Buying, selling or refi? New laws will help

Q: It seems like every month the federal government passes a new housing bill that's supposed to help the real estate market crisis. I'm a homeowner, and nothing has gotten easier for me -- my mortgage payment is still about to adjust, the interest on my adjustable-rate line of credit is still going up, and I'm still upside down on my home by about $25,000! Are there any of these laws that I should really know about or that can really help me out?

A: Late last year, the federal government started responding legislatively to the upheaval in the housing market. Some argue that the resulting laws have been too little; others feel they are too late.

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