Investment News’ Jeff Benjamin, suggests that pent-up demand from potential

Loan Limit Throwdown on Capital Hill

It’s been the saga of fall, with enough twists and turns to pilot a TV miniseries. First, the ceiling on federal loan limits fell on Oct. 1, ending a three-year expansion that raised the limit for FHA and other

CoreLogic HPI Posts Back-to-Back Declines

CoreLogic released its latest Home Price Index, or HPI, earlier today, showing that home values declined on a month-to-month basis for the second straight time from August to September. Though the Case-Shiller Home Price Index, which is released the

Latest Fannie Survey Finds Americans Hesitant on Housing

Fannie Mae’s latest National Housing Survey finds homeowners in the U.S. are still uncertain about the future of housing and the economy, though a couple of indicators did maintain their numbers and resist declines. Conducted via telephone, the survey

HUD HOME Program Being Revamped at the Local Level

Shaun Donovan, secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban (HUD), announced HUD is proposing new regulatory requirements for its HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). Home was designed to produce affordable housing for low-income families and is the largest federal block

Weighing Employment Versus Self-Employment and Making the Leap

Unemployment remains high in America despite political efforts to improve the stats, leaving a high number of people finding ways to make ends meet and a rising number of formerly employed turning to self-employment. Many people are even leaving

First-Time Homebuyers Have Incentive to Get in the Market

Contrary to popular belief, first-time homebuyers are indeed alive and kicking; buying homes at essentially the same rate as they were before the first-time homebuyers credit stimulated demand two years ago. Data suggests that rates could be higher, however, if

Obama's October Housing Scorecard Gives Mixed Signals on Housing Market

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the October edition of the Obama Administration Housing Scorecard, a detailed report on the nation’s housing

ARO: Active Rain Optimization

ActiveRain, the social networking site for Realtors, is more than a “Facebook for agents;” rather, it’s an important professional networking resource, one that can introduce agents to scores of valuable industry contacts. As such, it’s valuable to optimize your presence

Is the Government Considering Additional Refinancing Aid?

According to a report from Reuters, recent comments by Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan suggest that the government is considering new rounds of refinancing aid for American homeowners, beyond the recent revisions to the Home

State's Attorney Case Against Wells Fargo Green-lit for Trial

A lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan against mega-bank Wells Fargo got the green light today from a state court judge. The suit, which was originally filed in the summer of 2009, alleges that Wells Fargo engaged

The Delightful Devolution of the American Home

During the boom years, bigger and better was the mantra for everyone in the housing market, most of all developers. “McMansions,” as they were called, sprang up in suburbs across the country, and everybody seemed to have the financing

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