Topic - Federal Housing Administration

• Inside Politics

  Despite criticism of Fannie Mae by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, his campaign accepted nearly $280,000 in donations raised by a registered lobbyist who once represented the government mortgage giant and whose clients now include a private equity firm and the drug company Pfizer.

• 

  Government announces $25 billion deal on mortgage abuses

  The Obama administration and 49 states announced on Thursday a record $25 billion mortgage settlement with the nation's five largest banks - the president's latest attempt to help homeowners and halt the still-sagging housing market's drag on the economy.

• 

  EDITORIAL: Obama's cash for condos

  Though Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sparked the housing collapse that crippled the economy, President Obama now wants them to play an even greater role. The president on Wednesday announced his "blueprint for an America built to last," which would have the government-backed mortgage giants underwrite more loans. "

• 

  Obama urges Congress to fix housing problem, tax banks

  President Obama told underwater homeowners Saturday that their ability to refinance their mortgages is in the hands of a do-nothing Congress.

• 

  Obama floats latest homeowner-relief plan

  Only three months after proposing a mortgage-relief plan, President Obama went back to the drawing board Wednesday with another proposal that would allow millions of "underwater" borrowers to refinance home loans and would impose a new tax on big banks.

• Inside Politics

  Former astronaut Mark Kelly said Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is "still improving" but he has no interest in running for her House seat if she is unable to do so.

• Cover story: Loan conditions hinge on down payment

  Potential homebuyers eager to take advantage of today's low mortgage rates and relatively more affordable home prices sometimes are stymied by the prospect of accumulating a substantial down payment.

• 

  EDITORIAL: Occupying your mortgage

  Politicians and realtors want to maintain a permanent government occupation of the housing market. If the hippies clogging the streets of major cities had any integrity for their cause, they'd speak out against mortgage lending practices that stick taxpayers with the bills when banks make bad loans. On Thursday night, the Senate voted 60-38 to do more of the same.

• Cover story: Registries raise cash gifts, avoid etiquette no-no

  While champagne flutes, table linens and toasters are traditional wedding gifts, many of today's brides and grooms already have established a home together and have more than enough household goods. Yet asking for cash gifts is seen by many as a longtime etiquette no-no.

• 

  Stocks rebound in late surge of trading

  Wall Street stocks staged a convincing comeback after weeks of turmoil Tuesday, with the Dow Jones industrial average first plumbing new lows near 10,500 before surging to end up 430 points in a lightning-fast rebound in the closing 45 minutes of trading.

• Cover story: Making down payment less daunting

  Most prospective homebuyers are aware of today's stricter lending standards, but they also face another challenge when it comes to buying a home: the need for down-payment funds. At the height of the housing boom, a variety of no-down-payment loans were available, but those types of loans are rare in today's tightened credit market.

• Briefly: Economy

  The Obama administration is making it easier for out-of-work homeowners to stay in their homes, as it tries to revamp its troubled foreclosure-prevention program.

• Mortgage Q&A: VA loans ideal for first-timers

  The subprime mortgage market is largely extinct, and this probably is a good thing. Partially filling the void left by subprime loans are Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans and Veterans Affairs (VA) loans. Last week, I discussed features and advantages of FHA mortgages. This week, I'd like to talk about VA loans.

• Mortgage Q&A: FHA loan best deal for many

  The demise of subprime, no-documentation and no-down-payment loans is more than three years past. Many folks with less-than-perfect credit and little cash have turned to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) loans for their home financing needs.

• Cover story: New FHA rules lock out some buyers

  Borrowers seeking Federal Housing Administration loans will soon feel the pinch, as mortgage insurance premiums on FHA loans have been increased along with borrowers' credit-score requirements.

More Stories →