Federal bank regulators sent out a letter this week describing lending practices they consider to be predatory, warning that they expect lenders to "treat consumers fairly, adhere to all applicable legal requirements, and underwrite loan products appropriately." The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s Jan. 22 [...]

Towards a solid recovery towards the end of 2007. One sign is the demand for home loans swelled 16.6 percent during the week ended Jan. 5th according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Requests for purchase loans were up 16.2 percent and refinancing applications rose 17.3 percent. The strong recovery compares with a 14 percent slide in [...]

The Biggest Real Estate Story of 2006 was the story that wasn't, I am happy to report, the bubble never burst. Lots of people are blaming the media for creating these concerns, but in the end, fundamentals won out. Consumer confidence is starting to rebuild, and bigger market forces than the media are driving the market, Homeownership is a [...]

With more than 8.5 million existing and new homes sold, and mortgage rates still at 6.5 percent, 2006 was a pretty good year for residential real estate, after the massive appreciation of the past few years, home prices began to moderate and we are seeing a much more balanced market. So what's coming up for 2007? Interest rates should [...]