Real Estate News from the Wall Street Journal

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Developments
Regulator: Freddie Ceased Mortgage Transactions ‘On Its Own’	2/3/2012 5:15 PM
Freddie Mac stopped investing in certain mortgage derivatives last spring amid a weak market for those products, the firms federal regulator said on Friday.
Citi Becomes Latest Bank to Cut Off Mortgage Brokers	2/3/2012 3:02 PM
Citi put another nail in the coffin of the mortgage brokerage business: It will stop originating home loans through brokers.
Report: S&P Removes CMBS Ratings Chief	2/3/2012 10:46 AM
Standard & Poor's has removed Barbara Duka as chief if its commercial mortgage-backed securities ratings group that was at the center of controversy in mid-2011.
On Foreclosures, Uncle Sam Courts Investors	2/2/2012 2:31 PM
On Wednesday, a U.S. housing regulator invited investors to submit initial applications so they can bid on pools of foreclosed properties owned by Fannie Mae.
Rising Orders Lift Home Builders’ Spirits	2/2/2012 1:47 PM
Several major U.S. home builders reported improving results for their latest quarters Thursday and executives expressed optimism about 2012.
The Latest on Mortgage Rates: Still Low	2/2/2012 10:43 AM
Average mortgage rates in the U.S. dropped to new record lows over the past week after data on the nation's economic growth fell short of market forecasts, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey of mortgage rates.
New Obama Housing Plan Not Winning Republican Fans	2/1/2012 3:06 PM
There was a lot of criticism on Capitol Hill Wednesday of President Barack Obamas latest housing proposals, an indication that the effort faces steep odds of being enacted.
Whats in the Latest White House Proposals on Housing?	2/1/2012 4:00 AM
President Barack Obama is set to give a speech Wednesday outlining his call for more help for the nations housing markets, according to administration officials. Heres a preview of what's on the White House wish list:
(Video) House of the Day: A Caribbean Getaway	1/31/2012 6:16 PM
Today's House of the Day is a St. Lucia compound, overlooking a World Heritage site, that serves as a vacation escape for its owner.
McCain Pushes Ban on Fannie, Freddie Bonuses	1/31/2012 3:19 PM
An effort to bar bonuses for executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could move forward in the U.S. Senate this week.