New fed housing program involves $29B in financing (AP) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:18:14 GMT AP - A new federal program to support state and local housing finance agencies is expected to involve more than $29 billion in government support, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac disclosed Thursday.

Foreclosures hitting more people with good credit (AP) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:10:47 GMT FILE - In this May 9, 2008 file photo, a foreclosure sign stands outside an existing home on the market in Denver. More than 14 percent of American homeowners with a mortgage were either behind on their payments or in foreclosure at the end of September, a record-high for the ninth straight quarter and a problem that could threaten the economic recovery. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file)

NY judge: Mortgage scammer to give lectures (AP) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:33:15 GMT AP - A Long Island woman convicted of acting as a "straw buyer" in a mortgage fraud scam has been ordered to give lectures on the perils of participating in such criminal schemes.

Rates on 30-year mortgages remain below 5 percent (AP) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:50:33 GMT AP - Rates on 30-year mortgages stayed below 5 percent this week but remained above the record set earlier this year, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

U.S. foreclosures, delinquencies jump in 3rd quarter (Reuters) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:01:14 GMT Reuters - U.S. mortgage delinquency rates and the percentage of loans that entered the foreclosure process jumped in the third quarter, with both reaching record highs, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Thursday.

Housing starts fall sharply, inflation edges up (Reuters) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:29:36 GMT U.S. consumer prices rose more than expected in October, chiefly from increases in energy and motor vehicle costs, according to government data on Wednesday that showed the economy may have to confront some inflation threats during its recovery from the worst recession in 70 years. REUTERS/Graphic

Behind the Home Building 'Shocker' (U.S. News & World Report) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:11:26 GMT U.S. News & World Report - The fitful nature of the housing sector's healing process was apparent Wednesday when a government report on new-home construction came in much weaker than economists had expected. The Commerce Department reported that October housing starts dropped nearly 11 percent from September and almost 31 percent from a year earlier. "The headline number is a shocker," Patrick Newport, U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight, said in a report. Here are four things you need to know about the development:

US housing concerns weigh on world markets (AP) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:41:31 GMT A masked woman walks in front of an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average lost 53.13 points to wrap up the day at 9676.80. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

Ohio business group endorses tax plan (AP) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:30:47 GMT AP - A business lobbying group that helped create a package of tax changes says it supports a plan to delay income tax cuts to balance Ohio's budget.

Income tax surcharge under study by NM task force (AP) Personal Finance News - Yahoo! News - Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:17:44 GMT AP - Nearly three dozen tax increase proposals to help New Mexico cope with a budget shortfall are under consideration by a task force formed by Gov. Bill Richardson.