Some housing analysts have blamed low household formation rates ─ the result off limited job prospects for young adults ─ for scaled-back projections of future home buying demand.  Birth rates… Read More »

Consumers would benefit if bankers spent less on marketing to consumers and more on educating them, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  A CFPB study found that the industry… Read More »

Nearly half of all the mortgage defaults occurring during the housing bust would have been avoided had the Qualified Mortgage rules that took effect in January been in effect, a… Read More »

It will take at least another two years for lenders to clear the shadow inventory of non-performing loans, according to Standard & Poor’s.   Although progress has been slower than anticipated,… Read More »

The recent security breach affecting millions of Target customers has re-ignited Congressional interest in legislation to strengthen consumer protections against cyber-crimes.  A bi-partisan measure sponsored by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE)… Read More »

Although home prices have been rising steadily (up more than 10 percent last year) owners’ confidence in the value of their homes  plunged in December, with only 53 percent of… Read More »

New York Gov. Mario Cuomo has proposed legislation that would allow the state Department of Financial Services to slash title insurance premiums by 20 percent for home purchases and by… Read More »