PORTAL Finance Blog

Category Archives: Real Estate

Fannie & Freddie – Just passed the point of no return

I’ll make it short and sweet this time.  Hooray, the U.S. government collected its dividends from Fannie and Freddie.  Generally speaking, collecting a dividend is viewed as a great event in the investment world.  In this instance, this dividend is … Continue reading →

November 17, 2010 at 2:03 pm | AIG, Fannie Mae, Investing, Real Estate

Treasury says TARP will cost only $50 billion

The U.S. Treasury is trumpeting its announcement that the $700 billion dollar TARP program will cost U.S. taxpayers about $50 billion.  No one really knows for sure because it will take years for a full accounting to take place.  Only … Continue reading →

October 10, 2010 at 4:24 pm | Financial, Real Estate, TARP, Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS)

AIG – The Post-Mortem?

Linked here is an article just the way I like them:  straight to the point and simple to understand.  In my opinion, the author, Mr. Sorkin, presents some very compelling points.  I concur with Mr. Sorkin.  I respectfully, don’t concur, … Continue reading →

October 6, 2010 at 1:41 am | AIG, Investing, Real Estate, TARP

A Ray of Light in the Mortgage Market

In a refreshing sign for the mortgage market, several state agencies have started programs to assist first-time homebuyers.  In my opinion, the most impressive part of the process is that a counselor works with the proposed borrowers to educate them … Continue reading →

September 5, 2010 at 1:56 pm | Government, Real Estate

America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) Loan Program Dies a Quiet Death

One of my clients asked me about applying for an ARC loan several times in 2009 and 2010.  I could not find a single lender in the U.S. willing to make this $35,000 loan.  I reached out to my blog … Continue reading →

August 28, 2010 at 7:13 pm | Business, Real Estate, SBA Small Business, TARP

Fannie Mae: More Taxpayer Money needed again

In a sign of the times, Fannie Mae requested another $1.5 billion in taxpayer assistance in order to stay afloat.  It was clearly obvious when the privatization occurred that Fannie Mae would require additional capital.  The problem is that $146 … Continue reading →

August 7, 2010 at 12:06 pm | Fannie Mae, Real Estate

The Problem Children: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Have you ever read an article and hoped that the math that they were using was wrong?  I just had that experience on Saturday while reading an article about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  You didn’t forget about them did … Continue reading →

June 22, 2010 at 9:55 pm | AIG, Automotive, Chrysler, Fannie Mae, Federal Reserve Bank, Financial, GM, Investing, Real Estate

Finally, a Start in the Right Direction….

Great news this past week as the Obama administration and U.S. bank regulators appear to be getting on the same page with respect to small business lending.  The White House announced that it would like to use $30 billion from … Continue reading →

February 6, 2010 at 5:34 pm | Federal Reserve Bank, Financial, Real Estate, TARP

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