WASHINGTON - Could the controversial mortgage industry practice of listing hundreds of local real estate markets as "declining" - and restricting lending through higher down payments or credit scores - be scrapped? The two biggest players in the home mortgage field, Fannie Mae

WASHINGTON - Could the controversial mortgage industry practice of listing hundreds of local real estate markets as "declining" - and restricting lending through higher down payments or credit scores - be scrapped? The two biggest players in the home mortgage field, Fannie Mae

Could the mortgage industry scrap its controversial practice of listing hundreds of local real estate markets as "declining" -- and restricting lending there through higher down payments or credit scores?

Months after many eager homeowners started gearing up to refinance their mortgages, interest rates for Bay Area-size mortgages are finally falling. Vote: Will you refi? | Search local real estate transactions

If Clarksville's housing market reflects any of the symptoms of the nation's lingering mortgage crisis, it's probably more of an indirect consequence, local real estate industry leaders and economists insist.

Despite the slow real estate market and no shortage of 'for sale' signs, competition is surprisingly fierce for houses owned by banks.

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More people should be able to afford a Vallejo-area home now that prices have dropped, though stricter mortgage loan requirements make it difficult, local real estate experts said Wednesday. The California Association of Realtors released