Multiple sources now tell me that the Administration, specifically over at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is considering ways to get more investors into the housing market, possibly with the help of Fannie and Freddie. HUD would not confirm that, but Fannie Mae's chief economist Doug Duncan said it is definitely on the table both at HUD and at Fannie.

"We're certainly exploring the opportunities to expand that," said Duncan in an interview, cautioning, "the data in our own portfolio show that when you get to a certain number, like ten is the number we've chosen, if there's any default issue, all the loans go bad at the same time, so at the present time we have two mandates, one is to help provide liquidity and help with funding, but the second is to protect taxpayers as well."

No question that any such program would have to require investors to have significant skin in the game, that is, large down payments on all properties, and perhaps a designated capital reserve level to protect against losses. Underwriting would have to be stringent, unlike what went on in the heyday of the housing boom.

Part of the problem is that the Administration doesn't want to spend any more money on housing, and it is particularly politically unpalatable to offer financial assistance to investors, who are widely blamed for causing the housing crisis in the first place. But we're talking about a different kind of investor here. There is an awful lot of hedge fund capital just sitting on the sidelines, if and only if the banks would let them on the field.