Financial advice columnist Laura Rowley recently received an email from a homeowner who had negotiated a successful mortgage modification, but may end up as a short-sale candidate anyway -- because she can't finance home repairs. Her options are limited, but possible solutions do exist.
In a Senate panel hearing Monday, the Iowa attorney general said the problems in the home-loan industry extend well beyond just "robo-signing." A system-wide overhaul is needed, he said. But banks say any mistakes were merely procedural. Were homeowners wrongly forced out of their homes?
Putting the brakes on the bill, which the House of Representatives passed in April and the Senate approved last month, signals caution at a time when allegations of flawed foreclosure documents are popping up across the nation.
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to a bargain-basement 4.27% for the week ending Oct. 7, a new record low, Freddie Mac announced Thursday. That's down from the 4.32% rate last week, and way below the 4.87% rate that prevailed at this time last year.
