None of the candidates have been up to a solution(s) or suggested solution(s) for the housing mess. The mess will remain an underlying issue throughout the campaign.
Two news items this morning characterize the complexity of the housing issues facing us. Home owners whose homes are worth less than they paid are voting with housing as the item on their mind. Under water home owners can not easily refinance their mortgages for lower rates or obtain the home modification program Making Homes Affordable. The programs have not been effective for home owners. Washington remains deaf to providing any real help to the home owners.
The Wall Street Journal has an excellent article on how profoundly the housing crisis figures into Presidential primaries and voting in swing states this year. The first in a series of articles on swing states, highlights housing as a voting issue in Florida: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204661604577186881718740976.htm...
Then National Public Radio (NPR) breaks the story that Freddie Mac is betting against home owners in a complicate securitization that is sure to rattlethe political voting year more. You can listen or read the Freddie Mac story in this link: http://www.npr.org/2012/01/30/145995636/freddie-mac-betting-against-struggling-homeowners As the NPR story plays out, the story is sure to further highlight the anger homeowners towards Washington and their surrogates (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, private housing counselors, and banks). Be interesting to see how people react to this breaking news.
