Housing Information
Headline News Archive
2008
August
20
- Federal foreclosure program may fall flat in CA. To Congress, it looked like a way to both ease blight and provide affordable housing: give local governments $4 billion to buy, repair and resell…
- Home repairs become focus as consumers feel pinched. Suddenly, the theme in home goods retailing is “in with the old.” With the housing market in the doldrums and inflation running at a pace…
19
- "Préstamos mentirosos". En la industria hipotecaria, se les llama "préstamos mentirosos" - hipotecas aprobadas sin requerir prueba de los bienes e ingresos del solicitante. El vapuleado mercado…
17
- Insurers avoid getting soaked in subprime storm. The one financial industry that seems to be dodging the subprime bullet is insurance. Only a handful of companies have had their safety ratings knocked…
- Before you take the housing credit. Part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 authorizes a tax credit of up to $7,500 for qualified first-time home buyers. Based on…
- Fannie, Freddie will raise some fees, lower others. The two biggest sources of mortgages for American home buyers plan to raise their base fees to counter what they see as continuing "adverse conditions"…
15
- Home equity frenzy was a bank ad come true. That catchy slogan, dreamed up by the Fallon Worldwide advertising agency, was pitched in 1999 to executives at Citicorp who were looking for a way…
- Foreclosures soar despite efforts to help. The magnitude of home foreclosures appears to be overwhelming the efforts of lenders to help distressed borrowers keep their homes. To help stem the wave…
14
- Think of tax credit as 15-year loan. Lots of folks have been asking me whether the much-touted first-time homebuyer tax credit is worth taking. "I'd like to see you write a follow-up…
- Mortgage insurers' losses mount. Large mortgage insurers have reported $2.6 billion in losses so far this year, sparking concerns that rising foreclosure rates could force the industry into a…
- Crece cifra de hogares en ejecución hipotecaria. El número de hogares en EE.UU. en proceso de ejecución hipotecaria aumentó en julio un ocho frente al mes anterior y un 55 por ciento…
13
- Mechanism for credit Is still stuck. A year after financial tremors first shook Wall Street, a crucial artery of modern money management remains broken. And until that conduit is fixed or…
- El robo de identidad para trabajar. El robo de identidad es uno de los crímenes de mayor crecimiento en Estados Unidos durante los últimos años y los hispanos no sólo no…
12
- The next wave of mortgage defaults. Prime mortgages are starting to default at disturbingly high rates - a development that threatens to slow any potential housing recovery. The delinquency rate for…
11
- Cash strapped states quicker to grab unclaimed funds. Faced with swelling budget deficits, a growing number of states are taking control of unclaimed property — such as bank accounts and traveler's checks —…
- Los bancos restringen el crédito. Los bancos de EU están restringiendo desde abril la concesión de créditos a empresas y particulares, al tiempo que están subiendo las ejecuciones hipotecarias y…
10
- Credit card industry faces reforms. Stricter regulation of the credit card industry will probably be approved by the end of the year, consumer advocates, members of Congress and banking officials…
- Help for seniors with reverse mortgages. There's a lot to digest in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. I've addressed a few provisions of the new law already, and…
09
- The case for a new national frugality. Oil prices are plunging and the stocks in your 401(k) retirement account are rebounding. Time to fire up the SUV, head to the mall and…
- Living simply provides economic shelter. Keri Rainsberger isn't rich. She works in the nonprofit world for a relatively low-profit salary. Yet, as many Americans are scrimping for every penny, she…
- Bill would narrow second home tax loophole. Deep in the nearly 700 pages of the new housing bill is a complicated change in the tax code that could affect substantial numbers of…
- Your first negotiation: The agent's commission. Home sellers could save money by thinking of real estate commissions as an agent's asking price. It's something that's open to negotiation. A new survey…
08
- Foreclosure crisis catching renters off guard. James Austin was stunned when a real estate agent showed up to snap photos of the house he was renting last year and casually informed…
07
- Realtors live close to the edge. Jack Jentzen never saw it coming. Four years ago, as a real estate agent in Elgin, Ill., he was enjoying the rewards of the most…
06
- Fannie Mae raises fees. Fannie Mae on Tuesday outlined a new pricing policy aimed at helping the mortgage finance giant gird against increased credit risks and losses from home…