Commentary: Covered bonds may finally find a footing – By Prabha Natarajan – Covered bonds could be the ticket to the return of U.S. residential mortgage securitizations for U.S. investors. – MarketWatch
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Mortgage giants GSEs in limbo: In housing, a dangerous policy vacuum grows. – THERE IS NO END in sight to the federal bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. President Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget proposal said as much in a few phrases that promised nothing more definitive than continued "monitoring" of the two mortgage giants, which have been operating since mid-2008 in the legal and organizational limbo known as government "conservatorship." – Washington Post
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Geithner Claims Mortgage Modifications a Success Despite House Probe – Millions more Americans are facing financial security as a result of stabilizing home prices, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said Sunday, even though only about 66,000 people have benefited from permanent mortgage loan modifications aimed to prevent foreclosure,a figure that has resulted in a House panel investigation. - FOXNews.com
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LUMBER FUTURES SURGE BEFORE HOUSING’S LAST GASP – Lumber futures have surged nearly 60% since the beginning of October despite mixed signals in recent housing data … Lumber distributors have been forced to restock supplies as builders anticipate another strong Spring housing season largely due to the home buyers tax credit which ends April 30th. … – The Pragmatic Capitalist
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Mortgage Bankers Association Sells Headquarters at Big Loss – By JAMES R. HAGERTY – … On Friday, CoStar Group Inc., a provider of commercial real estate data, announced that it had agreed to buy the MBA’s 10-story headquarters building in Washington, D.C., for $41.3 million. The price is far below the $79 million the trade group says it paid for the glass-walled building in 2007, … – Wall street Journal Real Estate