A Splash of Good News?

A Splash of Good News?
March 31, 2010, The Economist

With America braced for 4m or more foreclosures this year, the government is still searching for an effective way to stop the rot in housing. Under the Home Affordable Mortgage Program (HAMP), a mere 170,000 borrowers have received permanent loan modifications, well below the target of 3m-4m. Will a revamped HAMP, unveiled on March 26th, mark a turning-point?


Laptop Killer? Pretty Close
April 1, 2010, Wall Street Journal

For the past week or so, I have been testing a sleek, light, silver-and-black tablet computer called an iPad. After spending hours and hours with it, I believe this beautiful new touch-screen device from Apple has the potential to change portable computing profoundly, and to challenge the primacy of the laptop. It could even help, eventually, to propel the finger-driven, multitouch user interface ahead of the mouse-driven interface that has prevailed for decades.


Mortgage Relief 2.0
March 31, 2010, Dallas Morning News (Editorial)

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome can be evidence of insanity. So why is the Obama administration doubling down on its same losing bet to stem home foreclosures?


Foreclosures Will Solve Housing
March 31, 2010, NPR (Editorial)

With everybody focused on health care, and its new entitlement spending and taxing, the administration has tried to sneak in another bailout for housing. Yet again, Team Obama is rewarding reckless behavior, punishing the 90 percent of responsible homeowners who are making good on their mortgages, and setting up a greater moral hazard that will surely lead to an expansion of bailout nation.


Get Out of the Business of Mortgage Modifications
March 31, 2010,  USA TODAY (Editorial)

Now that the threat of a second Great Depression is gone, the justification for bailouts of any kind is even more tenuous. And despite improvements, the mortgage program still looks like a sweetheart deal for banks, as well as select homeowners.