Mortgages and Bankingrss

  • Fannie Mae Loses $2.2 Billion in 1Q

    Mortgage giant forecasts national home price declines between 7 percent and 9 percent for 2008

     
  • Report: Subprime Servicers Too Swamped to Help Borrowers

    State attorneys general say case-by-case approach is too slow to stem the flood of foreclosures across country.

     
  • GSEs Bolster Jumbo Mortgage Market

    Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer pricing and purchasing commitments to banks in effort to expand availability of bigger loans.

     
  • States Try to Help Borrowers

    Sobering report predicts 1 in 33 homeowners will be in foreclosure during the next two years.

     
  • Foreclosures Continue to Rise

    March foreclosure level is nearly 60 percent higher than last year.

     
  • Housing Bill Update

    White House proposes expanding FHA program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

     
  • Feds Indict 19 People in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

    "Operation Homewrecker" allegedly defrauded more than 100 homeowners out of more than $12 million in equity

     
  • Voices From Capitol Hill

    Excerpts from yesterday's housing bill discussion in the U.S. Senate.

     
  • Help at Last

    Senate agrees to throw housing market a lifesaver.

     
  • Small Sigh of Relief

    Government decision to ease capital requirements for Fannie and Freddie should help mortgage market.

     
  • Senate Considers Foreclosure Relief Bill Today

    The aid package, which is expected to pass, could help keep owners in their homes at a time when defaulting doesn't have the same stigma it once did.

     
  • Builder Holds Pricing By Offering Lower Mortgage Interest Rates

    This coming President's Day weekend, several public home builders are hoping to move spec inventory and capture revenue before the end of 2008's first quarter.

     
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    Back in Action

    Everybody knows that Congress tends todrag its feet when making decisions on the major issues of the day. But as we saw by the tail end of last year, that definitely was not the case when it came time to consider what to do to stop the nation’s deepening mortgage credit crunch and build a new founda...

     
  • Bernanke Urges Mix of Fiscal and Monetary Policy

    Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told the House Budget Committee this morning that a mix of interest rate cuts and fiscal policy makes sense to help manage a U.S. economy that will experience slower growth during the first half of 2008.

     
  • Amending Credit Terms Gives WCI New Life

    Last night, WCI Communities got another reprieve from its lenders, which agreed to amend the terms of its senior secured revolving credit line and term loan. This was the fourth time in as many months that its banks have extended their loans after the Bonita Springs, Fla.-based builder and developer...

     
  • Kimball Hill Homes Loses $221 Million in Fiscal 2007

    The continued existence of Kimball Hill Homes, one of the housing industry's largest privately owned builders, as a business entity now hinges on the outcome of its negotiations with lenders over the terms of its debt and finding some way to stop the cash draining from its operations. In its 10-k fi...

     
  • BUILDER Blocks: The Week in Review

    Jan. 13, 2008: Bank of America agrees to buy Countrywide Financial; M/I Homes deliveries off 24 percent in 4Q; KB Home will reduce communities by 25 percent in 2008; NAR forecasts stable home sales in 2008. BUILDER Online catches you up on all the news you might have missed.

     
  • Bank of America Agrees to Purchase Countrywide Financial

    Bank of America will become the country's largest mortgage lender and servicer if its agreement to purchase the beleaguered Countrywide Financial is approved by both companies' shareholders and regulatory agencies. Late yesterday, Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America revealed that it had agreed to ...

     
  • Countrywide Fights Off Bankruptcy Rumors

    Countrywide Financial Corp.'s stock price was still shaky this morning after it lost 28.4 percent of its value yesterday. And as if mortgage meltdown weren't enough of a headache, Countrywide found itself fending off rumors that it was about to file for bankruptcy protection, and defending itself ag...

     
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    Directional Signals

    Ask builders where they'd like to expand, or start over (which is more likely the case these days), and eventually they'll mention these and a few other markets, all for the same reason: strong job growth that promises steady home sales for years to come.