Archive for May, 2008

Home Loan Applications Plummet

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the volume of mortgage applications for the week that ended May 16 fell by 7.8 percent to 621.6. The week before, volume was pegged at 674.4.

Breaking down the report; the refinance volume dropped by 8.7 percent for the week. Meanwhile, mortgage application for new purchases declined by 6.9 percent. The volume of refinance applications actually accounted for about 48.2 percent of the total applications.

The last time the index peaked was in May 30, 2003 when mortgage application volume was at 1,856.7. Coincidentally, this period was during the last housing boom when millions of homebuyers took out hybrid mortgages that featured zero interest option, no interest terms and adjustable interest rates.

Unfortunately, these hybrid loans were considered to be the reason why many owners lost their homes to foreclosure. Most of them did not realize what kind of mortgage they were getting and their brokers could not care less and were really just after the commission. As soon as the mortgage re-set, they found themselves with ballooning mortgage payments that they could no longer pay.

Declining mortgage application index could be indicative of a market where buyer confidence is waning. With the rising fuel and food prices as well as the weakening dollar, it can be expected.

But even with such sluggish market, many experts believe that there is no better time to buy a real estate property than now. Mortgage rates are low and homes have never been this affordable. With some patience, buyers could even find treasures among the many foreclosed properties up for grabs! The key, of course, is using good foreclosure listings to track down hot leads conveniently and easily. When it comes to providing the best leads, buyers can rely on Foreclosed Properties Data.

Home Prices Still Declining

Monday, May 19th, 2008

During the first quarter of 2008, home prices suffered a decline averaging 7.7 percent compared to that of 2007. This is probably the greatest decline since 1982 when the National Realtors Association began gathering data. Average median sale price nationwide also dropped by 4.8 percent to $196,300 for the same period.

According to NAR, the steep decline can be attributed to problems in liquidity, which negatively affects high-price markets. For these experts, the decline in home prices came as a surprise especially since jumbo loans were quite few. In fact, about 10 percent of home sales in California were under jumbo loans. As you may know by now, California holds one of the highest foreclosures rate in the nation and home prices here have been declining steadily in the past months. They feel that this situation was caused by sluggish home sales in these high-cost places.

Another reason for such decline can be the increasing number of homes entering foreclosure due to the subprime meltdown. These foreclosed properties enter the market with lower asking prices, thus further dragging down home values.

Cities, particularly those in the Midwestern states, suffered from the weakening economy that resulted to loss of jobs and decreased consumer spending. Many homeowners have started prioritizing other expenses over mortgage payments, which resulted to a growing number of mortgage defaults.

For the first quarter of this year, foreclosure filings hit record levels and delinquency rate has doubled. And to add insult to injury, the worst part may not be over since many adjustable rate mortgages are posed to re-set this year.

National housing inventory level has also risen to new records – over ten months worth of properties that are yet to be sold. According to the Census Bureau, there are over 2.9 million vacant homes for sale in the market today.

Such market conditions should be considered as golden opportunities by buyers especially with the many available foreclosed properties for sale. If you are in the market for a foreclosure property, check out the hot deals offered by Foreclosed Properties Data.

Mortgage Lenders Eyed by Lawmakers

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

Allegations that mortgage brokers and lenders are abusing the bankruptcy code were being considered by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative and Oversight and the Courts.

It seems that many troubled homeowners who are being pressured to pay their mortgage debt plus certain fees, if they do not want to lose their home to foreclosure. Sadly, most of these homeowners are too unsophisticated, poor and overwhelmed to realize that these demands are actually fraudulent in nature.

In reality, the bankruptcy laws are primarily intended to make sure that trouble homeowners remain in their homes. But many mortgage lenders impose fees that are certainly questionable considering the present financial status of the homeowner. In most cases, these owners find themselves facing foreclosure even if they are supposedly protected by bankruptcy.

As proof of this, the Senate subcommittee is looking at the reasons behind the 112 percent increase in foreclosure filings for the first quarter of 2008. Lawmakers are getting even more worried considering that over 1.8 million mortgages will be resetting this year.

What lenders should understand, is once the homeowner is under the protection of the bankruptcy court, certain rules must be followed. There are actually servicers who insist that the borrowers owe them a certain amount in additional fees. The problem is they fail to disclose information regarding these questionable fees.

If you are one of these troubled owners, you should make an effort to understand your situation and know the different options available. There are quite a number of mortgage lenders who will take advantage of your personal crisis and you should be knowledgeable about these things.

It is always best that you consult your lawyer or even foreclosures experts in order to plan your move against these abusive mortgage lenders. You should remember that knowledge is power and you will have to utilize all available resources that you can find. Check out Foreclosed Properties Data in order to learn about valuable foreclosure information and facts.

A 112% Spike in Foreclosures: Is This the Beginning?

Friday, May 9th, 2008

What a year 2007 was! But what a year 2008 is going to be as far as foreclosed homes are concerned is yet to be seen. According to the last report, almost 155,000 families had lost their homes through foreclosure proceedings, which is a rate of one per 194 homes in the US. The worst fear for the government is how many more foreclosed properties will they get to see this year? Will the number of repo properties increase? Will there be more delinquencies? What is the proposed solution for fighting or stopping foreclosure? These are just some of the questions that seem to haunt the government, lenders and housing authorities like HUD.

Continue Reading: A 112% Spike in Foreclosures: Is This the Beginning?

$15 B Housing Bill Approved by House Panel

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Despite objections from the Republicans, the Democrats managed to push a housing bill that is worth $15 billion. The opposition considered the bill to be a government giveaway or bailout.
If passed, the housing bill will mean that counties and cities suffering from the worst of the foreclosure crisis will receive federal grants and loans for [...]

Continue Reading: $15 B Housing Bill Approved by House Panel

People are forced to leave their houses, and many, their pets also

Monday, May 5th, 2008

Saint was only six months old when his family’s home was repossessed due to foreclosure. Saint found himself at an Animal facility, frightened, confused and terrified.
When Pamela Hawes learned of Saint’s plight, she immediately adopted him. Saint cried all the way to his new home.
“He was like, where am I going?” Hawes, 45, recalled.
Animals like [...]

Continue Reading: People are forced to leave their houses, and many, their pets also