Word: plan
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...notion that the government should do something to help responsible homeowners, the plan also seeks to help borrowers who have been making mortgage payments on time but can't refinance into cheaper loans because they've seen equity in their homes evaporate as prices have plummeted. The federal housing agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will refinance loans they hold or guarantee, even if borrowers owe more than their house is worth - up to 105% of the value of the property. The Administration figures that offer could reduce monthly payments for 4 million to 5 million borrowers...
...many of the same limitations apply to this part of the plan. Only interest payments will be lower, not principal balances. Homeowners who owe more than 105% of the value of their house - as is often the case in the worst-hit areas of the country - will be ineligible. And holders of jumbo loans need not apply. Again, that might reflect a sense of fairness - why should we help people who stretched beyond their means to buy McMansions? - but it ignores the facts that the delinquency rate among jumbo loans is spiking and that a foreclosed property hurts the value...
Finally, the plan bolsters the amount of money allocated to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an effort to keep mortgage rates low and entice new home buyers into the market, since new buyers are what's needed to drive down the number of extra houses for sale. The two agencies, which financed or guaranteed nearly three-quarters of new home loans last year as private players retreated, will be allowed to hold more mortgages on their books and could eventually see additional infusions of cash from selling preferred stock to the Treasury Department - an authority granted in legislation last...
...using a medical term, Geithner gave the impression that he had some fiscal electrocardiograph that could be strapped to banks to chart the strength of their accounts. But when it comes to a bank checkup, the actual test is far less scientific. (Read "Geithner's Challenge: Selling a Plan Without the Details...
...America's 14% decline. Real estate-related sectors were also sharp decliners, with home construction stocks falling 9%. Both sectors, finance and housing, are at the heart of the goverment's efforts to address the financial crisis. On February 10 Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled a multi-pronged plan for troubled banks, and on Wednesday President Barack Obama announced a $275 billion program to stem foreclosures and support the housing market. Today's stock market action suggests investors are still in doubt about the potential efficacy of both plans. Defensive stocks showed modest relative strength on Thursday: shares of consumer...