Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Reverse-mortgage strategy can pay off if applied wisely

  April 22, 2012 in Business on Page E2 The number of Americans over 65 who continue to work has risen in the past decade. The unexpected rise can be traced to a variety of factors including shell-shocked retirement …

• There’s no ‘Plan B’ if mortgage interest deduction goes away

  December 4, 2011 in Business on Page E2 Moe Veissi, the new president of the National Association of Realtors, didn’t even blink an eye when the sensitive question was raised. It wasn’t an elephant-in-the-room topic, but it was …

• Obama to promote new steps to help housing woes

  October 24, 2011 in Nation/World Seeking to circumvent congressional opposition, President Barack Obama will promote a series of executive branch steps aimed at jumpstarting the economy this week, beginning with new rules to make it … 20

• FHA becomes tangled in its own safety net

  August 14, 2011 in Business on Page E2 The conventional lending system wants more skin in the mortgage game. We all get that. But should it be an arm and a leg? It’s driving FHA off the playing …

• Fate of reverse mortgages depends on compromise

  July 3, 2011 in Business on Page E2 The recent exit of Wells Fargo from the reverse mortgage industry will become a critical point in time for lenders and mortgage companies with plans to service the financial needs … 1

• Five factors play key roles in mortgage application

  July 3, 2011 in Business on Page E1 NEW YORK — There’s rarely been a better time to buy a home. If only you could get approved for a mortgage. Despite the persistent uncertainty in the housing market, …

• Despite risks, adjustable-rate mortgages have advocates

  May 15, 2011 in Business on Page E4 PHILADELPHIA — Fixed mortgage rates remain below 5 percent, and these days fewer and fewer home buyers seem to be opting for adjustable-rate loans. But low fixed rates aren’t the …

• Let private lenders fund reverse-mortgage counseling

  May 8, 2011 in Business on Page E2 Federal and state regulators need to better support basic information in housing and housing finance. They are too concerned with potential conflicts of interest, even when counseling is a mandatory …

• Mortgage forgiveness tax relief differs from home-sale loss

  April 10, 2011 in Business on Page E2 Four years ago, the Internal Revenue Service changed the law that required consumers to pay tax on mortgages forgiven by a lender. Those amounts used to be considered taxable income … 1

• Mortgage rates go up slightly

  November 25, 2010 in Business on Page A13 NEW YORK — Rates on fixed mortgages edged up again from the lowest levels in decades, making it slightly less attractive for Americans to buy or refinance in a market … 1

• Mortgage-forgiveness tax relief does nothing to help your credit

  November 21, 2010 in Business on Page E2 Our four children and their academic calendars have guided me through time in four-year blocks. For example: “Charley was a sophomore when that happened, he’s been out two years, so …

• Jumbo mortgage now available for seniors with pricey homes

  October 24, 2010 in Business on Page E2 A new jumbo reverse mortgage option has finally surfaced for seniors with higher-value homes who have been seeking to tap more home equity than the federally insured FHA program can … 1

• State AG takes aim at mortgage wolves

  October 17, 2010 in Business on Page E1 Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna sent a letter last week to the 52 trustees who shepherd mortgage paperwork toward foreclosure. At least a few, it seems, have been very bad …

• Bank of America halts all foreclosure sales

  October 8, 2010 in Business, Nation/World Potential flaws in foreclosure documents are threatening to throw the real estate industry into a full-blown crisis, as Bank of America today became the first bank to stop sales of … 4

• More homeowners refinancing to get low rates

  August 26, 2010 in Business on Page A10 NEW YORK – Mortgage applications rose 4.9 percent last week as more borrowers refinanced at the lowest rates in decades. The Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday the gain was fueled …

• Mortgage modification program working better

  August 25, 2010 in Business on Page A8 BOSTON – Homeowners who had mortgages modified recently are faring better than those who did so earlier in the housing crisis, according to a report released Tuesday, possibly debunking predictions … 1

• Rules limit closing-cost estimates

  August 22, 2010 in Business on Page E3 LOS ANGELES – Facing new penalties if they lowball estimates of upfront mortgage costs, lenders and brokers appear to be coming clean about how much borrowers will pay. As a …

• Government starts talks about new mortgage system

  August 17, 2010 in Business Talk of shrinking the government’s involvement in the mortgage market is growing. Just don’t expect action any time soon. 7

• Mortgage rates hit 4.56 percent, new record low

  July 22, 2010 in Business Mortgage rates fell to a new record low for the fourth time in five weeks. But low rates haven’t been enough to lift a struggling housing market. 3

• Mortgage vs. savings a personal as well as financial decision

  July 13, 2010 in Business on Page A7 I’m 28, single, and just received an $86,000 inheritance. I don’t know if I should pay off my mortgage ($79,836) or invest for retirement. If I pay off my mortgage, …

• Four Wells Fargo Financial stores to close in area

  July 9, 2010 in Business Three Wells Fargo Financial stores in Spokane and one in Coeur d’Alene will close in September as part of a Wells Fargo & Co. restructuring. The company is closing all … 3

• Mortgage delinquencies, foreclosures break records

  May 19, 2010 in Business The mortgage crisis is dragging on the economic recovery as more homeowners fall behind on their payments. 20

• WaMu shareholders can pursue annual meeting

  April 21, 2010 in Business A bankruptcy judge on Wednesday cleared the way for Washington Mutual Inc. shareholders to take legal action to force the company to hold a long overdue annual meeting. 5

• Senate probe finds fraud in WaMu mortgage lending

  April 12, 2010 in Business, Nation/World The mortgage lending operations of Washington Mutual Inc., the biggest U.S. bank ever to fail, were threaded through with fraud, Senate investigators have found. 7

• Government unveils plan to shrink some home loans

  March 26, 2010 in Business, Nation/World After months of criticism that it hasn’t done enough to prevent foreclosures, the Obama administration is announcing a plan to reduce the amount some troubled borrowers owe on their home … 7

• Mortgage relief hitting snags

  December 9, 2009 in Business on Page A12 WASHINGTON – Only one in three homeowners who have signed up for the Obama administration’s mortgage relief plan have sent back the necessary paperwork, highlighting continuing problems for the government’s …

• Mortgage rates down to lowest in 38 years

  December 4, 2009 in Business on Page A16 Interest rates on the benchmark 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage dipped to a 38-year low this week, giving consumers another reason to consider purchasing a home or refinancing their current one. Freddie …

• Rules for government-backed loans grow stiffer

  December 3, 2009 in Nation/World on Page A1 WASHINGTON – Millions of homebuyers in the United States will have to come up with more cash and reach higher minimum credit scores to get a government-backed mortgage under changes …

• Mortgage delinquency rate spikes

  November 20, 2009 in Business on Page A12 WASHINGTON – The share of homeowners delinquent on their mortgage or in foreclosure hit a new record during the third quarter, according to industry data released Thursday, which also indicates …

• Foreclosures hitting more people with prime loans

  November 19, 2009 in Business A rising proportion of fixed-rate home loans made to people with good credit are sinking into foreclosure, adding to concerns about the strength of the economic recovery. 1

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