Posts by Mary Kane
First time home buyer program ripe for abuse
A new HUD program allows first-time homebuyers to borrow against an $8,000 tax credit for downpayments, raising questions about what was learned from the housing crisis.
Risky mortgage program resurfaces in Congress
Advocates and economists say support for such a program misses lessons from the housing crisis.
Fannie, Freddie quietly lift moratorium on foreclosures
A ban on foreclosure sales and evictions from houses owned by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which began as a high-profile effort just before the holidays to keep people in their homes as the government tried to come up with homeowner rescue plans, is over.
Communities slammed by surge in bank-owned homes
Banks that received government bailout money are taking heat for spending billions of dollars on bonuses, executive pay, and lavish outings. But there’s another outrage that Washington seems to be missing: The growing number of bank-owned properties in foreclosure scarring neighborhoods across the country.
