Deducting mortgage interest on an RV (Bankrate.com via Yahoo! Finance)

(RTTNews) - Mortgage applications within the United States slipped 1.9 percent last week, according to data released by the Mortgage Bankers Association on Wednesday. The decline in applications came as interest rates surged to their highest levels in five months.

Bernanke Seeks to Avert Deeper Slump by Accepting Mortgage Debt (Bloomberg.com)

March 12 (Bloomberg) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke 's latest attempt to alleviate seized-up credit markets marks his most direct effort yet to repair the mortgage meltdown that poses the biggest threat to the economy.

Caixa Economica Seeks Eased Mortgage Bond Rules (Update1) (Bloomberg.com)

March 11 (Bloomberg) -- Caixa Economica Federal, Brazil's largest lender for housing, wants the government to allow mortgage-backed debt to be accounted for along with residential loans in a government ratio intended to boost homeownership.

Ahead of the Bell: Mortgage Applications (AP via Yahoo! Finance)

Home-loan data to be released Wednesday will show whether mortgage applications rose for the second-straight week as borrowers took advantage of lower rates.
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