In the last few years, several innovations have appeared in mortgage finance which are designed to improve the flow of funds into mortgage lending. Among this group, The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) remains the intermediary which handles the largest share of most mortgage lenders' placements. As a private corporation chartered by Congress and owned by stockholders, FNMA provides a national secondary market facility for government-backed (FHA/VA) and conventional mortgages. Through its secondary market operations, FNMA furnishes a source of liquidity for mortgage lenders with the major portion of this support provided through the Free Market System (FMS) auctions. Through its issuance of forward purchase commitments, the FNMA assures lenders of a permanent investor (at a set yield) for specified periods of time, regardless of changing money market and housing conditions.

Partial table of contents: THE ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK. The American Real Estate Industry: An Overview. Regional and Urban Economics. Spatial Economics: Rent, Situs, and Succession Theory. THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT. Real Estate Interests and Forms of Ownership. Transferring Real Estate Interests. VALUATION AND THE APPRAISAL PROCESS. The Sales Comparison Approach and the Cost Approach. MARKETING, BROKERAGE, AND MANAGEMENT. Marketing. Brokerage. Asset Management: The Property Management Perspective. REAL ESTATE FINANCE. The Financial System and Real Estate Finance. Financing Mechanics: The Borrower's Perspective. Mortgage Underwriting: The Lender's Perspective. The Secondary Mortgage Markets. REAL ESTATE TAXATION. Income and Property Taxation. INVESTMENT ANALYSIS. Principles of Investment. The Discounted Cash-Flow Model. REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT. Land Use Feasibility Analysis. PUBLIC POLICY AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE. Government Involvement. Appendix. Compound Interest Tables. Glossary. Index.