News

2007

September

01

• Fed finds no bias in credit scores. In a report to Congress that is certain to generate controversy, the Federal Reserve Board says that credit scores vary "substantially" among racial and ethnic groups but that their use has made credit more available

August

31

• Mortgage brokers fall on tough times. Mortgage brokers are leaving the business in droves as the crisis in subprime mortgages leads to fewer products to sell, tighter lending standards and a backlash from lenders who blame them for the meltdown. Brokers

• FHA to help refi at-risk mortgages. Some homeowners with risky "subprime" adjustable-rate mortgages will be able to refinance before they lose their home to foreclosure, with the help of steps President Bush will announce Friday, senior administration officials said Thursday night.

30

• Mortgages are for paying off. African Americans are often the target of financial pitchmen trying to convince them they should never pay off their mortgages. Instead, the line goes, people should dig deeper into mortgage debt to purchase cars, fund

• Bernanke: Need new mortgage options. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested that policymakers look for ways to encourage a wider range of mortgages geared for borrowers who have been hard hit by the housing slump and credit crunch. Bernanke, in

• Plight for renters gets tougher. As the credit crunch shakes up the mortgage market, one group that's suffering some severe collateral damage doesn't own a home at all: renters. Already, one in four renters are paying more than half their

29

• Consumidores en apuros. La confianza de los consumidores se redujo en agosto debido a la turbulencia en los mercados financieros y a los requisitos más estrictos para obtener créditos, pero también a la dificultad que

28

• Blight moves in after foreclosures. Houses abandoned to foreclosure are beginning to breed trouble, adding neighbors to the growing ranks of victims. Stagnant swimming pools spawn mosquitoes, which can carry the potentially deadly West Nile virus. Empty rooms lure squatters

• California anti-class-action initiative withdrawn. A ballot initiative to limit class-action lawsuits was abruptly withdrawn from the state Attorney General's office today after the backers, a coalition of businesses and local governments, said the timing of the June 2008 election and

• Home sales go from bad to worse. The news Monday from the National Association of Realtors was bad enough: Sales of existing homes fell in July to their slowest pace in five years. The glut of homes for sale is at a 1

27

• Mortgages remain for some homebuyers. What credit crunch? Home buyers with solid credit and money for a down payment are now better positioned than they were a few weeks ago. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is at a three-month

• Cómo reducir los costos de cierre. Las transacciones de cierre incluyen los gastos de obtención del préstamo, honorarios por la transferencia del título de la propiedad e impuestos al estado y al gobierno local. Librarse por completo de

24

• States move to limit subprime lending damage. Gov. Michael F. Easley of North Carolina signed legislation last week that would limit the ability of mortgage brokers to charge customers above-market rates and prepayment penalties and would protect subprime borrowers from highly risky

23

• Inmigrantes ayudan mercado inmobiliario. Patricia Ortiz y su esposo Sebastián redujeron sus salidas a cenar, sus visitas al cine e incluso optaron por un matrimonio civil y no una gran ceremonia religiosa a fin de adquirir su casa

22

• Tenant screening could cost you rental. The process of finding the perfect rental house or apartment can range from hectic to nearly impossible. But it could be worse: Picture yourself locating that long sought-after apartment or town house only to be

• California urged to help homeowners in foreclosure. Lawmakers and lenders called on the state's troubled home mortgage industry Tuesday to step up efforts to help financially strapped Californians avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. But they stopped well short of endorsing calls

March

06

• Disaster-related foreclosure resources for Gulf homeowners (Consumer Action offers free Gulf foreclosure resource fact sheet). Consumer Action has published a free Disaster Relief Resource Sheet for Gulf area homeowners. It contains resources for homeowners in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. To download a PDF copy click here. The national consumer education

2006

December

20

• Help Gulf Coast victims keep homes (Advocates stress industry is key to protecting homes and communities). Washington, DC — Leading national and Gulf Coast Area organizations today called upon mortgage lenders and servicers to provide appropriate flexibility in the coming year so that homeowners in the areas devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and