Ken Harney
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Kill Fannie and Freddie? Maybe not so fastAug 16, 2013 12:07 am - WASHINGTON — You may have seen two sets of news reports recently that didn’t quite add up: First, President Obama called for the liquidation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Ma...
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Home-mortgage interest deduction could be in playAug 09, 2013 12:36 am - WASHINGTON — Since Congress has taken off on its annual summer recess, you might assume nothing is happening on Capitol Hill that could affect the taxes you pay on your ...
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Broker bonuses might be tied to ‘upselling’ mortgage termsAug 02, 2013 12:30 am - WASHINGTON — It’s called “upselling” — steering home mortgage applicants into more expensive terms that increase the lender’s profits — and it was rampant during the hou...
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A lobby for homeowner interestsJul 25, 2013 1:00 am - WASHINGTON — Do 75 million homeowners need their own advocate before Congress and federal agencies on issues such as the mortgage interest tax deduction, retention of lo...
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A 1990s reverse mortgage is today’s nightmareJul 19, 2013 12:26 am - WASHINGTON — Call it the estate-devouring, nightmare home loan you hope to never encounter: A reverse mortgage with a base interest rate of 9.95 percent, plus a 50-perce...
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The nation’s housing: Routes to a lower down paymentJul 12, 2013 2:36 am - WASHINGTON — It’s a crucial question for many first-time and moderate-income buyers in rebounding markets across the country: Where do we find the lowest down payment, l...
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Big-time housing reboundJul 05, 2013 1:00 am - WASHINGTON — You've probably seen some of the reports during the past week about home sales and prices. Housing is hot. Ÿ New home sales in May were almost 30 percent hi...
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Another pitfall of student debtJun 28, 2013 10:47 am - WASHINGTON — They’re not yet an endangered species, but their steadily diminishing presence has some real estate analysts worried: First-time buyers are missing in actio...
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Someone is watching home buyersJun 21, 2013 3:14 am - WASHINGTON — You can call it Big Brother. You can call it high-tech snooping. But be aware: If you are applying for a mortgage in the coming weeks, you can be sure that ...
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Growing appeal seen for 10-year mortgage loansJun 14, 2013 5:10 am - WASHINGTON — The refinancing boom may be cooling down, but the move to shorter mortgages — especially 10-year loans among pre-retirees — appears to be accelerating. Some...