Lending

The changes would give Fannie, Freddie and their competitors access to an explicit guarantee on mortgage-backed securities.

ReliaMax of South Dakota serves about 475 U.S. lenders, including credit unions.

The cost of covering mortgage payments rises to 17.1% of the median income in the first quarter, up from 15.9%.

A new study from Bankrate.com finds that 19 million Americans say they plan to never retire.

"The housing affordability issue is becoming a crisis."

At the same time, potential buyers are facing a squeeze on affordability as property values keep soaring.