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☆ How Kamala Harris took on the ‘big banks’ after the foreclosure crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Katie Lobosco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Vice President Kamala Harris often touts how she took on the “big banks” as attorney general of California to deliver mortgage relief to homeowners hit by the 2008 foreclosure crisis. The oft-repeated story references how Harris helped negotiate a multistate mortgage settlement with five of the nation’s biggest banks that delivered financial relief to homeowners and set standards for lenders. Harris also secured a separate agreement with three of the banks, guaranteeing a certain amount of relief for California homeowners. Mortgage relief for homeownersAs a result of the national settlement, mortgage relief was delivered to homeowners in several different forms, such as principal reductions, interest rates cuts, other kinds of loan modifications or short sales. There were also some direct payments sent to people who wrongfully lost their homes to foreclosure, according to the National Mortgage Settlement website.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, It’s, “, ”, Joe Biden’s, Beau Biden, Jamie Dimon, Ira Rheingold, Katie Porter, Irvine –, ” Rheingold, Lisa Sitkin, Sitkin, servicer Organizations: Washington CNN —, Democratic National Convention, ”, JPMorgan Chase, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Mortgage, National Mortgage, University of California, Irvine, National Housing Law, Consumer Financial, Bureau Locations: California, Delaware

☆ A mortgage advisor shares how to get the 3.5% down payment on an FHA loan fully covered — and the 3 best strategies real-estate investors can use to maximize leverage from government loans
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This was achieved by allowing first-time buyers to purchase a home with a smaller down payment — as low as 3.5%. The program is still around, and it's often a great way for real-estate investors to get started. Advertisement3 ways to make the most of government loan programsWelgan also shared two strategies that real-estate investors can use to maximize the leverage offered through government loans. Buyers can now purchase up to a four-unit property with a down payment of as little as 5%. "That's been a game changer for real-estate investors," Welgan said.

Persons: —, Jeff Welgan, Fannie Mae, Buyers, Welgan, Fannie Mae's, That's, ADUs, Dave Meyer, Fannie, I've Organizations: Service, Act, Business, Federal National Mortgage Association, Mortgage, Urban Locations: Los Angeles County , California, Michigan, California

☆ Investors can grab yield exceeding 5% with this bond fund Morningstar calls 'one of the best'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The actively managed fund, which trades under the ticker FBND, has a 30-day SEC yield of 5.41%, according to Morningstar. FBND's total return year to date is -0.83%, as of Monday, according to Morningstar , which gives the fund four-stars. It has a trailing 5-year total return of 0.87%. So on a risk-adjusted basis, it's really, really strong," he added. When rates started to go up, the team bought the long end of the Treasury yield curve.

Persons: Morningstar, It's, Mike Mulach, Celso Muñoz, we've, Muñoz, Ford O'Neil, we'll Organizations: Fidelity, Bond, SEC, Morningstar, Bloomberg, Bond Funds, Muñoz, Federal National Mortgage Association, National Mortgage Association, Bank of America, Treasury, Federal Locations: outperformance

☆ I own an energy-efficient, weather-proof dome home. Here's my advice for those who want to own a dome home too.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Pamela Voss and her husband own a geodesic dome home on 15 acres of land in eastern Texas. When my husband and I first walked into our 4,000 square-foot Texas dome home in spring 2021, I thought to myself: "Oh my God, this is so cool." Dome homes in our area aren't prevalent enough to have comps, so we fought back and asked if they could use traditional homes of a comparable price. Sometimes, skylights and windows in dome homes can leak at the edges because of how they are built. Keep in mind that many dome homes also need a cupola, which is a gazebo-like structure at the highest point of the dome.

Persons: Pamela Voss, Voss, we've, you've Organizations: Service, Texas Farm Bureau Locations: Texas, Wall, Silicon

☆ Forget about a housing market crash, Harvard researchers say. Here are the 4 reasons they say a repeat of the mid-2000s drop in home prices is unlikely.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They cited a strong labor market, low foreclosure rates, favorable demographics, and low supply. That was their biggest drop since the mid-2000s housing bubble, when home prices fell 27% over the course of a few years. As long as interest rates remain elevated, home price growth will likely continue to slow. First is that the labor market remains healthy. But so far this year, the labor market has continually surprised economists to the upside.

Persons: Hoff, Ian Shepherdson, Desmond Lachman —, millennials, Ellen Zentner, Morgan Stanley's, Z, it's, there's, Louis Organizations: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, Federal Reserve, Harvard Joint Center for Housing, FHFA National Mortgage Database, Federal Reserve Bank of St, JPMorgan, Mortgage, Association

☆ Financial regulators fell asleep on wheel, investment banker Chris Whalen says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFinancial regulators fell asleep on wheel, investment banker Chris Whalen saysChris Whalen, Whalen Global Advisors Chairman and National Mortgage News Contributor, joins "Fast Money" to discuss the state of banking regulation.

☆ These bond ETFs are having their best day in 2023 as investors seek safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A pair of exchange-traded bond funds popped Wednesday as investors flee stocks in search of safety. The Vanguard Total Bond ETF (BND) and the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) each leapt by as much as 1.4% Wednesday morning. Investors sought safety in Treasurys , with yields dropping as traders bought up the issues. Corporate issues in BND include Amazon , AbbVie and Alphabet , while AGG holds bonds from Morgan Stanley , Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase .

☆ Jeff Erdmann has been the best wealth advisor in the US for 7 years running. The Merrill Lynch pro told us how he's keeping clients' money safe with a recession on the way.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Forbes has named Jeff Erdmann the best wealth manager in the US every year since 2016. Erdmann's group at Merrill Private Wealth Management oversees $14 billion in assets. Erdmann, who is coming up on his 40th year at Merrill Private Wealth Management, has been named the best wealth manager in the country by Forbes every year since 2016. In stocks, Erdmann says he remains committed to dividends and dividend growth. Erdmann says allocating to the right sectors is vital, and right now, it's not clear what parts of the market offer the best long-term opportunities.

☆ Mortgage rates expected to fall to 5.4% by late 2023, banking group projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —After more than doubling this year, mortgage rates are expected to retreat in 2023, according to an updated forecast from the Mortgage Bankers Association. MBA is forecasting mortgage rates to end 2023 at around 5.4%. Ultimately, the Fed’s ongoing efforts to tame inflation will slow homebuyer demand for mortgages in 2023, according to the forecast. But since more homeowners are staying put, unwilling to give up their ultra low mortgage rates, it means fewer starter homes are available. She also said that amid this slowdown, the mortgage industry will take a hit.

☆ Australia's house prices fall, interest rates soar but analysts say there's no crash yet
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Mortgage rates have fallen to below 2% in recent years, but interest rates are rising rapidly in Australia. Home prices fallNational house prices have fallen for a fourth straight month as demand for homes start to slide due to higher costs of borrowing, according to Corelogic. In Sydney, Australia's biggest city, home prices have fallen over 7% since prices started unwinding at the start of the year, just before interest rates lifted. Since hitting peak prices earlier this year, house prices in Melbourne have fallen nearly 5%. Since hitting peak prices earlier this year, house prices in Melbourne have fallen nearly 5%.

Like a rate-and-term refinance, a cash-out refinance replaces your current mortgage with a new loan. You decide to get a cash-out refinance for the full amount you can borrow, which is $240,000 (or 80% of $300,000). Does it ever make sense to take on a higher rate to get a cash-out refinance? Cash-out refinance alternativesA cash-out refinance isn't the only way to take equity out of your home. Getting a cash-out refinance when mortgage rates are high typically doesn't make sense for most borrowers who are already locked into lower rates.

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