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Author Archives: Seth Welborn

Seth Welborn is a Harding University graduate with a degree in English and a minor in writing. He is a contributing writer for MReport. An East Texas Native, he has studied abroad in Athens, Greece and works part-time as a photographer.

FHA Acting Chief Criticizes Government Spending Plan

A $1.1 trillion congressional spending bill proposed this week may avoid another government shutdown, but officials at the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are less than impressed at the absence of funds for certain agency initiatives. "We are deeply disappointed programs that could have served millions of families will not be permitted under the bill," said Acting FHA Commissioner Biniam Gebre in a statement Thursday.

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Rhode Island Home Sales See October Increase

Sales of single-family homes in Rhode Island increased by 3.2 percent in October from the previous year, the fifth time in 2014 single-family home sales have increased year-over-year in the state, according to a report released Monday by the Warren Group.

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Fannie, Freddie Introduce Low Down Payment Programs

By lowering the down payment down to 3 percent, leaders from the GSEs and the Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA) hope to increase homeownership and particularly household formation by offering loans to those who can afford mortgages but lack resources to make a 20 percent down payment plus closing costs.

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Agencies Unveil Enhancements to Housing Program

The enhancements are designed to make monthly mortgage payments affordable for homeowners in MHA who are struggling, to strengthen the safety net for homeowners facing financial hardships, and to help stabilize communities most affected by the financial crisis by helping homeowners in MHA build equity in their homes.

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Despite Progress, Little Help for Underwater Borrowers

While rising home values have pushed down the share of underwater mortgages, the sheer number of upside-down borrowers remains massive—nearing four million—according to an update from Black Knight Financial Services. Those four million underwater homeowners combined for about $157 billion in negative equity in October.

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Survey: Consumers Hopeful About Housing in 2015

The level of optimism for the housing market in the United States is at its highest point as it has been at any point during the recovery, according to a recent survey conducted by Trulia. Of those surveyed, 74 percent said that homeownership was part of the American Dream, tying its post-recession high set in Q4 2013.

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Fannie Mae’s Mortgage Portfolio Continues to Shrink

The balance of Fannie Mae's gross mortgage portfolio stood at $436.2 billion at the end of October, representing a compound annualized rate decline of 5 percent from September, according to the mortgage giant's latest monthly volume summary.

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FHFA Releases Strategic Plan for Years Ahead

The strategic plan outlines three goals for FHFA for the forthcoming fiscal years: ensure safe and sound regulated entities; ensure liquidity, stability, and access in housing finance; and manage the enterprises' ongoing conservatorship.

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Report: BofA Given Penalty Relief for Mortgage Settlement

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) agreed to partially waive the additional sanctions that could have been imposed on Bank of America following a record settlement in August over the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities, according to sources familiar with the case in a report from Bloomberg News.

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