Federal Mortgage Help: A Risky Business?

The housing industry continues its slow climb upward after the subprime loan meltdown of 2008, supported by a number of government backed initiatives aimed at stimulating the market and, in turn, the economy as a whole. But the Feds efforts to hold down interest rates...

Mortgage Backed Securities: Boosting A Housing Recovery?

Mortgage backed securities, or MBSs, played a significant role in the housing collapse of 2008. Now these instruments, bought and sold in the secondary mortgage market among financial institutions, lenders, and even individuals, may be making a contribution to its...

Mortgage Lending Can Favor Investors

The state of the current US housing market is marked by contradictions. Home purchases are up, but mortgage applications are down. Mortgage interest rates are extremely low, but some projections suggest a rise is imminent. The list goes on, compounded by worries that...

Jumping Off the Fiscal Cliff – Or the Fiscal Curb?

Doomsday scenarios didn’t stop with the failed Mayan Apocalypse of last week’s Winter Solstice. Continued wrangling over the looming “fiscal cliff" of the government’s financial crisis raises the specter for many of a budgetary apocalypse that will send lawmakers and...

Housing Sales Up, Mortgages Down?

The housing industry continues its rocky road to recovery, with implications for the health of the economy as a whole. Amid a number of contradictory indicators, one statistic is clear: compared to 2011, the prices of existing homes continues to rise, with demand...

International Investing Changes the Real Estate Landscape

Foreign investments in US real estate rose sharply in 2012, increasing 24 percent just since the previous year. That translates to about $16 billion worth of purchases in single-family homes alone. And while this influx of purchasing power from outside the country may...

To Buy or Not To Buy?

Is the current US housing market a buyer’s market – or do sellers prevail? The mixed messages from different areas of the housing market are enough to give any investor pause. Is the market improving? What about mortgage lending standards? And are their still good...

Trends in Mortgage Interest Rates: Up or Down?

The end of the year brings an onslaught of predictions in fields ranging from sports to economics. In the world of real estate and income property investing, a number of lists compiled by real estate professionals and economists are emerging, drawing on past and...

The National Mortgage Database: A Privacy Risk?

Keeping personal information private may get a little harder – at least if you hold a mortgage. Although it’s always been true that anyone in pursuit of a loan is expected to disclose a certain amount of details about their personal history and creditworthiness, the...

Foreclosures: A Measure of the Market

The state of the foreclosure market has been one barometer of the health of the housing industry since the days of the massive mortgage collapse back in 2008. Fewer foreclosure proceedings meant that more homeowners were ale to hang onto their properties, which would...