Tag Archives: mortgage finance

Mortgage Interest Rates, Home Sales Rise

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Luke Ford

These two indicators often run together. With increased demand for home buys and mortgages, interest rates rise. With fewer people interested in buying homes and taking on mortgages, interest rates fall. Record low interest rates have not been enough to … Continue reading →

Posted in mortgage, Rates | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Mortgage Interest Rates, Home Sales Rise

Mortgage Interest Rates Steady

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Luke Ford

Mortgage interest rates remain near record lows. Borrowing costs have never been cheaper. Homes have never been cheaper. Why? Because there’s so little demand to buy a new home and to take on a mortgage. With so many people out … Continue reading →

Posted in mortgage, Rates | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Mortgage Interest Rates Steady

Freddie Mac Gets Another Bailout

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Luke Ford

The final total for taxpayers will likely be near a trillion dollars. It will dwarf the settlement of the savings and loans scandal of the 1980s. I expect that President Obama’s executive order to allow underwater home owners to refinance … Continue reading →

Posted in freddie mac, mortgage, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Freddie Mac Gets Another Bailout

Texas Benefits From Federal Reserve’s Policies

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Luke Ford

Republican candidate for presidential nomination, Rick Perry, has gone after the Federal Reserve with strong words, but a new study shows that Texas has disproportionately benefited from the Fed’s easy money policies. Some other things have helped Texas as well … Continue reading →

Posted in mortgage, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas Benefits From Federal Reserve’s Policies

Obama Desires Big Role For Government In Mortgages

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Luke Ford

Until I read this article in yesterday’s Washington Post, I thought all sides were agreed that the federal government needed to reduce its role in the mortgage market. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have so far cost taxpayers $166 billion … Continue reading →

Posted in fannie mae, Foreclosure, freddie mac, mortgage, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Obama Desires Big Role For Government In Mortgages

Will Low Interest Rates Revive The Housing Market?

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Luke Ford

If people don’t have jobs, they can’t buy homes, even if interest rates are low. If the economic outlook is precarious at best, then many people who do have the means will stand back from major purchases. What about people … Continue reading →

Posted in mortgage, Politics, Rates, Refinance | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Will Low Interest Rates Revive The Housing Market?

Changing The Debate On Mortgage Finance

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Luke Ford

In 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed a massive financial regulation bill called Dodd-Frank. As with the healthcare bill, almost all of those who voted yes had not read the bill. Nobody knew what it would do because important … Continue reading →

Posted in mortgage, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Changing The Debate On Mortgage Finance

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Slow To Report Fraud

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Luke Ford

GSEs like Fannie and Freddie don’t have the same incentives as a private company. If Fannie and Freddie screw up, they just get bailed out by the taxpayers. Investors in Fannie and Freddie accept lower returns in exchange for the … Continue reading →

Posted in fannie mae, freddie mac | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Slow To Report Fraud

Foreclosure Glut Holds Down Home Prices

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Luke Ford

Hundreds of thousands of foreclosed homes have yet to come to the market so I don’t see any prospect of home prices rising until at least 2014. I expect more declines in prices over the rest of this year. Sucks … Continue reading →

Posted in Banks, Foreclosure, mortgage, Rates | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Foreclosure Glut Holds Down Home Prices

New Regulations Mean Most Folks Will Have A Harder Time Getting A Mortgage

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Luke Ford

Under Bill Clinton, standards for mortgage lending were dramatically cut to get more African-Americans into owning their own homes. The housing crash is a testimony to the wrongness of these decisions to slash standards. Now we have new regulation on … Continue reading →

Posted in Banks, mortgage, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on New Regulations Mean Most Folks Will Have A Harder Time Getting A Mortgage