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Runaway Prius case presents nagging questions (AP)
Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:43:11 GMT

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 9, 2010 file photo, driver James Sikes talks about his experiences in his Toyota Prius during a news conference held at Toyota of El Cajon in El Cajon, Calif. A law firm for the driver who says his Toyota Prius sped out of control in California doesn't plan to sue the Japanese automaker. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)AP - Investigators are confronted with a series of nagging questions as they try to unravel the case of a California real estate agent who said his Toyota Prius turned into a runaway death trap after the gas pedal became stuck.


Borrowers wait for answers on Obama loan plan (AP)
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:34:05 GMT
AP - Hundreds of thousands of homeowners are in limbo waiting to find out if they will be accepted for the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention program.
Wells Fargo, Baltimore in talks after mortgage suit (Reuters)
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:31:44 GMT
Reuters - Wells Fargo & Co said on Friday it is in talks with Baltimore officials that could avert further litigation by that city over the bank's mortgage lending practices.
"Cash for keys" aids home borrowers, investors (Reuters)
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:21:19 GMT

Real estate signs are seen in the front yards of houses for sale in this file photo taken in Maricopa, Arizona, May 27, 2009. REUTERS/Joshua Lott/FilesReuters - Jon Daurio, chief executive officer of mortgage investor Kondaur Capital Corp., recently offered a $4,000 check to Barry Culver for the deed to his Bryan, Ohio house.


Homeowners seek help at Glendale foreclosure event (AP)
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:04:42 GMT

Arizona homeowners attend a special event to meet with housing counselors and representatives from major lenders gathered to help homeowners facing foreclosure, Thursday, March 11, 2010, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)AP - Hundreds of homeowners trying to avoid losing their homes to foreclosure met with housing counselors and lender representatives at an event in Glendale on Thursday.


BofA mortgage modifications jump in March (Reuters)
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:52:02 GMT
Reuters - Bank of America Corp completed 20,666 mortgage modifications in March under a U.S. government-backed program, up 61 percent from February, the bank said on Friday.
Home Foreclosures Approach Peak Range (U.S. News & World Report)
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:35:57 GMT
U.S. News & World Report - Although the U.S. housing market witnessed its smallest annual increase in foreclosure activity in four years last month, distressed-property tallies are expected to remain in an elevated range for some time. Foreclosure filings were reported on more than 308,000 American homes in February, RealtyTrac said Thursday. That's a 2 percent decline from January but a 6 percent increase from a year earlier. All told, February represents the 12th consecutive month with more than 300,000 foreclosure filings.
UK home loans fall by half in January (AP)
Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:18:22 GMT
AP - The value of home mortgage advances in January fell by half from December, when there was a late rush to complete deals before a tax break ended at the New Year, the Council of Mortgage Lenders said Friday.
Parents Run Risks Helping Kids Buy A Home (Investor's Business Daily)
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:45:00 GMT
Investor's Business Daily - The end of the federal tax credit for homebuyers is fast approaching. That means crunch time for parents who want to help their kids buy a place as inexpensively as possible.
Fannie Mae to offer $6b in notes (AP)
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:48:53 GMT
AP - Fannie Mae on Thursday said it will offer $6 billion of new 3-year notes due May 7, 2013.
Gov't official warns on home down payment hikes (AP)
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:28:00 GMT
AP - The head of the Federal Housing Administration is warning that boosting the minimum down payment borrowers must provide to qualify for home loans backed by the agency could threaten the housing market.
Summary Box: Foreclosures grow more slowly (AP)
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:17:10 GMT
AP - FORECLOSURES UP: Foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac says the number of households facing foreclosure last month grew 6 percent from a year ago.
Mortgage rates remain below 5 percent (AP)
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:23:14 GMT

In this Feb. 28, 2010 photo, a realtor's sign proclaims a residential home sale in Sudbury, Mass. Mortgage rates held below the 5 percent threshold for the second straight week, a report said Thursday, March 11, 2010, weeks before a government program that has been keeping rates low is scheduled to expire.(AP Photo/Bill Sikes)AP - Mortgage rates held below the 5 percent threshold for the second straight week, a report said Thursday, weeks before a government program that has been keeping rates low is scheduled to expire.


Foreclosure rates up by smallest amount in 4 years (AP)
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:10:30 GMT

A pre-foreclosure sign is displayed outside a home in Miami, Florida in 2009. The US home mortage sector remains under siege -- as recent huge losses reported by government-run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac show -- from high unemployment and troubled loans.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Joe Raedle)AP - The foreclosure crisis isn't over, but the pace of growth may finally be slowing down.


Foreclosures drop for 2nd month in February: RealtyTrac (Reuters)
Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:20:14 GMT

In this Feb. 28, 2010 photo, a realtor's sign proclaims a residential home sale in Sudbury, Mass. Mortgage rates held below the 5 percent threshold for the second straight week, a report said Thursday, March 11, 2010, weeks before a government program that has been keeping rates low is scheduled to expire.(AP Photo/Bill Sikes)Reuters - U.S. mortgage foreclosure filings dropped for a second straight month in February, and notched the smallest annual increase in four years as housing-rescue efforts contained activity, a report released on Thursday showed.


Home loan demand nudges higher in latest week (Reuters)
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:00:52 GMT

In this Feb. 28, 2010 photo, a realtor's sign proclaims a residential home sale in Sudbury, Mass. Mortgage rates held below the 5 percent threshold for the second straight week, a report said Thursday, March 11, 2010, weeks before a government program that has been keeping rates low is scheduled to expire.(AP Photo/Bill Sikes)Reuters - U.S. mortgage applications nudged higher last week, reflecting increased demand for home purchase loans even as interest rates trekked higher, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday.


Nationalized UK bank Northern Rock back in profit (AP)
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:47:59 GMT
AP - Nationalized mortgage lender Northern Rock said Wednesday that it returned to profit in the second half of 2009 as interest income rose and losses on loans fell.
Commercial delinquency lower than other mortgages (AP)
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:41:53 GMT
AP - Commercial mortgages were among the best-performing loans and leases held by banks and thrifts in the fourth quarter of last year, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Tuesday.
Glincher Realty alters credit facility terms (AP)
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:40:22 GMT
AP - Real estate investment trust Glimcher Realty Trust said Monday it has extended and changed its agreement for its $470 million unsecured credit facility with its lenders, including KeyBank National Association and Bank of America NA.
More work ahead on housing market: Treasury (Reuters)
Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:03:13 GMT
Reuters - The Obama administration has more work to do to help struggling U.S. homeowners, despite signs of a stabilizing housing market, a senior Treasury official said on Monday.