Sweden cuts maximum mortgage term to 105 years (the average is 140)

Think there's a housing affordability crisis in Britain, with low mortgage rates likely to drive house prices even higher? Take a look at Sweden where lending policies have been more generous, and where house price inflation has been (at least recently) more extreme.
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Oregon's land use system contributes to housing crisis (OPINION)

...The current affordable housing crisis is devastating families in the Portland metro region, in vibrant regional cities like Bend and even some rural areas. The cause? On a macro level: an economy that is not producing enough good-paying jobs. On a micro level: a dysfunctional land-use planning system.
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HUD's New 'Fair Housing' Rule Establishes Diversity Data for Every Neighborhood in U.S.

To ensure that "every American is able to choose to live in a community they feel proud of," HUD has published a new fair-housing regulation intended to give people access to better neighborhoods than the ones they currently live in.  The goal is to help communities understand "fair housing barriers" and "establish clear goals" for "improving integrated living patterns and overcoming historic patterns of segregation."  “This proposed rule represents a 21st century approach to fair housing, a step forward to ensuring that every American is able to choose to live in a community they feel proud of – where they have a fair shot at reaching their full potential in life,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.

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Undisclosed stress test shows FHA could lose $115 billion

The WSJ reported today (Tuesday, June 4) that the FHA had conducted a previously undisclosed stress test which found FHA losses could hit $115 billion under Federal Reserve bank stress test. FHA chose to not disclose the test’s results or... Read more: AEI Blog Read More......

New home sales stagnant, casts shadow on housing

(Reuters) - New single-family home sales fell slightly in October and the prior month's pace of sales was revised sharply lower, casting a small shadow over what has been one of the brighter spots in the U.S. economy.

The Commerce Department said on Wednesday sales dropped 0.3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted 368,000-unit annual rate.

Government data for new home sales are subject to substantial revisions. Indeed, the Commerce Department cut its estimate for September's sales rate to 369,000 from 389,000.

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Financial Sense: "Must Read"

Financial Sense, Market Focus: Storm Watch

• CNS News, 6/3/2011 - China Has Divested 97 Percent of Its Holdings in U.S. Treasury Bills
  
• Bloomberg, 6/3/2011 - Moody’s May Cut U.S. [AAA Credit Rating] on Debt Limit Concern
  
• Bloomburg, 6/2/2011 - QE2 Failed to Boost U.S. Spending
  
• Financial Sense, 6/1/2011 - After the Dollar: What Comes Next? (Editorial by Peter D. Schiff)
  
• The Big Picture, 5/31/2011 - Its Official: Housing Double Dip is Here. Without artificial government stimulus, Housing is going lower.

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U.N.-Usual Suspects

The United Nations has sent a special investigator to look into whether affordable housing is so hard to find that it constitutes a human rights violation. Her destination? New York, Washington D.C., Chicago and three other U.S. cities.

U.N. special investigator Raquel Rolnik's mission is to tour the American cities and report back to the U.N. General Assembly. The New York Post editorial board writes: "Since 2000, the U.N. has had a housing investigator looking into shortages in such obvious places as Cambodia, Kenya, and Iran... but this is its first foray into U.S. territory — and it remains to be seen whether she'll call for Donald Trump and other landlords to be hauled before the International Criminal Court." --Fox News Channel's Lanna Britt contributed to this report. Read More......