Subprime Mortgages Muddy the Housing Outlook

Combine federal manipulation of interest rates, tighter standards for mortgage lending and a surge in subprime loans, and what do you get? A blend of mixed messages and conflicting goals that leaves financial experts and homebuyers alike scratching their heads. And,...

The Qualified Mortgage Rule: What Does it Mean for Investors?

As the housing market continues its rebound, the mortgage lending industry is still a work in proeress after the string of lawsuits, settlements and new legislation put in place to protect consumers after the well-publicized abuses of the past. More regulation is...

Foreclosure and Short Sales: No Obstacle to a Mortgage?

In many ways, the health of the housing recovery hinges on credit – a major factor in the well-known housing collapse of a few years ago As banks and other mortgage lender tighten standards and clean up their lending practices in the aftermath of the crash, they’re...

Rising Home Prices: Setting the Stage for Another Crash?

For every positive sign of a housing comeback, there seems to be a chorus of anxious market watchers ready to find ominous signs of a new collapse looming on the horizon. Those gloomy predictions may be overstating the concerns, but a number of financial analysts and...

The Fed’s Bond Buyout: More Harm Than Good?

It’s going forward. No, it’s slowing down. No, wait, it’s picking up speed. The Federal Reserve’s rollercoaster ride of buying up mortgage backed securities and treasury bonds has been going on since last fall, with often-changing plans to scale it back or ramp it up...