AP - Once again, the government has offered another plan to help troubled homeowners. Once again, critics say it doesn’t go far enough. The plan announced Tuesday by federal officials and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sounds sweeping in its approach: Borrowers would get reduced interest rates or longer loan terms to make their payments more affordable.

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BusinessWeek Online - Federal agencies plan to push harder to modify mortgages for homeowners facing foreclosure. It’s an incremental step that both government officials and observers called helpful, yet it’s not enough to fundamentally alter the housing crisis. But the move announced Nov. 11 underscores pending changes in how government tackles not just the housing crash, but the broader financial crisis and economic stimulus efforts. …

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Reuters - Fannie Mae , once a mortgage giant, could post losses totaling $20 billion to $40 billion in the next four quarters, as elevated credit costs continue to hurt the company’s capital position, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets said.

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AP - Spain’s government, grappling with soaring unemployment and an economy buffeted by the global credit crunch, announced a plan Monday to help families make mortgage payments and reward businesses that hire.

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BusinessWeek Online - In what may the biggest sign yet that banks are getting serious about attacking the nationwide wave of home foreclosures, giant JPMorgan Chase announced on Oct. 31 that it is sharply ramping up its efforts to restructure the loans in its massive mortgage portfolio. For the next 90 days, JPMorgan will not place any new homes into foreclosure.

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AP - A California congresswoman whose house temporarily went into foreclosure has paid up the delinquent home loans, she said Friday.

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AP - Are you feeling low and lonesome, or really subprime? A band of guitar-playing construction workers say they want to rock their way through the recession and put smiles on the faces of British bankers.

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AP - JPMorgan Chase & Co. on Friday became the latest major bank to beef up its mortgage modification efforts as the government also considers a plan to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

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