Personal Finance Advice and Commentary

A jumbo mortgage is more readily available for the right type of borrower.

The FHA is changing the rules for lump-sum payouts.

The mortgages that led to the recession are making a comeback.

A drop in debt is both good and bad news for a housing recovery.

Finally, the victims of foreclosure abuse will receive compensation from mortgage lenders.

Critics accuse the largest mortgage servicers of charging HARP borrowers higher rates.

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

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

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

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