Jan 04 A Mortgage-Backed Security Map: The Fantastic Fate of One Man’s Loan The complexities of getting or refinancing a mortgage: the broker you can or can't trust; the screening of your income and credit; the appraisal; the fear that rates will rise before approval; the title search; the paperwork at closing. Continue reading
Jan 03 Happy New Year? Job Market Looking Up for College Grads? By Elizabeth Shell Editor's Note: A poor economy does not bode well for college grads trying to enter the job market. "The last couple of years have been a very, very tough time to be coming out of college," said Richard White in… Continue reading
Jan 03 Should You Swim Away From an Underwater Mortgage? Your mortgage is underwater. Making the payments is both difficult and demoralizing. Is it ethical for you to walk away? As we've reported, there are arguments both ways. Here's a feature to help you make up your… Continue reading
Dec 31 Alyssa Katz: How Government Is Failing the Homeowner We last spoke with journalist and author Alyssa Katz back in October 2009. She had just finished writing "Our Lot," a book on the history of America's housing market. "The issue is that the investors and investment banks… Continue reading
Dec 30 Foreclosure Fight? Bankruptcy Is Best, Says the Dean Name: Laura Hanson Question: Like so many others, I have an unaffordable mortgage getting worse every day. Eventually I will have to foreclose or sell. Is there only help for people who are already foreclosing or is it possible to… Continue reading
Dec 30 The American Dream Deferred: What Befell our Strategic Defaulters? We've devoted a lot of attention to the foreclosure crisis threatening the homes of so many Americans, and to various ways they've sought help: non-profit third parties; the government's loan modification program, HAMP. But you may remember… Continue reading
Dec 30 The Loan Mod Squad: A Request to Business Desk Readers Name: Toby Hanna Question: I purchased a house in 2006. A year ago I tried to get the loan modified with the help of a modification company that cost me $2,000. Bank of America sent modification papers in September… Continue reading
Dec 29 Robert the Robot, the Mechanical Man Name: Jose Question: In Virginia we have a non-judicial foreclosure process. The servicers and their attorneys refuse to provide information as to who the true creditor is, they refuse to answer qualified written requests -- they apparently have a license… Continue reading
Dec 23 Editor’s Note: Technical Difficulties EDITOR'S UPDATE | DEC. 30, 2010 As of Dec. 29, Making Sen$e and the Business Desk are fully functional. Many of you have undoubtedly noticed our absence on these pages in this last week. No, we haven't been away on… Continue reading
Dec 15 Why Doesn’t the U.S. Just Print More Money, Rather Than Borrow? By Elizabeth Shell Name: Bill Turner Question: Why does the U.S. borrow so much instead of printing as much money as we need? Paul Solman: Superb question. Two responses. Response 1: First, mightn't you borrow if you could get today's rate: a 30-year… Continue reading