Homeownership Rate Establish Record in 2003 - 2004-02-03
U.S. homeownership attained a record high late last year as low mortgage rates made buyers out of renters, a government report revealed on Tuesday.

The Census Bureau said 68.6 percent of homes were occupied by their owners in the fourth quarter of 2003, up slightly from a 68.3 percent homeownership rate in the fourth quarter of the previous year.
Read the full story at Washington Post

Government asked to regulate home reversion plans - 2004-02-03
The Council of Mortgage Lenders has called on the government to regulate home reversion plans -- loans often used by older people to take out equity from their homes.

The equity release market is set to be regulated by the Financial Services Authority in October this year but there is concern that only one type of product will be regulated, leaving a loophole in the market that unscrupulous lenders or sellers could exploit.
Read the full story at Reuters