Qualifying For The New Foreclosure Relief Program
Last Friday the Obama administration announced their latest plans for helping consumers who are currently in foreclosure or are moving slowly toward the foreclosure process. The following information comes from administration statements and analysis of those plans from Goldman Sachs in New York. Help for the unemployed- Jobless mortgage holders can receive a three month [...]
Is The Canadian Housing Market Sustainable?
Is the Canadian economy a success story that we should follow, or are the Canadians traveling down the same path as the American economy? This is an important question for the citizens here in the U.S. We are watching as Canada announces better economic numbers and predicting increasing home sales. According to Canada Mortgage and [...]
‘Seasonality Disorder’ In The Housing Market?
Credit research company TransUnion has just released a report that shows mortgage loan delinquencies have increased and are up for the 12th quarter in a row. RealtyTrac predicts the number of foreclosures will increase to three million in 2010. Some experts see this number as conservative. The total unemployment number is also expected to rise [...]
FTC Proposes Up-Front Fee Ban for Mortgage Modifications
The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a new rule that would ban third party mortgage companies from charging up-front fees for mortgage modification and foreclosure rescue. Under the new FTC rule, third party mortgage companies would only receive payment after services are completed for the borrower. These companies would also be required to disclose the [...]
Report: HAMP Program Only Making A Dent In Foreclosure Crisis
A report released this week says the nation’s foreclosure crisis is on the verge of deepening. This is according to the State Foreclosure Prevention Working Group, which is made up of 12 state attorneys general and 3 banking regulators. The group collected data from 13 different mortgage servicers for two years. This is their fourth [...]
Pending Home Sales Drop, Market Looks Bleak
The National Association of Realtors’ index on pending home sales dropped by 16% in November. This is more than three times what economists expected to see. The pending home sales index showed a decline in every region, 26% in the northeast and mid-west, 15% in the south and 3% in the west. The drop-off was [...]
Unemployed Homeowners Might Receive Assistance
Advocacy groups are meeting with officials from Housing and Urban Development, the Treasury Department and the White House Economic Council. These groups hope officials will take part in an existing $75 billion program to help homeowners modify mortgages and implement a program that would help the jobless stay in their homes. Spearheading this program is [...]
Lenders Resist Making Home Affordable
The Treasury Department announced a total of 31,382 homeowners have received a permanent home loan modification since details of the program were announced in March. 4% of homeowners whose home loans were re-worked through the Making Home Affordable Program have successfully completed the trial period to receive permanent modifications. There are currently more than 728,000 [...]
Reverse Mortgage Option Gaining Momentum, Seniors at Risk
More seniors are applying for reverse mortgages than ever before. This trend is gaining momentum as seniors are finding their retirement nest egg disappearing. Tim McDonald, a reverse mortgage specialist for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, says, “the aging population is becoming more and more aware of reverse mortgages as a way to stay in [...]
FHA Planning Stricter Loan Requirements
The Federal Housing Administration is taking the first steps toward stricter loan requirements. The FHA plans to “hold lenders accountable for their origination quality and compliance with FHA policy”. These planned changes could put more pressure on an already struggling housing market. Their plan is designed to limit the risks to the FHA loan portfolio, [...]