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Changes coming to FHA loans

“We want to ensure that we are able to continue to support the housing market in the short term and provide access to homeownership over the long-term, while minimizing the risk to the American taxpayer,” Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan told a congressional committee in written testimony.

…The FHA charges an upfront insurance premium of 1.75% of the total cost of the mortgage which most borrowers can roll into their loan, and then they pay additional annual premiums of either 0.5% or 0.55%, depending on their down payment. … The FHA says that it will limit the amount of money that sellers can provide for closing costs on home sales to 3% of the home price, from the current level of 6%.

…One close observer of the mortgage channel, who we hope to interview soon in The IRA, says that given the recent deterioration of mortgage credit, it is impossible that BAC has not gotten its pari passu portion of the losses which are hitting the FHA.

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Christmas Lights in Charlottesville

If you’re looking for Christmas lights in the Charlottesville area, start here … I’m hoping the ones in Crozet/White Hall are back this year after they took last year off due to illness. If you have a google login, you can edit the map, add new light installations … View Charlottesville Christmas Lights in a larger map Thanks to @DailyProgress

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October Home Sales Up. Meh.

From the Wall Street Journal : About one in seven American households with mortgages is behind on payments or in foreclosure, according to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. … The trade group reported Thursday that 14.4% of first-lien mortgages on one- to four-family homes in the third quarter were 30 days or more overdue or in the foreclosure process. … Another Wall Street Journal : The proportion of U.S. homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than the properties are worth has swelled to about 23%, threatening prospects for a sustained housing recovery. … … The National Association of Realtors reported Monday that sales of previously occupied homes in October jumped 10.1% from September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.1 million, the highest since February 2007.

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