A mortgage industry alliance, under pressure to show progress in its efforts to aid troubled borrowers, says lenders gave a record amount of assistance to homeowners last month.

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?

Lewis Carroll, call your office. Or, better still, the author of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" should call Washington, where the government's determination to solve the housing "crisis" produced this lead paragraph in a recent New York Times story: "Federal agencies are intensifying a criminal investigation of the mortgage industry and focusing on whether some lenders turned a blind eye to inflated income figures provided by borrowers."

The mortgage industry may be in meltdown, but at least one class of lender appears to be flourishing: Islamic finance companies that offer Muslim home buyers alternative arrangements such as lease-to-own deals so they can avoid making the sort of interest payments that many believe their religion forbids.

NEW YORK -- Broad damage in the mortgage industry was in full view Monday as a number of companies posted dismal first-quarter earnings, but there were also some hope that the worst of the housing crisis is over.

BOSTON (AP) - A key House lawmaker on Monday complained that the mortgage industry has done little over the past month to make higher-value loans available in costly housing markets after Congress took steps to try to infuse more cash into the so-called jumbo market.

BOSTON - A key House lawmaker today complained that the mortgage industry has done little over the past month to make higher-value loans available in costly housing markets after Congress took steps to try to infuse more cash into the so-called jumbo market.

Analysis of trends in the mortgage industry during the 4th quarter of 2007 was made available today on TransUnion.com.