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Opinion
FHA tries to stave off bailout
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Housing Administration, facing a $16.3 billion deficit, will increase mortgage fees next year and take other steps in an effort to avoid a taxpayer bailout, the Obama administration said on Friday.
The agency, a primary source of funding for first-time home buyers and those with modest incomes, said it would raise the premiums it charges on loans it guarantees by 10 basis points, adding, on average, about $13 per month to a borrower's cost.
A basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point.
Housing officials would not say whether the steps would be enough to keep the agency from turning to the Treasury Department for a cash infusion. "I'm not going to place bets," FHA Acting Commissioner Carol Galante told reporters.
An independent audit delivered to Congress on Friday showed the FHA had depleted the capital it would need to cover expected losses on the $1.1 trillion in mortgages it backs. It said the losses would leave the agency $16.3 billion in the red.
The FHA's troubles stem from rising defaults on mortgages it guaranteed from 2007-2009 as the housing bubble was deflating. As private capital dried up during the bust, the FHA's role grew. It now insures about 1.2 million loans, or about 15 percent of all U.S. home loans, up from 5 percent in 2006.
Galante emphasized that the White House's annual budget proposal in February would be instrumental in determining whether the agency would need taxpayer funds by the time its fiscal year expires on Sept. 30.
Any final determination would not be made until September.
Real Estate
Judge rules former NH Senate candidate must pay ex-wife, lawyer $20,000
READER COMMENTS: 0A judge has ordered a Laconia man who ran for state Senate last year to pay at least $20,000 to his ex-wife and her attorney in a divorce dispute.
Londonderry workforce housing proposal variance granted
READER COMMENTS: 0A variance allowing developers of a proposed workforce housing community on Trail Haven Drive to construct up to seven buildings per year was granted during Thursday night’s Zoning Board of...
NH Preservation Alliance honors 10 for protecting historic treasures
READER COMMENTS: 0The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance recognized communities and individuals for protecting the state's historical treasures.
Bail reduced in Dover man's swindling case
READER COMMENTS: 0A Superior Court judge decided to reduce bail for a prominent real estate investor and former School Board chairman who faces 19 felony charges, even though prosecutors say he is a flight risk.
Lancaster affordable housing complex set to open
READER COMMENTS: 0An agency that specializes in providing assistance to New Hampshire residents, including helping them find a place to live at a reasonable rent, is preparing to open 20 units of affordable housing in...
Graying of Londonderry a challenge for housing
READER COMMENTS: 0With 22 percent of Londonderry's population aged 55 or older, local planning officials are taking a serious look at the town's housing needs.
NH real estate market improves, again, Realtors say
READER COMMENTS: 0The state's real estate market continued its slow but steady recovery in the first quarter of 2013, according to January-March statistics released on Wednesday by the New Hampshire Association of...
Woodmont neighbors seek answers
READER COMMENTS: 0As the public hearing process for the Woodmont Commons project inches forward, the voices of neighbors eager to have their questions answered are getting louder.
Home & Garden
Nashua aldermen approve lease for community garden
READER COMMENTS: 0City-owned land is being given to Gate City Community Gardens for a pretty penny -- or in this case a dollar -- allowing the group to build its first of many planting sites throughout Nashua.
Moultonborough Community Garden program sprouting
READER COMMENTS: 0The town will officially kick off its Community Garden program this Memorial Day weekend when residents who have signed on may access their 600-square-foot plots of land in which to grow fresh fruits...
Experts: NH natives, perennials your best garden choices
READER COMMENTS: 0I't's not hard to spot a hot fad in shoes or purses, and the popular styles in cars and trucks roar around on the roads, but the latest trend in gardening and plants are a little harder to pin down.
Pinkerton Academy in Derry the beneficiary of palm's prolific growth
READER COMMENTS: 0The annual Derry Garden Club's perennial plant sale will be held Saturday at the Masonic Temple in Derry, but there is one member's donation that will not be for sale.
It was a little too big.
Gardeners begin raising produce for SHARE Food Pantry
READER COMMENTS: 0On a stretch of land behind the SHARE Food Pantry on Elm Street, 10 gardeners are tending crops that will feed their families at home, and families who rely on SHARE.
Aldermen want another look at West Side garden approval
READER COMMENTS: 0Some residents in a West Side neighborhood are resisting plans for a community garden on a vacant city plot near the bank of the Piscataquog River.
As lilac season blooms, so does statewide NH photo contest
READER COMMENTS: 0To mark the season, the 18th annual New Hampshire lilac photo contest, sponsored by the Governor's Lilac and Wildflower Commission, is now open.
Tamworth Farmers' Market ready to open 2013 season
READER COMMENTS: 0For those hungry for a taste of fresh, locally grown greens, the Tamworth Farmers' Market is kicking off its outdoor season on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon with early season crops like spinach,...
Timing is everything with spring gardening in NH
READER COMMENTS: 0There are some people who seem to sprinkle a few seeds on the ground and with a wave of their hands luscious fields of bright green grass and beautiful bursts of blooms unfold before them.
Goffstown students build garden one rock at a time
READER COMMENTS: 0A project to create and cultivate a vegetable garden at Goffstown High School became a lesson in community building for senior Connor O'Brien.
Hooksett arborist recognized for his ability to work in the cold
READER COMMENTS: 0A Hooksett man has been named the winner of the Cintas and Carhartt Cold Crew competition, an annual contest recognizing American and Canadian cold-weather workers.
Plymouth State University offers thanks to the campus' retired horticulturist
READER COMMENTS: 0Plymouth State University has given formal thanks to a man who helped make the campus beautiful for 35 years.
Home & Garden
Nashua aldermen approve lease for community garden
READER COMMENTS: 0City-owned land is being given to Gate City Community Gardens for a pretty penny -- or in this case a dollar -- allowing the group to build its first of many planting sites throughout Nashua.
Moultonborough Community Garden program sprouting
READER COMMENTS: 0The town will officially kick off its Community Garden program this Memorial Day weekend when residents who have signed on may access their 600-square-foot plots of land in which to grow fresh fruits...
New St. Anselm College dormitory to be built this summer
READER COMMENTS: 0Work will begin this summer on a 43,000-square-foot residence hall, which will be ready for occupancy for the fall 2014 semester. Built near the Bertrand and Brady Halls, the three-story residence...
Experts: NH natives, perennials your best garden choices
READER COMMENTS: 0I't's not hard to spot a hot fad in shoes or purses, and the popular styles in cars and trucks roar around on the roads, but the latest trend in gardening and plants are a little harder to pin down.
Pinkerton Academy in Derry the beneficiary of palm's prolific growth
READER COMMENTS: 0The annual Derry Garden Club's perennial plant sale will be held Saturday at the Masonic Temple in Derry, but there is one member's donation that will not be for sale.
It was a little too big.
Gardeners begin raising produce for SHARE Food Pantry
READER COMMENTS: 0On a stretch of land behind the SHARE Food Pantry on Elm Street, 10 gardeners are tending crops that will feed their families at home, and families who rely on SHARE.
As lilac season blooms, so does statewide NH photo contest
READER COMMENTS: 0To mark the season, the 18th annual New Hampshire lilac photo contest, sponsored by the Governor's Lilac and Wildflower Commission, is now open.
Tamworth Farmers' Market ready to open 2013 season
READER COMMENTS: 0For those hungry for a taste of fresh, locally grown greens, the Tamworth Farmers' Market is kicking off its outdoor season on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon with early season crops like spinach,...
Timing is everything with spring gardening in NH
READER COMMENTS: 0There are some people who seem to sprinkle a few seeds on the ground and with a wave of their hands luscious fields of bright green grass and beautiful bursts of blooms unfold before them.
Goffstown students build garden one rock at a time
READER COMMENTS: 0A project to create and cultivate a vegetable garden at Goffstown High School became a lesson in community building for senior Connor O'Brien.
Hooksett arborist recognized for his ability to work in the cold
READER COMMENTS: 0A Hooksett man has been named the winner of the Cintas and Carhartt Cold Crew competition, an annual contest recognizing American and Canadian cold-weather workers.
Veteran decorator sets up shop in Amherst
READER COMMENTS: 0AMHERST -- As a designer, Mb Lincoln has always loved searching high and low for those perfect details that set each house apart, creating a unique home that reflects the style of the owner. At her...
Tables tough as Old Ironsides?
READER COMMENTS: 0Pieces of America's seafaring history can be found at My Feathered Nest, which carries unusual benches and tables created by Weathered Benches of Carlisle, Mass.
Kingston building recruited for new HGTV show
READER COMMENTS: 0TV star Bronson Pinchot knows a lot about acting, but he also knows what it takes to preserve pieces of history.
Kingston votes to raze historic house; TV star Bronson Pinchot calls
READER COMMENTS: 5A 19th-century house that voters decided to demolish could be given a new life if a TV star with a passion for building restoration has his way.
Pysanky eggs: Practice the key to creating layers of Easter beauty
READER COMMENTS: 0To take a simple, white egg and turn it into a family heirloom requires a bit of beeswax, some packets of dye, a rubber band, and a whole lot of practice.
North Country co-op marks five years in farm-fresh style
READER COMMENTS: 0Colebrook's Julie Moran, now CEO and president of North Country Farmers Co-op, said five years ago she got a small distribution system up and running, "and so it began."
Former 'Victory Garden' guru: Show off your crops
READER COMMENTS: 0"My number-one goal here tonight is to encourage all of you to grow your own food," Roger Swain told home gardeners in Windham.




