ALAN ZIBEL

AP Real Estate Writer
Add To Watchlist

Freddie Mac loses $6.3B in 3Q

Freddie Mac's losses narrowed to $6.3 billion in the third quarter, but the government-controlled mortgage finance company didn't need a federal cash infusion.

Continue reading this entry ...

Fannie Mae seeks $15 bln in US aid after 3Q loss

Fannie Mae is asking for an additional $15 billion in government aid after posting another big loss in the third quarter as the taxpayer bill from the housing market bust keeps rising.

Continue reading this entry ...

Fannie Mae offers borrowers option to foreclosure

Can't pay the mortgage? You still might be able to stay in your home. Government-controlled mortgage company Fannie Mae is going to give borrowers on the verge of foreclosure the option of renting their homes for a year.

Continue reading this entry ...

Outdoor lighting tips: How to brighten the night

Your home doesn't have to stop looking snazzy when dusk turns to darkness.

Continue reading this entry ...

September pending home sales rise 6.1 percent

The volume of signed contracts to buy previously occupied homes rose for the eighth straight month in September as buyers scrambled to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time owners that expires at the end of this month.

Continue reading this entry ...

New home sales fall a surprising 3.6 percent

Sales of new homes dropped unexpectedly last month as the effects of a temporary tax credit for first-time owners started to wane.

Continue reading this entry ...

Home sales rise 9.4 pct. in Sept., beat forecast

Racing to complete their purchases before a tax credit for first-time owners expires, homebuyers pushed sales up last month by the largest amount in more than 26 years.

Continue reading this entry ...

Rates on 30-year loans inch up to 5 percent

Rates for 30-year home loans have inched up, hitting 5 percent for the first time in nearly a month after bond yields edged up.

Continue reading this entry ...

Audit questions FHA's ability to screen lenders

The government's mortgage insurance agency is doing a poor job of screening lenders that enter the program, an internal audit has found.

Continue reading this entry ...

Rates on 30-year loans inch up to 5 percent

Rates for 30-year home loans have inched up, hitting 5 percent for the first time in nearly a month months after bond yields edged up.

Continue reading this entry ...

Foreclosures rise 5 percent from summer to fall

The number of households caught up in the foreclosure crisis rose more than 5 percent from summer to fall as a federal effort to assist struggling borrowers was overwhelmed by a flood of defaults among people who lost their jobs.

Continue reading this entry ...

Watchdog doubts goals of Obama loan relief plan

The Obama administration's effort to help homeowners avoid foreclosure may not achieve its goal of helping 3 million to 4 million borrowers and may simply delay mortgage defaults for many, a government watchdog group says.

Continue reading this entry ...

August pending home sales rise to 2 1/2 year high

Aspiring homebuyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time owners that expires in November, driving up the number of signed sales contracts for the seventh straight month in August.

Continue reading this entry ...

Report: 1 in 3 loan applications denied

Nearly one in three borrowers who applied for a mortgage last year was denied as lenders kept their standards tight as the mortgage crisis accelerated, the government reported Wednesday.

Continue reading this entry ...

Homeowners in financial trouble often redefault

Lenders are ramping up efforts to avoid home foreclosures, but a report by bank regulators says more than half of borrowers who get help fall behind again.

Continue reading this entry ...

New home sales tick up, disappoint analysts

The housing market is making a comeback, but it's not impressing anybody. New home sales rose a tepid 0.7 percent last month, missing Wall Street expectations.

Continue reading this entry ...

Home sales fall after 4 months of increases

Four steps forward, one step back.

Continue reading this entry ...

Low expectations for new loan help program

Dial back the pie-in-the-sky projections.

Continue reading this entry ...

Gov't home loan agency faces money squeeze

The Federal Housing Administration is tightening rules for lenders after reporting that its financial cushion will sink below mandatory levels for the first time in its 75-year history.

Continue reading this entry ...

Gov't considers crackdown on loan help payments

The head of the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday the agency is considering banning upfront payments to companies that advertise help for borrowers who are in trouble on their home loans.

Continue reading this entry ...

Meltdown 101: Housing help lags high expectations

The government set expectations sky-high earlier this year when President Barack Obama launched an effort to help up 7 to 9 million homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Continue reading this entry ...

Obama's mortgage relief program growing

The Obama administration's $50 billion mortgage relief program is finally picking up speed after a sluggish and disappointing start: Nearly early one in five eligible homeowners have been offered help so far.

Continue reading this entry ...

Mortgage giants struggle a year after takeover

A year after the near-collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants remain dependent on the government for survival and there is no end in sight.

Continue reading this entry ...

Mortgage rates edge down, still above record lows

Rates for 30-year home loans edged down this week, remaining close to record lows reached over the spring.

Continue reading this entry ...

Industry group proposes replacing Fannie, Freddie

A mortgage industry group wants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac replaced with private companies that would be able to issue mortgage bonds formally backed by the federal government.

Continue reading this entry ...