Rescue Florida Realty

The Federal Housing Administration, the government insurer of home mortgages, is often credited with saving the home finance market during the worst of the latest housing crash. When no one else would lend to lower-income borrowers, the FHA stepped in, its share of mortgage originations rising from around 3 percent during the height of ...

WASHINGTON — Average U.S. rates for 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgages fell to fresh record lows this week. Cheap mortgage rates have made home-buying and refinancing more affordable than ever for those who can qualify. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan ticked down to 3.83 percent. ...

Freddie Mac CEO Charles "Ed" Haldeman gave a strong signal Friday that new incentives from the Treasury Department may be enough to start principal reduction on mortgages backed by the government-sponsored enterprises. In January, the Treasury said it would triple incentive payments to mortgage investors who allow principal reduction ...

  Fannie Mae lost $2.4 billion in the fourth quarter and asked the federal government for another $4.6 billion in bailouts. Fannie earned a $73 million profit the same period the year before. The government-sponsored enterprise reported a $16.8 billion loss for the entire year, widening 20% from the $14 billion in ...