K.C. ALFRED / Union-Tribune Yamila Ayad, president of Mission Home Loans in San Marcos, helps borrowers understand new regulations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Borrowers caught up in the national credit crunch are waiting for the federal government to toss them a lifeline by increasing the size of loans that mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase. The Economic Stimulus Act approved by Congress is expected to soon raise the “conforming” limit on such loans from $417,000 to as much as $729,750 in some high-cost housing markets.

If you doubt that the derelict shantytowns of Tijuana could work as a template for redevelopment in a quaint, upscale town in the Hudson River Valley, you're probably underestimating Teddy Cruz.

What drove history's greatest real estate boom? Host Carl Larsen chats with Daniel McGinn, author of “House Lust,” at 3 p.m. tomorrow.