Many consumers are overestimating  the down payment they need in order to purchase a home, according to Christina Boyle, vice president and head of single-family sales at Freddie Mac.

Consumers believe they need 11 percent to 15 percent in order for lenders to approve them for a loan, according to a survey of renters and non-home-owners conducted by Zelman & Associates in New York. Thirty-nine percent say they need at least 15 percent of the purchase price in order to qualify for financing. Only 28 percent of respondents say they… Continue reading →

About 7.2 million homes have been lost to foreclosure or short sale since the housing crash began, according to housing data from Black Knight Financial Services. That has forced millions of former home owners into renting, as they work to rebuild their credit.

But a government program launched last summer by the Federal Housing Administration is helping these former home owners step back into home ownership in as little as a year after a foreclosure or short sale. The FHA’s Back to Work program allows them to qualify for… Continue reading →