Freddie Mac gets more time on accounting problems - 2004-02-25
Mortgage giant Freddie Mac on Thursday extended to November its self-imposed deadline for cleaning up its accounting mess. The company also said earnings understatements for the last three years could go over its previous estimate of $4.5 billion.

The announcement came as Congress pushed ahead with plans to tighten regulation of Freddie Mac and corporate cousin Fannie Mae.
Read the full story at USA Today

Factory Orders Lower As Home Sales Soar - 2004-02-25
America's factories saw orders for costly manufactured goods drop in August while homes sales surged, showing two sides of the fragile economic recovery.

The rise in home sales came despite higher mortgage rates last month. The average monthly rate on a 30-year mortgage in August was 6.26 percent, up from 5.63 percent in July. In the last several weeks, however, mortgage rates have been falling. This week, rates on 30-year mortgages dipped to 5.98 percent.
Read the full story at Miami Herald