Headline News and Feeds

Mortgage rates hit low of 4.54 percent (AP)
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:39:01 GMT

AP - Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level on record for the fifth time in six weeks, making homebuying and refinancing the most attractive in decades for those who can get loans.

(AP)
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:01:08 GMT
AP - Mortgage rates drop to 4.54 pct., hitting lowest level on record for fifth time in six weeks.

Foreclosures up in 75 percent of top U.S. metro areas (Reuters)
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:48:42 GMT

Reuters - Foreclosures rose in 3 of every four large U.S. metro areas in this year's first half, likely ruling out sustained home price gains until 2013, real estate data company RealtyTrac said on Thursday.

France Telecom first half net profit up 45 pct (AP)
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:53:43 GMT
AP - France Telecom SA said Thursday that first half net profit rose 45 percent due to a one-off gain, although revenue and margins were eroded by regulatory costs and competition in the home market in France.

Foreclosure activity up across most US metro areas (AP)
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:29:06 GMT

AP - Households across a majority of large U.S. cities received more foreclosure warnings in the first six months of this year than in the first half of 2009, new data shows.

Calif. revokes real estate licenses at record pace (AP)
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:05:04 GMT
AP - The California Department of Real Estate said Wednesday it revoked a record number of real estate licenses in its most recently completed fiscal year.

Mortgage lenders must register in database (AP)
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:52:52 GMT
AP - Loan officers at banks will be required to provide their names and fingerprints to a national database as part of an effort to crack down on shady operators who fed the real estate bubble.

Treasury says latest mortgage-aid report flawed (AP)
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:46:59 GMT
AP - The Obama administration is revising the latest report on its troubled mortgage-relief program, and the changes are likely to show a greater number of borrowers facing foreclosure after having their loans modified.

Summary Box: Mortgage applications down percent (AP)
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:47:36 GMT
AP - MORTGAGE APPLICATIONS DOWN: Applications for home loans fell 4.4 percent last week despite the lowest mortgage rates in decades, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Fed says some districts report slowing economy (Reuters)
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:38:43 GMT

Reuters - The economy kept growing overall in recent weeks, but unevenly and it actually slowed in a few regions as housing markets softened after the end of a popular tax break, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday.

Mortgage brokers to be fingerprinted and registered (Reuters)
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:44:25 GMT

Reuters - Mortgage loan originators will have to be fingerprinted and sign up to a central registry to do business in future, according to final rules issued on Wednesday by the Federal Reserve and other regulators.

Mortgage applications fall 4.4 percent last week (AP)
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:30:13 GMT
AP - Applications for home loans fell last week despite the lowest mortgage rates in decades.

Mortgage demand dips on rising rates (Reuters)
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:37:06 GMT

Reuters - U.S. home loan demand cooled last week as rising mortgage rates curbed refinancing requests that had soared to a 14-month high, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

What's next for housing finance, Fannie and Freddie? (McClatchy Newspapers)
Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:06:00 GMT
McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — With the overhaul of financial regulation in the bag, the Obama administration Tuesday said it'll focus next on housing finance — another key cause of the recent deep economic downturn — with an eye to deciding the fate of mortgage finance titans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Summary Box: Conference on Fannie, Freddie (AP)
Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:01:04 GMT
AP - CONFERENCE SCHEDULED: The Obama administration will hold a conference Aug. 17 to discuss the future of government-sponsored mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which almost collapsed nearly two years ago.

Treasury to hold conference on Fannie, Freddie (AP)
Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:49:48 GMT
AP - The Obama administration, which has been under fire for not developing a concrete plan for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, says it will hold a conference next month to discuss their future.

US vows reform plan for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (AFP)
Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:12:45 GMT

AFP - The US Treasury on Tuesday promised a plan to reform troubled state-backed mortgage firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by January, firing the starting gun on what is likely to be a rancorous debate.

Home vacancies fall in Q2 but rentals steady (Reuters)
Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:57:07 GMT
Reuters - The rate of vacancies for homes slipped slightly in the second quarter, a government report showed on Tuesday, but it was not enough to promise improvement in the hard-hit housing market.

Former Northern Rock executive fined, banned (AP)
Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:46:38 GMT
AP - Britain's financial regulator has banned the former finance director of mortgage lender Northern Rock — the country's first major casualty of the global credit crunch — and fined him 320,000 pounds ($500,000) for misreporting figures on loan arrears.

World markets up on latest batch of upbeat earns (AP)
Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:54:31 GMT

AP - World stock markets mostly rose Tuesday as investors warmed to another batch of better than expected earnings and economic data, while the euro struck a 2 1/2-month high against the dollar before its latest effort to sustain a break above $1.30 faltered.