fha

Let's not forget that unprecedented government intervention is the only thing keeping the the housing and mortgage markets afloat. This level of support is so massive that many are wondering what will happen when the government finally pulls the plug.

Ever get the feeling that sometimes, just sometimes, the universe is just not going your way? That after the Big Bang, the rest of the cosmos is speeding off in one direction, while you are stuck at a bus stop in Secaucus? Well, if you are a potential home buyer, you may soon feel that way as the...

The Federal Housing Administration has been focusing its efforts to shore up its finances on stricter rules for lenders, but in testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan is expected to announce changes to rules for borrowers, requiring more skin in the game.

Now that the Federal Housing Administration's cash reserves are below the legally required 2% of loans outstanding, the FHA has proposed new regulations to increase the net worth requirements of FHA-approved lenders and strengthen lender criteria. The agency will also make lenders liable for the...

The housing market dropped off a cliff in October, as the original Nov. 30th expiration date for the first-time home buyers tax credit approached, according to the Housing Market Monitor of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Add to that the 6.25% 60-day delinquency rate in the third...

As the economy is supposed to be emerging from the dark cave of deep recession, you might expect it would become easier for you to secure a mortgage in the months ahead. The truth is, however, that unless you start taking some key steps right now, you may find yourself still in that recessionary...

As mortgages continue to sour, the Federal Housing Administration's reserve fund continues to deteriorate. That's not a big surprise. What might be a surprise is the fact that the FHA can get bailout money from the U.S. Treasury without seeking approval from Congress. An automatic FHA bailout is...

On Wednesday, the Federal Housing Administration was supposed to release its independent audit determining the soundness of the agency. Many have questioned that soundness because, as of Oct. 1, its reserve fund dipped below the required 2 percent of the agency's outstanding loans for the first...

With government intervention already driving the housing market in the form of tax credits and artificially low mortgage rates, there's also been a dramatic increase in the number of home buyers who are seeking out low-down payment through the federally guaranteed FHA loan program. A new survey...

Fiserv, a financial information and analysis firm, is forecasting that national median home prices will fall 11.3 percent by summer 2010. The recent surge in home sales and new homes under construction have launched a feeding frenzy in the hardest hit Sunbelt and California markets as investors...