St. Petersburg Times
Special report
Video report
  • For their own good
    Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
  • More video reports
Multimedia report
Print Email this storyEmail story Comment Letter to the editor
Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Your name Your email
Friend's name Friend's email
Your message
 

House votes to expand U.S. mortgage backing

Associated Press
Published September 19, 2007


ADVERTISEMENT

WASHINGTON - The House approved a plan Tuesday to expand federal backing of mortgages in hope of helping struggling homeowners avoid foreclosures.

The bill, which passed the House 348-72, would allow the Federal Housing Administration, which insures mortgages for low- and middle-income borrowers, to back refinanced loans for tens of thousands of borrowers who are delinquent on payments because their mortgages are resetting to sharply higher rates from low initial "teaser" levels.

The measure, which exceeds limits favored by the Bush administration, is Congress' first stand-alone bill in response to the mortgage-market tumult, which comes amid a rising tide of defaults and foreclosures.

The Senate passed spending legislation last week that includes $200-million to provide aid to nonprofits and other groups that offer counseling and information to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

[Last modified September 19, 2007, 01:09:22]


Share your thoughts on this story

Comments on this article
by Jane 09/19/07 02:43 PM
FHA insures mortgages for low and middle-income borrowers. Those people can't afford $700K houses. If they misstated their income and now can't afford the payments, tough. Let the bank foreclose. There are plenty of condos to rent-with granite!
by Eric 09/19/07 02:42 PM
Why are we bailing out bad loans with tax money...?
by AJ 09/19/07 12:54 PM
Now, over priced home values are officially sanctioned with your already high tax dollars. Wall Street applauds and the public applauds to their own demise. 400k homes will be the old 150k homes. Look out, house inflation here we come!
by Jerry 09/19/07 05:33 AM
Now people who bought more house than they can afford, can keep living at those nicer digs for awhile longer. Those of us who lived within our means now can't afford a home because of prices and our age, will help them with our taxes. What a country.
Subscribe to the Times
Click here for daily delivery
of the St. Petersburg Times.

Email Newsletters

ADVERTISEMENT