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Fannie raising fees, tightening standards Premium Content

By Matt Carter, Friday, August 8, 2008.

Fannie Mae is tightening underwriting standards, increasing fees, and will stop buying newly originated alt-A loans by the end of the year, the company said in announcing a $2.3 billion quarterly loss.

The nation's biggest financer of mortgages also said it's opening new offices to sell real estate-owned properties in hard hit areas like California and Florida, and is bringing on new employees in loss mitigation to engage in more workouts with troubled borrowers.  more...

'The Crunch' is on the loose

By Lou Barnes, Friday, August 8, 2008.

Mortgage rates are a hair lower, under 6.75 percent now, but spreads to Treasurys have widened despite overt Treasury backing of Fannie and Freddie.

There is a three-track story unfolding today: the U.S. economy, the ex-U.S. global economy, and The Crunch. To maintain clarity and composure, keep 'em separate!  more...

A proposal for 'MLS 5.0' Premium Content

By Inman News, Friday, August 8, 2008.

Multiple listing services are not dead or irrelevant, real estate real estate technology industry guru Saul Klein says in a paper released this week, though they must evolve to embrace Web 2.0 ideals and expand beyond for-sale listing information to encompass parcel-based information.

It's not an entirely new concept for the real estate industry. Third-party sites such as Zillow and Cyberhomes, among others, already provide a range of information on tens of millions of U.S. homes at free public Web sites.  more...

Patience pays for real estate bargain hunters

By Inman News, Friday, August 8, 2008.

Redfin offers real estate bargain-hunting tips  more...