Posted by Bill Coppedge

Mortgage group mulls federal loan program changes – The study circulated within the American Securitization Forum and obtained by Reuters says more than 600,000 troubled homeowners could win new mortgage terms after easing terms of the Federal Housing Administration -  Reuters

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WSJ -   Audio visual presentation of 4 stock market measures – dividend yield, market cap, Price/Book and P/E Ratios – WSJ 
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New Home Sales May Be Better Than They Look – by Dr. Bill Conerly – seeking alpha

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surprising – WaMu to stress retail banking – Its plan is to open another 100 to 150 branches this year -    SeattlePI 

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Cram-Downs -   MBA’s Kittle: CRL is ‘Misleading Policymakers’ on Bankruptcy Reform -  housingwire

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Foreclosures jump.. RealtyTrac said Tuesday 2,203,295 foreclosure filings were reported in 2007, a 75% increase over 2006. Q4 foreclosures were up 86% from the year-ago period. – RealtyTrac 
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This week’s essay, entitled “the Dash to Trash and the Grab for Growth,” James Montier shows how investors tend to do the wrong thing at the wrong time in times of market volatility.  – long but worth it – John Mauldin’s Outside the Box E-Letter 
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1.  Investment Outlook – Bill Gross – February 2008 – Better Late Than Never -  PIMCO 

2.  (Bill) Grossly Overstated – by Tom Brown – ISDA CEO Robert Pickel says that Bill Gross, who’s argued that CDS losses could reach $250 billion in the event of a corporate credit crackup, doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about …  seeking alpha 
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From an anonymous friend:  Illogical, self-serving, oversimplifying analysis from the National Association of Six-Percent Limo Drivers. Virtually fraudulent advertising.  WSJ Blogs 

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New Site Encourages Homeowners to Stiff Their Mortgages – The Business of Walking Away -   globaleconomicanalysis

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Recession in 2008 Will Lead to Grim Economic Realities for Millions in US  – paper – NBER 

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Subprime crisis draws FBI scrutiny as Fed meets -  Reuters

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America’s Hardest-Hit Foreclosure Spots -  High numbers of residents in foreclosure in these 50 counties owe more than what their homes are worth. -  Forbes 

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Fitch Downgrades IndyMac Servicing – CNNMoney.com 

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has map and report  – Mortgage Risk on the Rise: Report -  housingwire