The great Muslim civil war — and us
The U.S. shoots down a Syrian fighter-bomber. Iran launches missiles into eastern Syria. Russia threatens to attack coalition aircraft west of the Euphrates. What is going on? It might appear...
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Are home appraisals always necessary?
Do we always need an appraiser to tell us what a house is worth? The two biggest sources of mortgage financing in the country — Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae...
Zero-down payment mortgages are back
They were all the rage — then the scourge — of the housing boom and bust. Now they're back, big-time: Home mortgages that require tiny or zero-down payments from buyers....
One cannot successfully govern by id
— Having coined Bush Derangement Syndrome more than a decade ago, I feel authorized to weigh in on its most recent offshoot. What distinguishes Trump Derangement Syndrome is not just...
Millennial buyers, Fannie Mae’s new approach to debt may help you
It's the No. 1 reason why mortgage applicants nationwide get rejected: They're carrying too much debt relative to their monthly incomes. It's especially a deal-killer for millennials early in their...
To die for Estonia?
So what if, in his speech last week to NATO, President Donald Trump didn't explicitly reaffirm the provision that an attack on one is an attack on all? What's the...
You may have a big credit score bump coming soon
If you've heard that some people might get a magic boost to their FICO credit scores in the 10-point range — without having to do anything — you're right. But...
Why Middle East peace has to start with Saudi Arabia
"Whom the gods would destroy, they first tempt to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict." — Irving Kristol The quixotic American pursuit of Middle East peace is a perennial. It invariably fails,...
Low-down-payment condo mortgages could be making a comeback
Could condos financed with low-down-payment government-backed mortgages stage a surprise comeback under the Trump administration, which generally seeks to reduce federal involvement in housing? Would this be promising news for...
The traditional guardrails can’t contain this president
The pleasant surprise of the First 100 Days is over. The action was hectic, heated, often confused, but well within the bounds of normalcy. Policy (e.g., health care) was being...