The 858 REALTY News

Recent Uptick in Mortgage Applications
March 10th, 2010 11:46 AM
The number of mortgage applications for home purchases increased 5.7 percent last week compared to the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis and was up 7.2 percent on an unadjusted basis, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association weekly survey.

Overall, mortgage applications rose only 0.5 percent last week. But applications to refinance declined 1.5 percent. Purchase applications were down 10.7 percent compared to the same week a year ago. And the refinance share of mortgage activity was as low as it has been since October 2009.

Mortgage rates increased:

· 30-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 5.01 percent from 4.95 percent.
· 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 4.32 percent from 4.27 percent.
· 1-year ARMs increased to 6.80 percent from 6.77 percent.
Posted by Robert Torre on March 10th, 2010 11:46 AMPost a Comment (0)

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Federal Program to Encourage Short Sales
March 9th, 2010 8:20 AM
Beginning April 5, the Obama administration will encourage delinquent borrowers to avoid foreclosure and instead give up their homes in short sales by streamlining the process.

The program will offer a cash payment to the home owner, as well as to the servicer and second-lien holder; and protect borrowers from future lender lawsuits for the unpaid mortgage balance.

To curtail fraud, lenders will have to consult real estate practitioners to assess home value and minimum acceptable offer; they then must accept any offer that is equal to or higher than that.
Posted by Robert Torre on March 9th, 2010 8:20 AMPost a Comment (0)

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Foreclosed Borrowers May Get Loans Again
March 8th, 2010 6:52 AM
Will people who currently face foreclosure or short sales or who walk away from their underwater properties ever be able to get financing to buy another home down the road?

Banks haven’t been very forthcoming on this issue. However, knowledgeable observers of the situation say that while it may take some time, the situation will right itself for most people.

Because bankrupt borrowers have eliminated their debts, they should "constitute attractive fodder for mortgage lenders," says University of Michigan law professor John Pottow, whose specialty is bankruptcy.

As home prices and the mortgage market stabilize, lenders will be motivated to lend to people who previously had financial troubles if they look like they can pay the next time around, says Alan Riegler, a consultant with CCG Catalyst, which advises banks.

"The lender who figures out how to do more of this case-by-case stuff cost-effectively is going to end up ahead of the pack," Riegler says.
Posted by Robert Torre on March 8th, 2010 6:52 AMPost a Comment (0)

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Head of FDIC Supports Loan Write-Downs
March 7th, 2010 10:35 AM
The possibility of solving the underwater mortgage problem by writing down principal has been deemed politically impossible by the Obama administration, but some government officials see write-downs as the best long-term solution.

One of the most outspoken supporters of write-downs is Federal Deposit Insurance Chair Sheila Bair. This week, she called underwater mortgages a continuing problem and said the FDIC is “actively looking” at ways to encourage principal write-downs in the deals it does to facilitate acquisitions of failed banks.

Overall, Bair was positive about housing finance. "After three long and difficult years for housing and mortgage finance, I think we're seeing some progress in stabilizing our housing markets," she said.
Posted by Robert Torre on March 7th, 2010 10:35 AMPost a Comment (0)

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Pending Home Sales Down
March 5th, 2010 6:24 AM
Pending home sales are down and additional declines are expected from abnormal weather conditions, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in January, fell 7.6 percent to 90.4 from an upwardly revised 97.8 in December, but remains 12.3 percent higher than January 2009, when it was 80.5.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said weather is likely to impact housing data. “January pending sales, though still higher than one year ago, remain much lower than expected given that a large number of potential buyers are eligible for the expanded home buyer tax credit. Moreover, the abnormally severe and prolonged winter weather, which affected large regions of the U.S., hampered shopping activity in February,” he said.

As such, abnormal swings are expected in housing data. “We will see weak near-term sales followed by a likely surge of existing-home sales in April, May, and June,” Yun said. “The real question is what happens in the second half of the year. If there is sufficient job creation, housing can become self-sustaining with stable to modestly rising home prices because inventory has been trending downward.”

Here’s a look at pending home sales numbers by region:

• Northeast: Pending home sales fell 8.7 percent to 71.3 in January, but are 20.5 percent higher than January 2009.
• Midwest: The index dropped 8.9 percent to 81.2 but is 11.8 percent above a year ago.
• South: Pending home sales slipped 2.1 percent to an index of 98.1, but the index is 18.0 percent higher than January 2009.
• West: The index dropped 13.2 percent to 102.9 but is 1.4 percent above a year ago.
Posted by Robert Torre on March 5th, 2010 6:24 AMPost a Comment (0)

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HARP Receives a One-Year Extension
March 3rd, 2010 7:31 AM
The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), which was supposed to expire June 10, will be extended for another year, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said in a statement.

Since HARP began last April, it has refinanced 190,180 mortgages. It is administered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and aimed at borrowers with little or no equity in their homes.

This program is a sister to Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which was severely criticized by Congress last week for failing to help enough struggling home owners.
Posted by Robert Torre on March 3rd, 2010 7:31 AMPost a Comment (0)

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Buyers Who Wait May Lose a Lot
March 2nd, 2010 12:01 PM
Potential home buyers who delay have a lot to lose.

First-time home buyer and move-up tax credits worth $8,000 and $6,500, respectively, expire April 30. Buyers who qualify get a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes or a cash payment if they don’t pay enough taxes to cover the credit.

Other factors that should spur buyers:

Low mortgage rates. If the Federal Reserve stops buying mortgage-backed securities at the end of March, 30-year rates will almost certainly rise to more than 6 percent.

Rising prices. About 30 percent of markets are already experiencing price increases. Prices are falling in 12 percent of markets, says Fiserv (but that only helps if you want to live there).
Posted by Robert Torre on March 2nd, 2010 12:01 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Should Buyers Try to Beat the Tax Credit?
March 1st, 2010 7:57 AM
Some potential home buyers say they're holding out until the tax credits expire on the theory that prices will decline once the buying incentive is gone.

One person who commented on the dilemma on Zillow.com wrote: “I’ve seen prices in my neighborhood jump up over $30k since the credit started.”

In some markets, waiting is clearly the wrong move. A renter in Las Vegas told the Wall Street Journal that he’s been outbid eight times trying to buy a house. He doesn’t believe the expiration of the credit will make any difference.
Posted by Robert Torre on March 1st, 2010 7:57 AMPost a Comment (0)

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Please Help Locate this Missing Teenager From San Diego
February 27th, 2010 8:48 PM
Posted by Robert Torre on February 27th, 2010 8:48 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Fraud Didn't Cause Housing Meltdown
February 25th, 2010 7:14 AM
The financial crisis was the result of home buyers’ rational reactions to misaligned incentives – not fraud, argues Todd Zywicki, a George Mason University law professor and a Mercatus Center senior scholar.

Zywicki, who has studied the financial meltdown, argues that taking out a risky bank loan looks like a foolish choice today, but at the height of the housing boom was actually a smart decision for many people.

He says the crisis began when the Federal Reserve pushed interest rates to extreme lows from 2001 to 2004, making adjustable rate loans very attractive. It wasn’t until the Fed pushed rates back up that people walked away from their loans.

In the next phase of the crisis, Zywicki says, the availability of foreclosed properties pushed down home prices, which led to more home owners walking away from their properties. Now in the current phase of the decline, unemployment has led to even more foreclosures.

Zywicki writes: “The problem isn't consumer gullibility or ignorance. Borrowers have shown they understand, and act on, the incentives they face all too well.”
Posted by Robert Torre on February 25th, 2010 7:14 AMPost a Comment (0)

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