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	<title>Bankrate.com &#187; Mortgages</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.bankrate.com/financing/category/mortgages/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing</link>
	<description>A Financial Blog</description>
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			<item>
		<title>Upbeat forecast for home prices</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/upbeat-forecast-for-home-prices/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/upbeat-forecast-for-home-prices/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:04:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=11215</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Consumer confidence in the economy is rising slightly and so are predictions about home prices. Mortgage company Fannie Mae reports that its January survey showed 30 percent of respondents believe the economy is on the right track, up from 22 percent in December. Respondents also predicted home prices will increase by 1 percent over the]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/upbeat-forecast-for-home-prices/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Obama&#8217;s refinance dilemma</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/obamas-refinance-dilemma/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/obamas-refinance-dilemma/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:58:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recovery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=11163</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is President Barack Obama's latest plan to allow millions more struggling homeowners to refinance their mortgages actually further stalling a housing market recovery? Critics of the proposal, announced last week, say the chief drawback is that it's setting up a delay in foreclosures, which, in turn, prevents home prices from hitting bottom.
Republicans, who believe government]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/obamas-refinance-dilemma/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>More jobs, higher rates &#8212; maybe</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/more-jobs-higher-rates-maybe/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/more-jobs-higher-rates-maybe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:08:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=11129</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The economy added 243,000 jobs in January. That's the biggest gain since April and more than analysts had expected. The unemployment rate also fell slightly to 8.3 percent.
Great news! But not good enough to cheer up the 12.8 million people who remain out of work. An additional 11 million are working part-time jobs because they]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/more-jobs-higher-rates-maybe/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Banks can&#8217;t say no to refis? Huh?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/banks-cant-say-no-to-refis-huh/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/banks-cant-say-no-to-refis-huh/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:09:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=11093</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Banks can't say no to borrowers who want to refinance their mortgages.
In short, that's what Shaun Donovan, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, said when asked by a reporter if he believed lenders were going to embrace the Federal Housing Administration refinance plan that President Barack Obama proposed Wednesday. The program would]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/banks-cant-say-no-to-refis-huh/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rent for less in a boom market</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rent-for-less-in-a-boom-market/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rent-for-less-in-a-boom-market/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:26:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rental]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[renters]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=11079</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Part of the fallout of the housing crisis means that rental demand is up – and so are prices. As home prices have been dropping and supply increasing, it's a cruel twist for renters who are blocked from getting a mortgage because of bad credit to see their monthly payments go up. It's also frustrating]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rent-for-less-in-a-boom-market/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Obama proposes FHA refi plan</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/obama-proposes-fha-refi-plan/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/obama-proposes-fha-refi-plan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:15:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=11062</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[President Barack Obama has proposed allowing underwater homeowners to refinance their mortgages with FHA-insured loans. The proposed program would extend today's low rates to homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth.
The plan would be similar to the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, but it would apply to private mortgages that are not]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/obama-proposes-fha-refi-plan/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Freddie&#8217;s dirty game</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/freddies-dirty-game/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/freddies-dirty-game/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:11:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[against homeowners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=11033</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered why, despite numerous government programs made to help struggling homeowners, there are still so many obstacles that prevent borrowers from refinancing their loans?
Here is one of many disturbing reasons: Freddie Mac, which owns or guarantees many U.S. mortgages, makes a ton of money by betting on homeowners who are stuck with]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/freddies-dirty-game/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Buyers still in control</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/buyers-still-in-control/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/buyers-still-in-control/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:21:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buyers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sellers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=11021</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The fact that it's still a buyer's real-estate market is no surprise. Despite small fluctuations, mortgage rates are low and so are home prices. The problem is that few are buying.
A survey by the mortgage company Fannie Mae shows that while 71 percent of Americans think it's a good time to buy a home, only]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/buyers-still-in-control/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Slow going on BofA short sales</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/slow-going-on-b-of-a-short-sales/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/slow-going-on-b-of-a-short-sales/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10990</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bank of America's cash-for-short-sales pilot program to help Florida homeowners stave off foreclosure has been something of a good news/bad news scenario since its debut last October.
Under the program, Bank of America offered $5,000 to $20,000 to homeowners who agree to sell their distressed property in a short sale rather than let it slip into]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/slow-going-on-b-of-a-short-sales/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>HAMP gets extension, expansion</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/hamp-gets-extension-expansion/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/hamp-gets-extension-expansion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:15:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Holden Lewis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HAMP]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10999</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You'll have more time to seek a mortgage modification under the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP. And maybe your lender will be more likely to write down principal.
HAMP's expiration date has been extended one year, to the last day of 2013, the Treasury Department announced this afternoon. Treasury announced other changes, too:
• Treasury will]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/hamp-gets-extension-expansion/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is the Financial Crimes Unit too late?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-the-financial-crimes-unit-too-late/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-the-financial-crimes-unit-too-late/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:51:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime unit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10981</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[More than three years after the U.S. housing market nearly collapsed as a result of reckless lending practices, the Justice Department says it plans to create a new Financial Crimes Unit to investigate mortgage abuses. Great timing, no?
President Barack Obama announced the plans for the new unit this week, as regulators worked on the final]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-the-financial-crimes-unit-too-late/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Chokeholds on a housing recovery</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/chokeholds-on-a-housing-recovery/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/chokeholds-on-a-housing-recovery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:06:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MERS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recovery]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10925</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The housing crisis and resulting drop in home prices has cost $7 trillion in household wealth, according to a statement this month by the Federal Reserve. Despite recent upticks in sales, it's only projected to get worse unless the increasing supply of foreclosed properties is removed from the market and more homeowners are prevented from]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/chokeholds-on-a-housing-recovery/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Refis and write-downs for some</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/refis-and-write-downs-for-some/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/refis-and-write-downs-for-some/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:43:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[principal write-down]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[settlement]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10890</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A $25 billion settlement agreement between regulators and five major banks could bring some -- but not enough -- relief to struggling borrowers.
A draft of the settlement was completed this week but has not been approved yet. According to an Associated Press report, this is what the settlement could look like:

The settlement would provide $17]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/refis-and-write-downs-for-some/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Capitology: Decoding the SOTU</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/capitology-decoding-the-sotu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/capitology-decoding-the-sotu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:40:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Holden Lewis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10888</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We need interpreters to explain what our politicians really mean, like the Kremlinologists used to do whenever a Soviet leader delivered a speech (with or without shoe-pounding).
In last night's State of the Union speech, the president said:
(R)esponsible homeowners shouldn't have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/capitology-decoding-the-sotu/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Newt a lobbyist for Freddie?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/newt-a-lobbyist-for-freddie/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/newt-a-lobbyist-for-freddie/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:55:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Holden Lewis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10853</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Was Newt Gingrich "working as an influence peddler" on behalf of mortgage titan Freddie Mac, as Mitt Romney charges?
Yesterday, The Gingrich Group released its 2006 contract with Freddie Mac. Here is the contract's complete description of The Gingrich Group's "scope of services:"
"Consultant will provide consulting and related services as requested by Freddie Mac's Director, Public]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/newt-a-lobbyist-for-freddie/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Home remodeling on the rebound</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/home-remodeling-on-the-rebound/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/home-remodeling-on-the-rebound/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:35:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[remodeling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spending]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10843</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Consumer spending on home remodeling projects rose slightly last year, for the first time since 2006. The long, slow housing recovery is partly to blame. Experts say many homeowners who want to trade up or who are unable to relocate for a job are realizing they can't sell in this market and have decided to]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/home-remodeling-on-the-rebound/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Robosigning deal may help</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/robosigning-deal-may-help/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/robosigning-deal-may-help/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:14:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[principal write-down]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[settlement]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Federal and state regulators are close to reaching a settlement with some of the nation's largest lenders over their shady foreclosure practices.
What's in it for borrowers? About one million borrowers could receive mortgage relief in the form of loan principal reductions, according to reports citing U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan.
Donovan has long]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/robosigning-deal-may-help/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Low rates spur refinancing wave</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/low-rates-spur-refinancing-wave/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/low-rates-spur-refinancing-wave/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[increase]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinancing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10728</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Applications for mortgages jumped 23 percent last week, largely due to homeowners taking advantage of record-low rates to refinance, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The refinance portion of total mortgage activity was 82 percent.
But as a Bankrate article points out, although rates are low, mortgage fees are about to rise. Congress is set to]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/low-rates-spur-refinancing-wave/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can QE3 fix housing?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-qe-3-fix-housing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-qe-3-fix-housing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:52:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[QE 3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10705</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Federal Reserve may decide at its meeting next week to give another boost to the housing market with a third round of quantitative easing.
Back in 2008, the Fed announced QE1 to keep interest rates low, which involved buying mortgage-backed securities and mortgage debt. In 2009, the program was expanded to include government debt. Then in]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-qe-3-fix-housing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Force-placed&#8217; into foreclosure</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/force-placed-into-foreclosure/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/force-placed-into-foreclosure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeowners insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10667</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Did some of America's largest banks profit by purchasing high-priced fallback insurance policies on homes facing foreclosure?
That's what New York's state financial regulators want to know in an ongoing probe of the loan servicing operations at several large banks, including Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.
The probe centers on "force-placed" insurance, a]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/force-placed-into-foreclosure/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>FOMC: Fraud is funny!</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fomc-fraud-is-funny/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fomc-fraud-is-funny/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:29:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Holden Lewis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10685</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In February 2007, the subprime meltdown began. Two months before that, members of the Federal Open Market Committee were laughing about borrowers who were having trouble qualifying for mortgages.
Sandra Pianalto, president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank, told her fellow Fedsters during the Dec. 12, 2006, FOMC meeting that she had heard that a homebuilder]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fomc-fraud-is-funny/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Last chance for short sales</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/last-chance-for-short-sales/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/last-chance-for-short-sales/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:46:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[short sale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10632</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you plan to unload your home through a short sale, get moving. 2012 may be your last chance to sell a home that is worth less than what you owe without having to face tax consequences.
When lenders approve a short sale, the difference between the sale price and what is owed on the mortgage]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/last-chance-for-short-sales/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why have foreclosures dropped?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/why-have-foreclosures-dropped/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/why-have-foreclosures-dropped/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2011]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosure filings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10633</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Foreclosure filings hit a four-year low in 2011, but not entirely for the reasons you'd hope. It wasn't that more people are able to avoid foreclosure, but due, in part, to a processing backlog resulting from the accusations that banks pushed robosigning as a way to get distressed properties through the pipeline quickly without reviewing the]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/why-have-foreclosures-dropped/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Forbearance for the jobless</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/forbearance-for-the-jobless/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/forbearance-for-the-jobless/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:31:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forbearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unemployed]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10574</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Homeowners who are unemployed and struggling to pay their mortgages may get a break on their mortgage payments for up to a year, says mortgage finance firm Freddie Mac.
Freddie currently allows mortgage servicers to give borrowers three to six months to get back on their feet when they are out of work. Starting Feb. 1,]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/forbearance-for-the-jobless/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Government to unload foreclosures</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/government-to-unload-foreclosures/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/government-to-unload-foreclosures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:52:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosed properties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[private]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10575</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A bulging pipeline is prompting the Obama administration to implement its plan to sell foreclosed properties in bulk to investors who will rent them out, potentially solving the problem of hundreds of thousands of vacant homes dragging down home values. According to CNBNC, the administration is close to announcing the pilot program, which is being]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/government-to-unload-foreclosures/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>85</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Big whoop from the BLS</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/big-whoop-from-the-bls/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/big-whoop-from-the-bls/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:35:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Holden Lewis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[30 year fixed mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10534</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We got relatively good news from the December employment report, released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But it had little immediate effect on the mortgage market. That's even better news.
The economy created 200,000 more jobs than it destroyed in December, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent. In a robust economy, both]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/big-whoop-from-the-bls/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Next president&#8217;s to-do list</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/next-presidents-to-do-list/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/next-presidents-to-do-list/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:04:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[survey]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10485</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the Iowa caucus behind us and the election year in full swing, what's the No. 1 priority for the next president? According to the results of a survey by Trulia.com, a real estate website, it's not the housing crisis. Lower unemployment and reducing the federal deficit come first.
But when asked about housing policy, respondents of]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/next-presidents-to-do-list/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fed to forecast rates</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fed-to-forecast-rates/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fed-to-forecast-rates/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:43:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10446</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Want to know when interest rates will rise? The Fed will let you know beforehand.
From now on, each member of the Federal Open Market Committee will tell us his or her rate forecast for the fourth quarter of the year and for the next few calendar years, when the Fed publishes its economic projections. The]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fed-to-forecast-rates/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Banks offer refinance incentives</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/banks-offer-refinance-incentives/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/banks-offer-refinance-incentives/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:48:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[borrowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeowners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10427</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you're still waiting to refinance, now may the time to snag the best deals. Not only are mortgage rates at near-30-year lows, but applications for refinances are down, prompting some banks to seek ways to encourage homeowners to get off the fence.
The Wall Street Journal reports that many smaller and regional banks are kicking]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/banks-offer-refinance-incentives/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Should wolves manage henhouses?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/should-wolves-manage-hen-houses/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/should-wolves-manage-hen-houses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FHFA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10418</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Should the banks that helped create the foreclosure crisis now be allowed to profit from it by renting out foreclosed homes?
That's the question being asked in response to a Bloomberg report last week that several major financial and investment companies have proposed just such a solution to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
The FHFA solicited ideas]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/should-wolves-manage-hen-houses/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>2012 housing outlook</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/2012-housing-outlook/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/2012-housing-outlook/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:45:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2012]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unemployment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10302</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fasten your seatbelts for another "bumpy ride" in the housing market next year, says Freddie Mac's chief economist Frank Nothaft.
The mortgage company, now administered by the government along with Fannie Mae, published its outlook for 2012. While mortgage rates are projected to remain at record lows at least through the middle of the year, there]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/2012-housing-outlook/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Retirees get help selling home</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/retirees-get-help-selling-home/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/retirees-get-help-selling-home/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:45:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[communities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retirees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retirement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[selling]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10301</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Retirees planning to move into continuing care communities are getting some help selling their existing home from an unexpected ally. Retirement communities eager to attract residents have come up with a variety of solutions in the sluggish housing market, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Communities are offering home-staging services, no interest bridge loans, reduced entrance]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/retirees-get-help-selling-home/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Housing crash dives deeper</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/housing-crash-dives-deeper/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/housing-crash-dives-deeper/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:41:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NAR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prices]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10244</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The overstatement of existing home sales by the National Association of Realtors, NAR, may have caused a setback to the speed of a housing recovery.
Errors that began in 2007 and accumulated through the housing bust mean that home sales were actually 14.3 percent worse than reported by the NAR. Builders rely on the data to]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/housing-crash-dives-deeper/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is now the time to buy?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-now-the-time-to-buy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-now-the-time-to-buy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:53:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buy home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10233</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is now the time to buy a home? Most prospective homebuyers think so, according to a recent study conducted by Gary V. Engelhardt, a professor at Syracuse University.
Despite high unemployment and slow economic growth, about 80 percent of Americans believe now is a good time to buy a home, shows the study, titled "The Great]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-now-the-time-to-buy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Upward trend in homebuying</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/upward-trend-in-homebuying/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/upward-trend-in-homebuying/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:32:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[builders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[confidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homebuyers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing market]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10182</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Finally someone is feeling optimistic about home sales. Builder sentiment rose for the third straight month, according to the December survey by National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo. It's the first consecutive, three-month upswing since 2009 and is considered a "legitimate, though slowly emerging upward trend," according to David Crowe, chief economist at National Association]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/upward-trend-in-homebuying/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Were big banks &#8217;stealing homes&#8217;?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/were-big-banks-stealing-homes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/were-big-banks-stealing-homes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan modification]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10148</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Forget for the time being all the Three Stooges document-fumbling surrounding the housing collapse. Set aside the obvious malfeasance of robosigning and rocket dockets.
The question on the table now is, were America's largest mortgage lenders stealing homes?
The recent lawsuit filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley against five of the nation's largest banks for deceptive]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/were-big-banks-stealing-homes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>80</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fannie, Freddie saga heats up</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fannie-freddie-saga-heats-up/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fannie-freddie-saga-heats-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:05:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[subprime]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10149</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Troubles continue to plague Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the giant mortgage companies that were taken over by the government in 2008 and bailed out by taxpayers.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, sued three former executives at each of the two companies, including the former CEOs, charging them with misrepresenting the amount of subprime]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fannie-freddie-saga-heats-up/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Student debt blocks homebuyers</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/student-debt-blocks-homebuyers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/student-debt-blocks-homebuyers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:21:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homebuyers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10109</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[More potential first-time homebuyers are living with their parents instead of shopping for a home, further stalling a housing recovery.
Mortgage rates are at record lows and home values have dropped -- significantly in some areas of the country -- since the heights of the housing bubble, yet young people are locked out of the market.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/student-debt-blocks-homebuyers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Higher rates vs. tax increase?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/higher-rates-vs-tax-increase/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/higher-rates-vs-tax-increase/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:36:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payroll tax cut]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=10053</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A bid to boost fees that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge lenders in order to pay for the proposed payroll tax cut extension for another year is drawing fire from some in the real estate industry who fear that lenders will pass the fees on to borrowers in the form of higher mortgage interest]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/higher-rates-vs-tax-increase/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A visa for foreign homebuyers?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-visa-for-foreign-homebuyers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-visa-for-foreign-homebuyers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:54:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buyers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homebuyers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Visa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9985</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As one way to unload the glut of housing inventory languishing on the market, two senators want to introduce a bill today that gives foreigners who buy a home in the U.S. a residence visa.
Foreigners would have to invest at least $500,000 in residential real estate (buyers can invest in more than one home as]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-visa-for-foreign-homebuyers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Internet mortgage scams</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/internet-mortgage-scams/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/internet-mortgage-scams/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[modification]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scammers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scams]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9943</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Beware when searching on the Internet for ways to modify your mortgage payments. So far, the federal government has shut down more than 200 scam companies that are promising to help struggling homeowners.
 In a separate action, search engines have been taking their own actions by barring suspicious advertisers. Google removed 500 advertisers from its site]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/internet-mortgage-scams/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>GMAC out of Massachusetts</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/gmac-out-of-massachusetts/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/gmac-out-of-massachusetts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:44:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GMAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9937</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[GMAC, the mortgage arm of Ally Financial, will cease most of its mortgage lending in Massachusetts.
The announcement came a day after Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed suit against GMAC and four other major mortgage servicers, alleging illegal foreclosure practices in Massachusetts.
GMAC says it will stop buying loans from correspondent lenders and wholesale brokers, which]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/gmac-out-of-massachusetts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The foreclosure gold digger</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/the-foreclosure-gold-digger/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/the-foreclosure-gold-digger/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9891</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Among the more bizarre bottom-feeders to profit from our foreclosure mess is Jacob Franz: Dyck (yep, he signs with a colon), a 72-year-old former Florida dentist and ex-con who figured out a clever way to drill for gold in the cavities of America's broken dreams.
Dyck considers himself a "sovereign citizen," meaning he's not bound by]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/the-foreclosure-gold-digger/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Will rates rise on jobs report?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/will-rates-rise-on-jobs-report/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/will-rates-rise-on-jobs-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:43:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unemployment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9881</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The labor market took a small step forward in November, but when you read the fine print, the situation isn't as rosy as it appears. Still, mortgage rates will likely rise amid the somewhat positive news.
The Labor Department reports that the unemployment rate dropped to 8.6 percent. That's a big deal considering the rate had]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/will-rates-rise-on-jobs-report/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Foreclosure evictions on hold</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-evictions-on-hold/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-evictions-on-hold/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:29:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eviction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9851</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Homeowners who face foreclosure will get a short break this holiday season. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will suspend foreclosure evictions from Dec. 19 through Jan. 2.
For those whose homes are in foreclosure, this doesn’t mean the foreclosure process will be put on hold. Foreclosure proceedings will continue, but borrowers will be "permitted" to remain]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-evictions-on-hold/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Homeownership demand up</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/homeownership-demand-up/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/homeownership-demand-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:04:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buyers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home prices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeownership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9835</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The monthly cost of owning a median-priced home (including taxes and insurance) is lower than the average cost to rent in 12 metro areas, according to a Wall Street Journal survey. In 15 of the 27 cities surveyed, it is still less expensive to rent, but the scale has been tipping in favor of homeownership.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/homeownership-demand-up/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Underwater? You&#8217;re not alone</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/underwater-youre-not-alone/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/underwater-youre-not-alone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:38:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HARP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[underwater]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9795</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here are some not-so-fun facts on borrowers who owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth.

About 10.7 million homes in the United States were underwater in the last three months, compared to 10.9 million in the last quarter, shows a report by CoreLogic.
About 22.1 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage are]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/underwater-youre-not-alone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>No recovery until 2013?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/no-recovery-until-2013/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/no-recovery-until-2013/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:30:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9779</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The cure for the ailing housing market is time, and any signs of sustainable recovery won't come until 2013, according to a group of economists polled by Reuters.
Attempts to revive the market are being discussed, but the economists believe they'll do little to increase home sales, stave off foreclosures or get more money flowing through]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/no-recovery-until-2013/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>More Americans staying put</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/more-americans-staying-put/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/more-americans-staying-put/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:25:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Americans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[move]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9752</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The number of Americans who moved in the past year was at a record low, not only as a result of the poor economy, but also putting a drag on further recovery.
From March 2010 to March 2011, a little more than 11 million Americans moved, according to U.S. Census data. Compare that with the record]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/more-americans-staying-put/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Will purchase of more MBS help?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/will-purchase-of-more-mbs-help/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/will-purchase-of-more-mbs-help/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:42:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage backed securities Federal Reserve economy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9651</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 2009, when the government bought mortgage-backed securities, or MBS, to help stop the decline in home prices, the tactic worked to some degree. But although there's some talk of repeating the tactic, Christopher Waller, research director of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, doesn't think it will work this time around.
"Now, we don't see the]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/will-purchase-of-more-mbs-help/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Did racism skew foreclosures?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/did-racism-skew-foreclosures/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/did-racism-skew-foreclosures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9619</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Two studies just released confirm what we already know: we're less than halfway out of the foreclosure mess. But one of them drills down deeper to expose a racial subtext to the story.
According to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association, the rate of borrowers who have fallen three or more months behind in their]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/did-racism-skew-foreclosures/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Downgraded but not out?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/downgraded-but-not-out/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/downgraded-but-not-out/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Greg McBride</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[10-year Treasury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Standard and Poor's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Treasury yields]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9611</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When Standard and Poor's downgraded the United States' credit rating on Aug. 5, many analysts expected Uncle Sam's borrowing costs to rise sharply. That hasn't happened in the short term, though it's still a possibility in the longer term.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury recently fell below 2 percent (as a point of reference, it was around]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/downgraded-but-not-out/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can they take it high enough?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-they-take-it-high-enough/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-they-take-it-high-enough/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:15:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Holden Lewis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9613</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Both houses of Congress have approved an increase in the maximum size of a  mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA. The measure now goes to President Barack Obama's desk.
Neither the Obama administration nor congressional Republicans think it's a good idea to re-raise FHA loan limits. But increased limits are likely to be signed into]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-they-take-it-high-enough/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Who is the new renter?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/who-is-the-new-renter/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/who-is-the-new-renter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:45:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rental]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rentals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[renters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[single]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9567</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One promising piece of news in the housing crisis for developers and investors is rental property, which has seen a surge as homeownership rates have fallen off. As builders seek ways to tailor rental units to the needs of renters, the Wall Street Journal reports that they are increasingly looking at single mothers.
Census data show]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/who-is-the-new-renter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>HARP 2 details emerge</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/harp-2-details-emerge/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/harp-2-details-emerge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:46:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Holden Lewis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HARP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HARP 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9554</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For underwater homeowners who want to refinance their mortgages, the details of HARP 2 are coming into focus.
HARP 2 is a liberalized revision of the Home Affordable Refinance Program. (See Bankrate's HARP page.) HARP's goal was to allow homeowners to refinance their loans, even if they owed more than their homes were currently worth. Millions]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/harp-2-details-emerge/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>23</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Does FHA help rich homebuyers?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/does-fha-help-rich-homebuyers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/does-fha-help-rich-homebuyers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:05:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[higher]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[limit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[limits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9526</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The purpose of the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, is being debated as Congress wrangles over whether to restore higher mortgage limits for federally insured loans. In 2008, limits were raised from $417,000 to as high as $729,750 in expensive areas of the country in order to reflect higher home values. That limit dropped to]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/does-fha-help-rich-homebuyers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Servicers to obey rules</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/servicers-to-obey-rules/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/servicers-to-obey-rules/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:00:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agreement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[robo-sign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[servicers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9460</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Three national mortgage companies have agreed to play by the rules when foreclosing on people's homes. They’ve promised to not lie when they sign foreclosure documents, not to foreclose when a borrower is obtaining a mortgage modification and not to charge improper fees to borrowers.
Isn't that nice of them?
The companies -- Morgan Stanley, Saxon American]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/servicers-to-obey-rules/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A bit of housing good news</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-bit-of-housing-good-news/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-bit-of-housing-good-news/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:09:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home prices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[markets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9431</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How about a little good news on the housing front, for a change? Signs of economic improvement were reported in 30 housing markets, up from 23 markets a month ago, as tracked by the National Association of Home Builders, NAHB, and First American Financial Corp. Texas, in particular, fared well with eight of its cities]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-bit-of-housing-good-news/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Occupy Foreclosures next?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-occupy-foreclosures-next/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-occupy-foreclosures-next/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:56:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[occupy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9404</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After occupying streets and parks in various parts of the country, Occupy Wall Street activists plan their next move: occupying foreclosures.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Occupy Oakland activists met this week to discuss not whether to occupy empty homes, but when and how to do it. One strategy the group is considering is contacting]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/is-occupy-foreclosures-next/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>47</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Appraisals slow housing recovery</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/appraisals-slow-housing-recovery/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/appraisals-slow-housing-recovery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:08:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[appraisal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[appraisals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9391</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here's another factor working against the housing market recovery : appraisals. Real-estate professionals say that the results of home appraisals are increasingly stalling or preventing sales.
Fewer than 10 percent of realtors blamed appraisals for killing or delaying a deal prior to 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors. But in 2010, 29 percent of]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/appraisals-slow-housing-recovery/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How about a mortgage bailout?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/how-about-a-mortgage-bailout/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/how-about-a-mortgage-bailout/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9351</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It has been the elephant in the living room of our national debate since the housing bubble burst five years ago: Why not simply bail out homeowners who are upside down in their homes and facing foreclosure?
As Harvard economist Martin S. Feldstein points out in a recent op-ed in The New York Times, nearly 15]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/how-about-a-mortgage-bailout/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rates yawn to jobs report</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rates-yawn-to-jobs-report/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rates-yawn-to-jobs-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:08:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greece]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bad news: The Labor Department says the economy added only 80,000 jobs in October. That's short of the 95,000 jobs that economists had expected.
Good news: The unemployment rate dipped to 9 percent after it had been stuck at 9.1 percent since April. And the August and September job figures were revised to show 102,000 more]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rates-yawn-to-jobs-report/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Freddie Mac wants $6 billion</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/freddie-mac-wants-6-billion/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/freddie-mac-wants-6-billion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:57:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taxpayers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9316</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Freddie Mac, the government-controlled mortgage company, is asking for an additional $6 billion from taxpayers after experiencing a third-quarter loss of nearly $2 billion more than the third quarter of last year.
According to the Associated Press, the company's losses have increased over the past year because many homeowners have refinanced and are now paying lower interest]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/freddie-mac-wants-6-billion/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Did your lender screw up?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/did-your-lender-screw-up/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/did-your-lender-screw-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:02:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage servicer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9254</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If your house was in foreclosure in 2009 or 2010 and your mortgage servicer misbehaved, here is some good news.
You can request to have your foreclosure case reviewed by an independent firm. If the reviewer determines that you suffered "financial injury" because of the servicer's "errors, misrepresentations or other deficiencies in foreclosure practices," you may]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/did-your-lender-screw-up/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Troubled waters for home loans</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/troubled-waters-for-home-loans/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/troubled-waters-for-home-loans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:29:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[borrowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeowners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[underwater]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9265</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nearly one in four homeowners (22.7 percent) owes more on his mortgage than the home is worth, according to California research firm CoreLogic.
Almost three-quarters of the underwater homeowners have above-market interest rates, says CoreLogic, but refinancing has proven to be tricky. In an effort to address the problem, last week President Obama announced the new]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/troubled-waters-for-home-loans/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Forget loan forgiveness</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/forget-loan-forgiveness/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/forget-loan-forgiveness/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:33:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forgiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan reduction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[principal write-down]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9229</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You may have heard talks that lenders are being pushed to help struggling homeowners by forgiving part of the principal owed on their mortgages.
Forget it.  It's not going to happen. That's pretty much what Federal Housing Finance Agency Acting Director Edward DeMarco said during an interview that aired on C-SPAN this weekend.
"The idea of reducing]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/forget-loan-forgiveness/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Which housing markets gained?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/which-housing-markets-gained/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/which-housing-markets-gained/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:14:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[values]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9154</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The market with the biggest gains in home values since 2009 is in one of the states hit hardest by the housing slump: Florida.
Zillow researched the 1,000 largest U.S. cities in a survey for Bloomberg Businessweek and found that Weston, Fla., a suburb of Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, had a 15.1 percent increase. The suburb is known]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/which-housing-markets-gained/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New HARP refinance announced</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/new-harp-refinance-announced/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/new-harp-refinance-announced/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:40:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HARP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9093</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An improved refinance program that is expected to allow millions of underwater borrowers to refinance their mortgages was just announced.
Borrowers will be able to refinance their mortgages owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, even if they owe more than what their house is worth. The previous]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/new-harp-refinance-announced/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can this HARP be saved?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-this-harp-be-saved/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-this-harp-be-saved/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[borrowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let's see if the new, improved home refinance program goes any further toward pumping life into the stagnant housing market. On Monday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, the government agency that controls Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announced an overhaul of the controversial Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, that is designed to ease rules]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/can-this-harp-be-saved/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Foreclosure deal coming soon</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-deal-coming-soon/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-deal-coming-soon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9070</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After a year of discordant negotiations, a settlement is said to be imminent between U.S. states and the nation's largest mortgage lenders that would allow the banks to walk away from America's foreclosure mess for a reported $25 billion.
Reuters quotes sources close to the negotiations who say an agreement could be reached by the end]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-deal-coming-soon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Buy a house, get a visa</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/buy-a-house-get-a-visa/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/buy-a-house-get-a-visa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:36:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreigners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Visa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9072</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How bad is the housing market in the United States? So bad, that two senators -- a Republican and a Democrat -- have joined forces to push a bill that would offer visas to foreigners who spend $500,000 buying homes in the States.
The bill was co-authored by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Mike Lee]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/buy-a-house-get-a-visa/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mortgage help falls short</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mortgage-help-falls-short/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mortgage-help-falls-short/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:40:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeowners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[program]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=9019</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Remember back in 2009, when President Barack Obama introduced the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, by touting its goal of helping 3 million to 4 million borrowers keep their homes? The program has actually provided mortgage relief to fewer than a million to date.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Treasury Department statistics show the government]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mortgage-help-falls-short/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pay off your mortgage?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/pay-off-your-mortgage/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/pay-off-your-mortgage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:43:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pay off]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8979</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[During times of economic instability and employment uncertainty, many people wonder if they should pay off their mortgage, especially as they get closer to retirement.
One rule of thumb used to be (all rules of thumb seem to be under scrutiny these days) that if you could get a better real rate of return in the]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/pay-off-your-mortgage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>QE3 still an option</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/qe3-still-an-option/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/qe3-still-an-option/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:30:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Federal Reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[QE3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8912</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After numerous unsuccessful attempts to help jump-start the economy, some Fed members still seem to think that pumping more money into the bond market will help solve our problems.
Twice, the Fed has decided to print money and go on a bond-buying spree to help save the economy. Twice, the programs -- QE1 and QE2 --]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/qe3-still-an-option/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Government exiting mortgage biz</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/government-exiting-mortgage-biz/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/government-exiting-mortgage-biz/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:24:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8893</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the housing crisis drags on, the government is seeking to ease out of the mortgage business and let the private sector take control. That worries some analysts who don't want to see any more potential setbacks in a recovery.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two largest mortgage companies, have had their troubles since the]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/government-exiting-mortgage-biz/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Protests and winning back trust</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/protests-and-winning-back-trust/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/protests-and-winning-back-trust/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:45:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bankers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protesters]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8860</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The mortgage banking industry wants to win your trust back. Lenders and servicers realize their reputation is tainted but they say they are determined to reverse that.
That was a common theme among lenders who spoke during the first day of the Mortgage Bankers Association, or MBA, annual meeting in Chicago. Many in the crowd of more]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/protests-and-winning-back-trust/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Homeownership dream fading?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/homeownership-dream-fading/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/homeownership-dream-fading/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:59:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Census]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeownership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[renters]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8848</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mortgage rates hit a new record low in last week's Bankrate survey, but homeowners still aren't biting, as proven by a drop in applications for new mortgages and refinance loans.
Homebuyers are holding back, for sure, as home prices keep falling and lenders continue their reluctance to extend a mortgage to anyone without stellar credit and]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/homeownership-dream-fading/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Foreclosure help falls short</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-help-falls-short/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-help-falls-short/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:00:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8817</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A federal program to help unemployed homeowners avoid foreclosure has come to a disappointing end with less than half of its $1 billion spent and two-thirds of its anticipated recipients receiving nothing.
The Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program, which grew out of Wall Street reform legislation, was to provide forgivable HUD loans for an estimated 30,000 struggling]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/foreclosure-help-falls-short/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rates may rise on jobs report</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rates-may-rise-on-jobs-report/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rates-may-rise-on-jobs-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:28:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8814</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The U.S. labor market has shown signs of improvement. Employers added 103,000 jobs in September. That's substantially better than the 60,000 jobs many economists had predicted.
Good for the economy. Not so good for mortgage rates.
Revised figures for August and July also were welcome news. Instead of  the zero new jobs that had been reported for]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/rates-may-rise-on-jobs-report/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mini luxury home boom</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mini-luxury-home-boom/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mini-luxury-home-boom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:03:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jumbo mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loans]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8765</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last month I wrote about European villas for sale at reduced prices in popular vacation spots. Here in the U.S., it's much the same story, as brokers report an uptick in interest from homebuyers in luxury enclaves like Palm Beach, Fla. And Vail, Colo.
According to the Wall Street Journal, sales in Palm Beach were up]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mini-luxury-home-boom/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The long arm of foreclosure</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/the-long-arm-of-foreclosure/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/the-long-arm-of-foreclosure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:04:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deficiency judgment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeowners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[judgments]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8720</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It's called a deficiency judgment and it's a nightmare for former homeowners who thought they were free of a mortgage after the bank foreclosed on their property.
Since foreclosed homes hardly ever sell for an amount that covers the outstanding loan, 41 states plus the District of Columbia allow lenders to sue the homeowners for the]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/the-long-arm-of-foreclosure/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reports of mortgage fraud spike</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/reports-of-mortgage-fraud-spike/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/reports-of-mortgage-fraud-spike/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:53:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fraud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8639</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The deeper the banks go to uncover faulty or fraudulent mortgage transactions conducted during the housing boom, the uglier it gets. Accounts of mortgage fraud skyrocketed by 88 percent in the second quarter of this year, according to a report from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the Treasury Department, the agency in charge of]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/reports-of-mortgage-fraud-spike/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mortgage rates bounce up</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mortgage-rates-bounce-up/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mortgage-rates-bounce-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:58:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[operation twist]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8608</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mortgage rates have bounced back from their record lows last week.
After the Fed announced plans last Wednesday to implement Operation Twist and buy $400 billion in long-term securities, many in the mortgage industry expected rates to fall. They tumbled. But the party was short-lived.
The yields on 10-year Treasury notes and on Freddie Mac bonds --]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/mortgage-rates-bounce-up/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Home prices: up but not enough</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/home-prices-up-but-not-enough/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/home-prices-up-but-not-enough/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:59:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home prices]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8606</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Home prices increased 0.9 percent in July compared to June, according to the latest Standard &#38; Poor's Case-Shiller home price index. Try using that to cheer up a home seller whose house is worth about 30 percent to 50 percent less than in 2006. 
While home prices have improved slightly for four months in a row, they are]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/home-prices-up-but-not-enough/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Who are the new homebuyers?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/who-are-the-new-homebuyers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/who-are-the-new-homebuyers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:26:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buyers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8586</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Homebuying conditions look great on paper, but a bunch of factors is preventing traditional first-time buyers or those looking to trade up from getting into the game. Consequently, the new buyers are more often investors with cash or cautious buyers of spec homes.
We're currently enjoying "the best housing affordability conditions in a generation," according to]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/who-are-the-new-homebuyers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>3 years of total chaos</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/three-years-of-total-chaos/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/three-years-of-total-chaos/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:00:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[subprime]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8549</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This month marks the third anniversary of the end of America's financial system as we know it. No one is celebrating. Everyone is outraged. And the aggrieved are lined up seeking unprecedented billions of dollars in compensation.
The foreclosure mess that resulted from reckless subprime lending and the subsequent packaging of those patently unsound mortgage loans]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/three-years-of-total-chaos/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lower rates, fewer loans</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/lower-rates-fewer-loans/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/lower-rates-fewer-loans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 19:46:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8551</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Lower interest rates were not enough to spur home sales and refinances last year, shows a study by the Federal Reserve.
Even though mortgage rates in 2010 were significantly lower than in 2009, lenders originated about one million fewer mortgages last year than they did in 2009, according a report released Thursday. Mortgage loan originations declined]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/lower-rates-fewer-loans/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How low can rates go?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/how-low-can-rates-go/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/how-low-can-rates-go/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:42:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[operation twist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8511</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thinking about getting a mortgage? You had better get started quickly.
Mortgage rates embarked on a downward spiral after the Fed announcement of Operation Twist.  They will  attract  refinancers like moths to a flame, mortgage experts say.
"Homeowners have about a week before the next rush of refis begin," says Dan Green, a loan officer at Waterstone]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/how-low-can-rates-go/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Existing home sales improve</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/existing-home-sales-improve/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/existing-home-sales-improve/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:25:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NAR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8489</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Low mortgage rates and home prices did their job of luring homebuyers, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which showed a rise of 7.7 percent in existing home sales in August. That's the biggest rise since March and 18.6 percent more than August 2010 sales figures.
The increase was a surprise: Economists in]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/existing-home-sales-improve/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Higher mortgage fees proposed</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/higher-mortgage-fees-proposed/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/higher-mortgage-fees-proposed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:30:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8444</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the ongoing effort to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, the regulator that oversees the two agencies, proposed charging higher mortgage fees and sharing some of the lending risk with the private sector.
At a mortgage conference Monday in Raleigh, N.C., FHFA acting director]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/higher-mortgage-fees-proposed/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fewer homes for sale</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fewer-homes-for-sale/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fewer-homes-for-sale/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:23:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inventory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[markets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8374</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A decline in the number of homes for sale would seem to be a positive sign for the troubled housing market, but the traditional rules don't apply these days.
Although housing inventory dropped in August to the lowest point so far this year -- and down 19 percent from a year ago according to Realtor.com -- real estate]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fewer-homes-for-sale/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A slap for Fannie and Freddie</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-slap-for-fannie-and-freddie/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-slap-for-fannie-and-freddie/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:12:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8339</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A three-year investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is close to being settled, according to an article in the New York Times, without either of the two mortgage companies admitting fraud or paying a fine.
But the settlement, possibly later this year, will be significant]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-slap-for-fannie-and-freddie/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Robosigning: the con goes on</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/robosigning-the-con-goes-on/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/robosigning-the-con-goes-on/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay MacDonald</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8307</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Remember that kerfuffle last fall over "robosigners," those over-caffeinated paper-pushers who forged and rubber-stamped their way through thousands of foreclosure documents a day in order to ram them through our overwhelmed court system?
Turns out they're still at it.
Stop me if you've heard this one: "Several dozen documents reviewed by American Banker show that as recently]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/robosigning-the-con-goes-on/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A bank against foreclosures</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-bank-against-foreclosures/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-bank-against-foreclosures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan modification]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Banks can work with borrowers, help them avoid foreclosure and remain profitable.
That's a lesson large lenders should learn from Webster Financial Corp., a regional bank based in Waterbury, Conn. The bank, which services $8 billion in mortgages and home-equity loans, has been able to prevent foreclosures, for the most part, by helping borrowers and providing]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/a-bank-against-foreclosures/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Low rates, but not for you?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/low-rates-but-not-for-you/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/low-rates-but-not-for-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:03:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[low]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage rates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8258</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You've shopped around and finally zeroed in on a low mortgage rate. Your credit is stellar and you're ready to pull the trigger. Trouble is, the lender has no incentive to give you the advertised lowest rate and offers a rate a full percentage point higher.
In a frustrating turn for those seeking a mortgage, lenders]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/low-rates-but-not-for-you/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>NFIP lapse could delay closings</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/nfip-lapse-could-delay-closings/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/nfip-lapse-could-delay-closings/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:20:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flood insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hurricane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NFIP]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8231</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Congress has an array of issues to deal with as it returns from the summer break this week. One topic could have a major impact on real estate closings scheduled for next month.
The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, the only affordable  flood insurance option for those who own homes worth less than $1 million,]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/nfip-lapse-could-delay-closings/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Big banks face firing squad</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/big-banks-face-firing-squad/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/big-banks-face-firing-squad/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:21:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freddie Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8204</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The big banks are fielding a barrage of litigation and accusations for their part in the mortgage mess.
The latest salvo came from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The regulator filed suit Friday against 17 major banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. The]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/big-banks-face-firing-squad/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fed to buy mortgages again?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fed-to-buy-mortgages-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fed-to-buy-mortgages-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:56:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HARP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8177</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Fed may switch gears into riskier territory to support a plan that could push mortgage rates even lower than they are now, in an effort to spur refinances, help underwater borrowers and boost the housing market.
I know, you're tired of hearing about all these government plans that sound good in theory but do little]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/fed-to-buy-mortgages-again/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Jobs report: No jobs</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/jobs-report-no-jobs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/jobs-report-no-jobs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:25:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Polyana da Costa</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs report]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8165</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nada! Not a single job was added to the economy in August, the Labor Department said Friday. That's the first time in 11 months that the United States did not show a net increase in jobs.
The unemployment rate remained at 9.1 percent, with 14 million Americans out of work. Economists didn't expect great news from]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/jobs-report-no-jobs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Another bailout plan?</title>
		<link>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/another-bailout-plan/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/another-bailout-plan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:52:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Judy Martel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[borrowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeowners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Refinance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bankrate.com/financing/?p=8119</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the housing market in an unrelenting national depression, the Obama Administration is seeking solutions and Federal Housing Finance Agency acting director Edward DeMarco is feeling the heat.
One proposal put forth by President Barack Obama will make it easier for homeowners to refinance, and since the FHFA controls Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the burden]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.bankrate.com/financing/mortgages/another-bailout-plan/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
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