The Rise and Fall of Fannie Mae: A Timeline" alt="The Rise and Fall of Fannie Mae: A Timeline" />

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were in the news a lot this year. For starters, there was the presidential summit in August, to solicit ideas for what to do with the ailing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs for short). That was followed by midterm-election wrangling over whether to replace the struggling mortgage giants ... Continue Reading »

Mortgage Refinancing: Why Borrowers Aren't Playing HARP" alt="Mortgage Refinancing: Why Borrowers Aren't Playing HARP" />

It's not every day that a successful investor takes the national stage to suggest that he should lose billions of dollars for the greater good. But that's what Bill Gross of the bond giant PIMCO did last week at the Treasury and HUD conference on the future of the housing finance system. Gross unleashed a bold proposal ... Continue Reading »

LIVE: Mortgage Markets Face 'Fundamental Change,' Geithner Says" alt="LIVE: Mortgage Markets Face 'Fundamental Change,' Geithner Says" />

The big takeaway from today's "Future of Housing Finance" conference at the U.S. Department of Treasury was that everybody agreed to agree – more or less. It was a given that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be put into retirement, eventually. As Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in his introductory remarks, ... Continue Reading »

Why the Feds Want to Stay in the Mortgage Game" alt="Why the Feds Want to Stay in the Mortgage Game" />

The future is here, and not a moment too soon. Tomorrow, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, pictured left, will host a conference on the future of housing finance. Before you click away or fall asleep -- pay attention. What's at stake is nothing less than whether or not you -- or the buyer ... Continue Reading »

New York Creates Borrowers' Bill of Rights" alt="New York Creates Borrowers' Bill of Rights" />

Just how much trouble are mortgage borrowers having with their loan servicers? These are the companies that send the monthly bills, foreclose when the payments don't come, and too often make it really hard for many borrowers to get loan modifications when they can't afford to keep up. According to New York State Banking ... Continue Reading »