This article was first published on Garp.org and can be found here. The conservatorships of government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — one of the last major unresolved matters of the financial crisis – have recently received heightened attention. Policymakers are now awaiting an Administration announcement on GSE reform, which many expect to feature privatization of each company. However, while releasing …

This article was first published here. Over the last decade, the US housing market has made a slow recovery of sorts, most notably reaching a major milestone almost a year ago when the S&P/Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index surpassed its pre-crisis peak level. This overall picture of health, however, belies a spottier record at the local market level, and …