There is no question that many experts believe that the heart of the recession is rooted in the problems of the nation’s mortgage market. The stabilization of housing has been seen as a pathway to recovery, and while there have been a few glimmering signs of hope, there’s still a whole lot of question marks as to whether we’re approaching a full on recovery.

Mortgage rate markets were up-and-down last week as rates fell Monday and Tuesday before surging higher from Wednesday through Friday.

The recent rise in the mortgage applications due to the all time low mortgage rates has increased the exposure of online lending organizations such as LendingTree.com and E-Loan in the public and private media. The commercial says "when banks compete you win at Lendingtree.com," but our online research showed that the winning experience was not the one that you had hoped for.

The most frequently asked question when looking for a new mortgage tends to be “What are your mortgage loan rates?”. The problem with this approach is that each mortgage rate quote (if accurately done) is a little different. You should be aware that rates advertised are often the 'sweet heart deal' and you should formally 'apply' so a mortgage professional enough information to properly prepare a custom rate quote.

The stock markets made strong gains last week but the mortgage markets barely moved in the wake of the Treasury's "toxic asset" plan.

In years past, refinancing was a fairly simple task. Homeowners would contact me wanting to restructure their mortgage to either reduce their monthly payments or perhaps to take equity to improve their home or pay off debts. Refinancing can be trickier these days.

Government is doing everything possible to bring down the mortgage interest rates to kick start the economy, but the higher mortgage and refinancing fees don't make it attractive for homeowners and they keep waiting for the rates to go further lower.

In a statement presented last Friday to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, the Federal Trade Commission described its efforts to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, and discriminatory practices in the mortgage lending market.

U.S. stock markets teetered between positive and negative territory on Tuesday as the federal government unveiled yet another effort to loosen tight credit and promote lending. The day brought more unwelcome news about America's troubled housing and automobile sectors.

Banks have dialed up the lending requirements in the face of the nearly half-trillion dollars lost in the mortgage mess to-date. The Federal Reserve reported that banks and lending institutions have tightened credit standards across all loan-types as losses mount and liquidity remains a key issue.

We all knew that LowerMyBills.com and LendingTree.com provided for a ‘less-than-ideal’ customer experience as consumers got battered by hundreds of calls from rabid mortgage folks; but this announcement is just plain scary. Employees caught stealing data including consumer social security numbers at Lending Tree.

First Direct has suspended mortgage lending to new customers. It has made this move following major service issues, after other lenders withdrew similar deals because of credit crunch-related funding issues.