But the administration says that it is one thing to help people caught between falling home prices and rising interest rates, and another to bail out speculators who are finding themselves unable to make a quick profit.
An administration official who asked not to be identified said there would be no single solution for the problems facing lenders and borrowers.
This official estimated that of the 2 million mortgage holders facing new interest rates, 500,000 are at risk of foreclosure because of missed payments.
The Bush administration's announcement on Friday will affect only 80,000 homeowners through actions that it can take through the Federal Housing Administration, without congressional participation. How many would be helped by future legislation was not clear to administration officials or others.
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