Home » Mortgage News » 2008 » May
Mortgage Rates Hit 11-week High
Fannie Mae on Thursday announced that 30-year fixed rate mortgages averaged 6.08 percent this week. It's jumped to its highest level since mid-March amid growing concerns about inflation. At the same point last year, the 30-year loan averaged 6.42 percent. Read More» |
Mortgage Application Volume Falls 4.6 Percent
Applications for home mortgages slipped for a second consecutive week to a seasonally adjusted 4.6 percent as borrowing rates crept higher according to figures published by the Mortgage Bankers Association for the week ending May 23, 2008. Read More» |
Home Prices Plummet 14.1 percent in First Quarter
A clear indication of dwindling consumer confidence in the housing market was revealed on Tuesday as a closely watched housing index shows prices of single-family homes plunged a record 14.1 percent in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, the lowest since its inception in 1988. Read More» |
Greenspan Speaks Out on U.S. Economy
Former Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan has echoed the sentiments of Warren Buffet, by saying the United States was still more likely than not to have a recession despite relative stabilization in the economy in recent weeks. Read More» |
Buffet Sees U.S. in Recession
Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc and one of the world's wealthiest men in a recent interview on Sunday said he believes the U.S. economy is already in a recession. Read More» |
Fed's Kroszner - Mortgage Market Recovery Will Take Time
Fed Governor Randall Kroszner, addressing a conference of state bank supervisors, said that mortgage markets will recover slowly with more emphasis on improved risk management techniques needed to help recovery. Read More» |
Mortgage Application Volumes Down 7.8 Percent
According to data from the Mortgage Bankers' Association (MBA), weekly mortgage applications fell by 7.8 percent in the week ending May 16 and by 9.4 percent on the same time last year. Read More» |
Senate Passes Mortgage Aid Bill
Despite opposition from the Bush administration, Senate Banking Committee leaders have agreed upon a housing bill designed to prevent foreclosures and create affordable housing for an increasingly beleaguered mortgage industry. Read More» |
Fannie and Freddie off S&P Downgrade Review
Standard & Poor's announced on Monday it was no longer reviewing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for a negative rating by affirming both government sponsored enterprises with a stable outlook. Read More» |
Fannie Mae Relaxes Requirements for Loan Repayments
Government sponsored enterprise; Fannie Mae has decided to set a single national standard for downpayments on mortgages it buys in a bid to stimulate the housing market. Read More» |
Police Officer Charged in Mortgage Loan Scam
A veteran officer has been charged for his involvement in a string of mortgage scams that duped lenders into parting with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Read More» |
Mortgage Rates in Slight Decline
Rates on 30-year mortgages fell for the second consecutive week by 4 basis points to 6.01 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ended May 15, a weekly survey released by Freddie Mac on Thursday revealed. Read More» |
Mortgage Application Volumes Climb
Mortgage applications again rose for a second consecutive week by 2.9 percent. The rise for the week ending May 9 has been largely fueled by an increase in demand for home refinancing loans as interest rates dropped. Read More» |
FBI Warns of Rising Mortgage Fraud
The FBI, which is currently involved in over 1300 active investigations into mortgage 'irregularities' reported on Tuesday that as a result of the sinking housing market, they expect to witness a sharp rise in the number of 'suspicious' mortgage activity reported. Read More» |
Michael Jackson's Neverland Escapes Foreclosure
Pop legend Michael Jackson has averted foreclosure on his Neverland Ranch, following late intervention from real estate investment firm, Colony Capital. Read More» |
Jingle Mail May be Urban Myth
Despite reports to the contrary, a trend described as "walking away" or "jingle mail" which involves homeowners voluntarily defaulting on their loans even though they possess the means to make payments has been dismissed by experts as a myth. Read More» |
Mortgage Bill gets House Approval
The House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation to create a $300 billion mortgage insurance fund designed to provide billions more in homeowner aid. Read More» |
Mortgage Lenders under Spotlight at Senate Hearing
In an ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities by mortgage lenders, the Senate on Tuesday heard testimony from the Chief Executive of Countrywide Financial Corporation, Steve Bailey and Katherine Porter, a professor at the University of Iowa. Read More» |
Fannie Mae Reports Bigger Than Expected Loss
Fannie Mae posted a big first-quarter loss of $2.2 billion Tuesday and said it planned to raise $6 billion through a stock offering to shore up its balance sheet. Read More» |
Fed Head Demands Action over Foreclosure Fears
Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke has urged action from the government and mortgage lenders in a bid to stave off the threat of foreclosure to millions of households around the country. Read More» |
Government Subprime Probe Intensifies
The FBI along with federal, state and local agencies is looking into potential crimes ranging from mortgage fraud by brokers to securities fraud, inside trading and accounting fraud, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal. Read More» |
House Panel Approves Bill to Assist Borrowers
The House of Representatives Financial Services Committee on Thursday approved a sweeping bill led by the Democrats to finance $300 billion in distressed mortgages with the aim of helping homeowners facing the threat of foreclosure. Read More» |
Rates on 30-year Mortgages Reach 7 Week High
Long-term mortgage rates ended the week mixed, with the 30-year fixed rate average rising, as markets reacted to news of higher inflation. Read More» |
Mortgage Applications Drop to 2008 Low
The Mortgage Bankers Association's leading index of mortgage activity dropped to its lowest level this year. Read More» |