Commercial Realty: Market Bright Spot
American Banker (10/10/08) P. 13; Berry, KateAccording to Advantus Capital Management Inc.'s third-quarter economic update, commercial real estate remains one of the stock market's better-performing...
View ArticleMixed Signals for Mortgage Giants
Washington Post (10/10/08) P. D2; Goldfarb, Zachary A.Despite a June report that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had $9.4 billion and $2.7 billion more capital, respectively, than its regulator requires,...
View ArticleForeclosure Sales Halted in Hurricane-Hit Areas
Washington Post (10/10/08) P. D4Through Dec. 31, mortgage servicers may not proceed with foreclosure sales in areas of Texas and Louisiana classified as federal disaster areas due to Hurricane Ike....
View ArticleHUD Program to Buy Foreclosures
Miami Herald (10/10/08)HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program providing state and local governments with a total of $4 billion to buy foreclosed and abandoned properties to curtail blight and bolster...
View ArticleFuture SaaS Development Invites Customers into Cloud
MBA (10/10/2008 ) Palaparty, Vijay Software-as-a-service’s future will expand on customer/vendor partnerships, in which vendors provide programmable platforms that yield customized technology for...
View ArticleMBA Conducting Member Survey
MBA (10/10/2008 ) Pardo, Sheryl The Mortgage Bankers Association is conducting a brief survey about what MBA members value most in their membership. “In a time of limited resources, we must ensure that...
View ArticlePending home sales show surprise rise
The National Association of Realtors says pending home sales increased 7.4% from July to August; highest since June 2007.WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Association of Realtors says pending home rose...
View ArticleMortgage rates slip to 5.94%
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Rates on 30-year mortgages fell from last week, while loan applications grew slightly in the face of turbulence in the banking and finance sectors.Mortgage finance firm...
View ArticleMortgage aid program launches
The $300B initiative will help borrowers who spend more than 31% of their income on mortgage payments.WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government kicked off a program Wednesday that aims to prevent foreclosures...
View ArticleTake a bite out of closing costs
Hold the fees please. How to save if you're buying a new home or just refinancing.BEND, Ore. (CNN/Money) - With mortgage rates still as low as they are, financing a house is dirt cheap these days,...
View ArticleFannie, Freddie to Step Up Purchases of Troubled Mortgage Bonds
Bloomberg (10/13/08); Kopecki, DawnInsiders say Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will begin buying $40 billion a month in underperforming mortgage bonds, including subprime, Alt-A and non-performing prime...
View ArticleFannie Reaches Out to FHLBs
National Mortgage News (10/13/08) Vol. 33, No. 4, P. 15; Collins, BrianFannie Mae will purchase mortgages originated under the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago's Mortgage Partnership Finance program...
View ArticlePaulson Speeds Consideration of Guarantees for U.S. Bank Debt
Bloomberg (10/13/08); Christie, Rebecca; Schmidt, RobertU.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. reportedly is fast-tracking a plan to guarantee debt issued by banks after a similar move was made by...
View ArticleNAHB: Housing Jobs Key to State and Local Economic Recovery
RISMedia (10/13/08)National Association of Home Builders Chairman Sandy Dunn urges state and local governments to consider innovative ideas to help shore up the slumping housing market. Dunn remarks,...
View Article5,000 Show Up at Foreclosure Showcase in Uniondale
New York Newsday (10/13/08); Amon, MichaelThe New York Foreclosure Showcase drew a crowd of almost 5,000 to the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uniondale on Oct. 12, when 35 foreclosed...
View ArticleConsumers' Credit Getting Not So Easy
Dallas Morning News (10/13/08)More people were able to purchase homes as credit was expanded over the past three decades, but experts now believe it will become more difficult to borrow money for a...
View ArticleGSEs Still a Good Thing, Ranieri Says
IDD Magazine (10/06/08); Rozens, AleksandrsSpeaking before senior home builder executives at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Research on Oct. 2, Hyperion Partners Chairman Lewis...
View ArticleFinancial Turmoil Continues Unabated
MBA (10/13/2008 ) Velz, Orawin Equity markets around the globe hemorrhaged as the problems in the financial system threatened to cause a global recession. Commodities (including energy and agriculture...
View ArticleDeclining Economy Puts Brakes on Remodeling
MBA (10/13/2008 ) Palaparty, Vijay Remodeling activity among homeowners declined 15 percent this year—mostly in areas where homeowners have less equity—according to a report from Remodelormove.com,...
View ArticleResidential Briefs
MBA (10/13/2008 ) Palaparty, Vijay Freddie Mac Suspends Foreclosures Hurricane in Ike AreasFreddie Mac, McLean, Va., ordered servicers to suspend all foreclosure sales on properties with Freddie...
View ArticleCMBS Delinquencies Consistently Rising
MBA (10/13/2008 ) Murray, Michael Loan delinquencies in commercial mortgage-backed securities were up nearly 13 basis points after the first three quarters of this year to 0.52 percent—0.58 percent...
View ArticleCommercial Briefs
MBA (10/13/2008 ) Murray, Michael Centerline Capital Group, a New York-based commercial real estate investor, and ZAIS Group, a Red Bank, N.J.-based structured products manager, formed a new venture to...
View ArticleMortgage rates spike - leap size tops '87
Rates saw the biggest weekly jump since 1987 - analysts predict 30-year fixed mortgage rates will climb higher, and pin the hike on government rescue efforts. By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff...
View ArticleHomebuilders: Confidence falls sharply
The National Association of Home Builders blames the financial crisis for the new low.Last Updated: October 16, 2008: 2:18 PM ETLOS ANGELES (AP) -- The business outlook among homebuilders plunged to an...
View ArticleHome prices may plummet, but taxes won't
Owners who've seen a steep drop in their home's value shouldn't expect to get a break on their property taxes. By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writerLast Updated: October 16, 2008: 2:48 PM ETNEW...
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