The volume of mortgage applications filed last week rose slightly, increasing a seasonally adjusted 2.8% compared with the week before, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported on Wednesday.
Applications dropped 33.7% for the week ended Aug. 1, compared with the same week in 2007, the Washington-based MBA said. The MBA’s survey covers about half of all U.S. [...]

The President signed the bill on July 30, 2008. The bill includes the following provisions:

GSE Reform – including a strong independent regulator, and permanent conforming loan limits up to the greater of $417,000 or 115% local area median home price, capped at $625,500. The effective date for reforms is immediate upon enactment, but the loan [...]