Posts with tag HUD

The American dream of homeownership has taken a serious hit in the past five years--or so you might think. No wonder, what with so many Americans pummeled by underwater properties and foreclosures. Even the government piled on, declaring in a February housing report: "The Administration believes that we must continue to... Continue Reading »

The government shutdown that will occur if Republicans in Congress and President Obama can't come to terms on budget legislation by midnight tonight could hit the ailing spring home-buying market like a ton of paving stones. The Federal Housing Agency (FHA), a popular source of low-down-payment mortgages of as little as... Continue Reading »

Over the past two weeks we have been bombarded with housing market data, much of it seemingly contradictory. • On February 15, the National Association of Home Builders released their Housing Market Index for February. The Index measures confidence among home builders, where 50 is neutral, higher is positive, and... Continue Reading »

I've always been fond of news stories that are neither new nor particularly unknown, like when some local TV station runs a human-interest story on some local teen who organized a charity drive three months ago. They're cute! And they're no less cute when the Wall Street Journal runs such stories, as it did recently,... Continue Reading »

In an earlier AOL Real Estate post, I speculated that the 30-year fixed rate mortgage -- the mainstay of residential housing funding in the United States -- was on its way out. I thought that based on comments from administration officials, think tanks, and other leaders, the goal of the Obama administration was to move... Continue Reading »