Thread: This decades version of the .com bubble

WASHINGTON -- Rates on 30-year mortgages climbed for a third straight week, pushing the level to the highest point this year.
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The Federal Home Loan Bank is ending its mortgage-purchase program, the Wall Street Journal said Thursday. The bank's planned exit from mortgage purchases is part of its effort to reduce exposure to interest-rate fluctuations, a move ordered by regulators.
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WASHINGTON — U.S. house prices rose in 2004 at the fastest clip in 25 years.

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Interest rates are still near historic lows, but consumers say recent rate hikes have already boosted their monthly payments and put a crimp in their shopping plans.


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A new study by the National Association of Realtors shows that 33% of all homes purchased in 2004 were for investment.

There is a sharp debate over whether there is a bubble in the U.S. housing market generally or in certain localities, or whether there is a bubble at all. But the past two days have brought fresh warnings that home prices are unsustainable.

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