It's a good question, and a natural follow-up -- after our recent post on the marketing appeal of Manhattan condos that have received Federal Housing Administration approval, readers emailed us asking which Manhattan apartments these might be, and where they could find a listing thereof. Again, a totally natural question -- and, oddly, one of the few things you can't find using New Construction Manhattan's advanced search function. Not to worry, though. We've got you covered here, too -- read on.

The Federal Housing Authority's home loan program has been a rare bit of good news for prospective homeowners over the rocky past couple of years, and has doubtless helped put many New Yorkers into NYC condos. With the FHA, like everyone and everything else in real estate, currently feeling a pinch, the federal agency recently revised its standards upwards somewhat. The adjustments aren't too onerous, though, and it's likely that the FHA's loans will continue to make buying a condominium or apartment in Manhattan (or anywhere else) that much easier than it otherwise would be. At the blog Bigger Pockets, Winston Westbrook runs down the FHA's tightened standards. In short, they look like this:

We've discussed the Federal Housing Administration's new set of guidelines for new construction condominium buildings here and here. And while we don't know yet what kind of impact the government's new standards will have on a roughed-up housing market, we now know -- thanks to Fannie Mae's list of approved condominium buildings in New York -- which new condominium developments in Manhattan have been granted Fannie Mae approval. Why does this matter?

It's complicated. It always is. But the big takeaway from recent statements by Federal Housing Administration commish David Stevens was that the FHA is planning a tightening of standards, which could in turn make it harder for first-time home-buyers to get financing through the FHA's low-down-payment mortgage program. This is news for those looking to buy condominiums in New York City and elsewhere, obviously, but it's not entirely clear just what kind of news this is, just yet. In the Boston Globe, attorney Richard Vetstein delivers some real talk on the likely effects of the tightening regs.

We've written before about the first-time home buyer's tax credit. It's been a great opportunity all along. Now here's an interesting development... As the FHA reports, the tax credit can now function as a kind of mortgage down payment. Technically, a buyer can use it as kind of interim financing known as a bridge loan or even an $8,000 cash advance.