FHA seeks operational change - Las Vegas mortgage applicants could benefit

The current housing market turmoil has delivered the conventional home loan sector a hard uppercut on the chin, sending it reeling, which left a huge void in its wake. This gave FHA, rather dormant home loan insurer in recent years, an opening to regain some its past luster and it has steadily gained market share ever since. Its low down payment requirement and more lenient underwriting criteria have allowed many of today's mortgage borrowers achieve home ownership. Many well-meaning industry observers have also dubbed FHA the new subprime lender.

FHA has run into trouble of late, though, like who hasn't, due to growing defaults on mortgages it insures. That has prompted it to tighten the guidelines under which it operates. Now it is planning to make more adjustments in a further attempt to lower risk and shore up its leaky insurance fund.

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Las Vegas luxury condo market warming up for new day - mortgage money still scarce

Southern Nevada - with communities of Mountains Edge, Summerlin, Henderson, Southern Highlands, North Las Vegas, Anthem and Green Valley - condominium segment bubbled up a little later than the single-family side, but its slide became equally devastating once it hit the slope down. Mortgage financing dried suddenly up, oversupply was horrendous and the mauled global economy forced many would-be buyers to the sidelines. The usual menu that real estate disasters are made of.

Now, though, things are cautiously looking up for the Las Vegas high-rise condo market. Sales in the third quarter climbed a decent 7%, as was reported by SalesTraq, a Las Vegas research boutique. Looking at it another way means that now 45% of all luxury condominiums in town are effectively sold, up from 38% at the end of the second quarter. True, the increase is well received and offers optimism down the road, yet it still leaves a monstrous block of vacant units out there, 55% in all. Undoubtedly that is a lot of inventory seeking qualified and willing buyers.

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