News / Features

Could Fannie Mae Be Profitable Again?

Fannie Mae released its third quarter balance sheets a couple weeks ago, and the $5.1 billion loss – accompanied by a plea for $7.8 billion in additional government financing – chaffed more than a few observers, leading to further

NAR Documents Changes in Homebuyers and Sellers

The National Association of Realtors has released its 2011 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, a survey of 5,708 home buyers and sellers that studies the demographics and features of both the individuals involved and the properties they were

NAHB Index Builds Upon Recent Gains

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), which gauges home builder confidence for single-family home construction, rose for the second straight month, increasing by three points in November to a total of 20. With October’s

Congress Finds Middle Ground for Federal Loan Limits

After weeks of deliberation and endless hours of lobbying from the National Association of Realtors and other interest groups, Congress has finally agreed upon a resolution for raising the limits of federal conforming home loans, according to a new

FICO Unveils New Credit Score to Counter 'Strategic Defaults'

An Oct. 31 study by Moody’s recently pinpointed homeowners with jumbo loans as a greater default risk than any other type of borrowers, including even risky subprime mortgages. Basing its claims on an analysis of of the nation’s mortgage-backed bond portfolios,

FHA Contradicts Critics with Annual Financial Report

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) released its annual financial report to Congress earlier today, and surprisingly, it boldly contradicts recent claims from academics and news outlets regarding the government agency’s solvency. According to a recent Wall Street Journal piece that

2012 Predictions from NAR's Annual Conference Bring Good News to Homeowners and Buyers

Economists at the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) annual conference, currently underway in Anaheim, California, expect to see gradual improvements in the housing market throughout 2012. Existing-home sales this year have risen 4 to 5 percent, and new home

Operation Twist Buys $5.5 Billion More in MBS

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as a part of what is commonly being referred to as “Operation Twist,” purchased $5.5 billion in mortgage-backed securities for the week of November

Could the Foreclosure Honeymoon Be Over?

The robo-signing scandals of 2010 sent shockwaves through the lending industry, as national banks, burdened with the considerable weight of thousands upon thousands of foreclosures, short sales and other distressed properties, attempted to reconcile their balance sheets as quickly

30-year FRM Returns to Sub-4 Percent Territory

After a brief sabbatical, the 30-year FRM is back in familiar territory, falling below 4 percent for the second time in as many months. Motivated by the Federal Reserve’s “Operation Twist,” which involves the Fed buying billions of dollars

Could the FHA be MIA in Coming Years?

A new report from a finance professor predicting the coming insolvency of the Federal Housing Administration has some government officials and analysts spooked, according to a new report from The Wall Street

New Govt. Rules Further Multifamily's Ascendence

In a move that seems to confirm the ever-increasing importance of multifamily housing in the current housing market, the federal government is removing several state regulations that will make it easier for developers to build federally-subsidized multifamily homes, according

Government-owned REOs: More than Meets the Eye?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac released earnings and inventory statistics a couple days ago, and the data suggested a substantial decline in REO properties for the GSEs. Counting FHA properties, the GSE’s REO inventories decreased to 226,961 at the

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

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