Ken Harney
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The nation’s housing: Appeal of a short-term loanMay 20, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — Could I refinance you into a seven-year fixed-rate mortgage at 2.99 percent? Or how about 10 or 15 years fixed in the mid-3s? These may sound suspiciously l...
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The nation’s housing: Good-faith estimates go unreadMay 06, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — What if the federal government spent years designing a tool to help consumers shop intelligently for mortgages — comparing lenders’ rates, terms and total s...
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The nation’s housing: Loans with a green touchApr 29, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — If you’ve been looking for a way to pay for energy improvements to your house, two little-publicized new mortgage programs could provide you the cash you ne...
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The nation’s housing: FHA rate increases make private lenders more competitiveApr 22, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — Is the Federal Housing Administration losing some of its post-boom, post-bust oomph? Is the Obama administration’s plan to gradually throttle back FHA’s hom...
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The nation’s housing: Who profits from appraisal fees?Apr 15, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — When you pay $450 to $550 at settlement for an appraisal on a home purchase or refinancing, do you assume that all or most of the money is going to the appr...
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The nation’s housing: Proposed mortgage rules are stringentApr 08, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — You may have seen reports that the federal government is proposing new mortgage finance rules under which only home purchasers who can afford a minimum 20 p...
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The nation’s housing: Time is money with FHA loansMar 31, 2011 11:00 am - WASHINGTON — Could the federal government’s booming FHA mortgage program be forcing homeowners to pay tens of millions of dollars of extra interest charges when they sel...
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The nation’s housing: Unemployment protection plan may ease borrowers’ worryMar 25, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — Homebuilders are offering it to new buyers, and some of the country’s largest banks and mortgage lenders think it’s a win-win idea for shaky economic times:...
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The nation’s housing: Negotiating a borrowers’ bill of rightsMar 21, 2011 5:00 am - WASHINGTON — When you take out a home mortgage, do you expect to be treated fairly and competently by your bank or loan servicer? Most likely you do. But the widely pub...
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Without qualifying for exemption, forgiven mortgage debt may be taxedMar 10, 2011 2:00 pm - WASHINGTON — With hundreds of thousands of homeowners having negotiated loan modifications or short sales or been foreclosed upon during the past year, the Internal Reve...