Posted by Howard Bell on December 19, 2009 at 8:12am
Mortgage Rates Follow Bond Yields Higher30-year fixed-rate mortgage: Averaged 4.94 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending December 17, 2009, up from last week when it averaged 4.81 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.19 percent.The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage: Averaged 4.38 percent with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.32 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 4.92 percent.Five-year indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages ARMs: Averaged 4.37 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.26 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 5.60 percent.One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs: Averaged 4.34 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 4.24 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 4.94 percent.Freddie SayzMortgage rates followed bond yields higher once again this week amid signs of an improving economy, said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. On the consumer side, retail sales jumped 1.3 percent in November and consumer sentiment, as measured by the University of Michigan, rose above the market consensus forecast to the highest reading since September. Industrial production also showed large gains in November.Interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages have remained below five percent over the past seven weeks and are contributing to a wave of refinance activity. Roughly three out of four mortgage applications were for refinancing during the first two weeks of December, according the Mortgage Bankers Association .Thanks for Readingwww.yourpropertypath.comRelated ArticlesShould You Stop Paying Your MortgageStock Market Views On The Housing RecoveryThe Coming Mortgage Debt Reduction ProgramsRead more…
Posted by MeLisa Minter on December 15, 2009 at 2:16pm
Ok Gang,I listened to the Blog Radio on 12/18 and even punched in to ask Jesse a question about signing up with all the Asset Management Companies. After listening to the show, I took Jesse's advice about utilizing Linked In and Facebook to our advantage.I was already doing something similar, which is how I found this group. Anyway, I typed in the name of a Mortgage Servicing Company that I've done Short Sales through. I proceeded to pull up their Linked In Employees and low and behold, I see two employees,(one an Asset Manager the other an REO Attorney), that I am connected to by the second degree. It seems that one of my good friends is the first connection with one person and the other person is connected to me by a group that I joined on Linked In.So naturally, I email these two contacts by using the "Request and Introduction" Method. I included an attention grabbing subject line, and introduced myself and informed them how we were connected. I proceeded to let them know that I am a member of Realty Pilot, the most innovative BPO/REO Traffic Controller, and that it is free to Mortgage Companies/Mortgage Servicing Companies Asset Managers.I then explain to them how they can be of assistance in helping me connect with some of the Asset Managers in their organization and introduce them to Realty Pilot and my REO Services.After I completed the mesage, I clicked on the "Notify Friend Button, so I could send "1st connected firend" a courtesy notice stating that I contacted one of her linked in connections.I know what they say about the Six degrees of Separation, and it seems that it can definitely be beneficial if you work it right.It's going to be interesting to see the type of results that we will get from this.
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Posted by Dan Waterman on December 8, 2009 at 12:09pm
In a recent post on Mortgage Servicing News the latest and greatest in the world of default servicing is electronic (on-line) loan modification. Ironically, I'm reading a book right now by Mark Zandi (Financial Shock - I recommend it to everyone in our REO network btw) and he talks about online lending. Albeit, they aren't the same, but I can only imagine some of the fraud and future complications that will be the result of consumers jumping online to apply for a loan modification which, in turn is automatically run through underwriting by a series of codes that do verification based on the honor system.Call my pessimistic, but I don't see this being the salvation to our situation. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that there are solutions being recommended, however; when's the last time that we, the people (and more importantly the REO professionals) were consulted about potential realistic solutions?Read the article here....it's actually very informative. I don't mean to sound like the write-up is bad. It's not.
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Posted by Howard Bell on November 28, 2009 at 5:05pm
Nearly one in four U.S. borrowers owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth, indicating that the housing recovery could see another wave of defaults. 23% of mortgage holders, were underwater in the third quarter, and 5.3 million have mortgages that are 20% higher than the value of their home since the recession began. Analysts expect prices to dip again this winter as foreclosures increase and economic growth remains modest. The Wall Street Journal reports.Its not a new idea and many have always clamored for the banks to take some responsibility for loose lending practices that helped fuel the boom. But now it seems that a major institution is on board and will spearhead a push for mortgage debt forgiveness.Citigroups quarterly reports on mortgage borrowersAs unemployment rises, more borrowers need principal forgiveness on their mortgages, not just restructured loans, Citigroup Inc.'s mortgage chief said. see chart here To date, Citigroup helped 130,000 homeowners with $20 billion in mortgages outstanding avoid potential foreclosure last quarter. But that number increased 20% from the second quarter. The sub prime debacle is behind us, the culprit now is unemployment.UnemploymentThe Main Cause of DelinquenciesThe main problem of the mortgage industry changes from house-price depreciation to unemployment, the mortgage market needs more programs where there is principal reduction for borrowers with negative equity in their home, as opposed to just a loan restructure, Mr. Das said. (Via Wall street Journal).Loan mods alone are not enough to avoid another tsunami of foreclosures. The housing recovery's momentum has slowed, and it seems likely that house prices will now resume their fall. Re-default rates on loans that had already been modified in the quarter were nearly 39 percent, up 10 percent from the second quarter. High unemployment coupled with a loss of home equity are too big a burden for many home owners and the temptation to walk away, may begin to look like good business sense.Foreclosures initiated in the third quarter rose about 10% from the second quarter but fell about 11% from a year earlier. Completed foreclosures fell less than 1% from the second quarter and about 48% from a year earlier. Things appear to be moderating, although I dont think Citigroup is addressing the Alt A recasts, which are expected to add to the problem, in a big way, beginning this year and into 2012.Citigroup Speaks OutCiti proposes new programs to forestall impending foreclosures. Recognizing that existing programs are not enough, the bank wants to reduce the principal owed and to bring this down to a number homeowners could cover. In return for forgiveness of some debt, Citi wants to share any potential upside. Banks step up and take a hit along with the home owner, home owner gets to stay in the house, Home stays off the market helping home prices stabilize and bank gets equity share for the effort. Having the lenders in an equity share position with home owners is a solid idea.Thanks for Readingwww.yourpropertypath.comRelated ArticlesFannie Mae Allows renters to Stay in Foreclosed HomeFannie Mae Gets Into The Home Rental BusinessNAR Report Third QuarterRead more…
Posted by Howard Bell on November 22, 2009 at 10:16am
30 Year Fixed Rate Falls Below 5 Percent30-year fixed-rate mortgage: Averaged 4.83 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending November 19, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 4.91 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.04 percent.The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage: Averaged 4.32 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.36 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.73 percent.Five-year indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages ARMs: Averaged 4.25 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.29 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 5.87 percent.One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs: Averaged 4.35 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.46 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.29 percent.Freddie SayzInterest rate on 30 year fixed-rate mortgage loans fell for the third consecutive week to the lowest since the week ending May 21st, while 15 year fixed rates were the lowest since our records began in 1991, said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. Low fixed rates throughout the third quarter prompted an estimated $1.1 trillion in refinancing activity, saving homeowners about $10 billion in aggregate monthly payments over the first 12 months of their new loan. Moreover, for the fourth consecutive quarter, more than 95 percent of prime borrowers who originally had an ARM selected a conventional fixed rate mortgage in the third quarter of this year.Meanwhile, new home building showed some weakness in recent months. Residential construction eased 10.6 percent (annualized) between September and October, largely driven by a 33.3 percent decline in new condominium and apartment buildings and represented the slowest pace since records began in 1959. And homebuilder confidence in November remained a relatively low level, according to the National Association of Home Builders .Thanks for Readingwww.yourpropertypath.comRelated ArticlesReverse MortgagesARM's - How Do They Work?EEMRead more…
Posted by Howard Bell on November 22, 2009 at 10:16am
Mortgage Bankers Association for the week of November 18, 2009Market Composite Index: (loan application volume) decreased 2.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. .Refinance Index: decreased 1.4 percent from the previous weekPurchase Index: decreased 7.9 percent compared with the previous week and was 14.7 percent lower than the same week one year ago.Refinance Share of Mortgage Activity: increased to 72.9 percent of total applications from 71.5 percent the previous week. This refinance share is the highest share since the week ending May 15, 2009ARM Refinance Activity: decreased to 5.4 percent from 5.5 percent of total applications from the previous week.MBA outlook: (Excerpted from mbaa.org) The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties rose to a seasonally adjusted rate of 9.64 percent of all loans outstanding as of the end of the third quarter of 2009.Its job loss that is now hurting people. Job losses continue to increase and drive up delinquencies and foreclosures because mortgages are paid with paychecks, not percentage point increases in GDP. A perfect observation by Jay Brinkmann, MBAs Chief Economist.According to the MBAA.org site: T he outlook is that delinquency rates and foreclosure rates will continue to worsen before they improve. First, it is unlikely the employment picture will get better until sometime next year and even then jobs will increase at a very slow pace. Perhaps more importantly, there is no reason to expect that when the economy begins to add more jobs, those jobs will be in areas with the biggest excess housing inventory and the highest delinquency rates.Thanks for Readingwww.yourpropertypath.comRelated ArticlesFHA Losses: What it MeansFHA Has New RulesLoan Modification: A PrimerRead more…
Interestingly enough I came across an article that mentions the numbers regarding the cure rate. Basically cure rate is the percentage of portfolio of delinquent mortgages that are brought current or paid. According to Fich Rating, a global credit rating agency, the cure rate among prime fell to 6.6% from an average of 45% during 2000 through 2006. At the same time Alt-A fell to 4.3% from 30.2% average and subprime fell to 5% from a 19% average. Unbelievale numbers that exposes the fragile state of our economy.
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Posted by Dawn Barrier on October 1, 2009 at 5:50am
NEVER PAY a Mortgage payment to someone who comes to your door!!I posted a blog recently on AR regarding Titanium in the news and it as well as some recent happenings prompted me to write this post...To minimize potential fraud by imposters, representatives will not be permitted to accept mortgage payments or any other money from borrowers...this is except from recent article about Freddie doing loan mods door-to-doorLas Vegas has become known for having lots of scammers showing up at the door and calling people to try and get their $ by whatever tactic they can and there are still people falling for the scams and giving people money up front before they even check the person or company out.I recently had a couple ask me if they could give me their mortgage payment to turn into the bank...NO!!!Unfortunately, I have also been meeting a lot of people who have been scammed out of thousands of dollars by loan modification companys as well.NEVER PAY a Mortgage payment to someone who comes to your door!! Spread the word!Read more…
Posted by Linda Landry on August 22, 2009 at 1:14pm
There are many reasons why I like and respect Lookie Lou's. If you've ever sat at an open house for two hours or more without traffic you will understand my first reason. With all the preparation given to arrange and set up an open house it is disheartening if no one stops in. I for one do not want to eat all my own cookies! Nor do I want my sellers to think nary a soul was interested in their charming, darling, cozy home.Au Contraire! I am there for a reason and that reason is YOU! Neighbors, curious George's, inquiring minds come one come all. I want to tell you about this home and show you it's features. Yes! That is my primary reason for having an open house. I also want to meet new people. I cannot be successful in real estate by talking to only a handful of people I know. I want to broaden my horizons and reach out to whomever is interested in discussing my passion for real estate. Consider me to be an artist in an art gallery. I will gladly discuss my work as well as engage in any discussion regarding art as it is my passion!Additionally, Lookie Lou's ask questions. Therefore we can engage in a conversation which typically evolves around, you guessed it, my passion and reason for being there.....real estate. This is a golden opportunity to 'feel the pulse' of someone who is interested but wary of the current market status. It is also an opportunity to dispel myths or mythical thinking. More importantly, it is a time to make a connection with someone new by discussing their concerns and providing access to information that may make them less concerned. It is also a time to delve into whom they may know who needs to sell or purchase a home. It is a time for me to introduce myself and my service to someone in the community who may not otherwise have met me nor I them. Think of it as a way of branding as my name needs to be in your thoughts when you or someone you know needs the services I provide.Yes, I am there holding this home open as it is on the market for sale. Certainly, it is my goal to sell it for my client. I will work hard to market it this way and any other way to fulfill their need and my responsibility to them. Additionally, I also want to meet you, whomever you are. Simply put......we need to connect. You may need some information I have and you may ask me for information I don't have but need to research. You may need my services someday or you may provide a service I need. You may know someone who needs my services or you just may know someone who wants the home I am holding open. Welcome to my open house Lookie Lou! Have a cookie and punch and let's chit chat while I show you this beautiful home for sale. We may not live next door to one another but we can certainly act like neighbors!Linda Landry, REALTOR ® Exit Realty 1st Choice Tucson, Arizona
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These are staggering numbers. I heard a lecture from an analyst from Anderson School of Business at UCLA which was a bit gloomier than this but these are some of the gravest predictions I have seen in print. Will we see more aggressive programs from the administration to combat the forecasts? The various moratoriums so far have had less than robust results. A contact at Wells Fargo tells me they have had less than a 1% success rate in loan mods. I can't see a substantial turn around until at least 2013, any thoughts?From Housingwire.com.By AUSTIN KILGOREAugust 6, 2009 4:18 PM CSTDeutsche Bank (DB: 66.81 +3.39%) believes continued declines in home values will increase the number of US mortgagors with negative equity from 14m in Q109 to 25m in Q111.According to a report Deutsche released this week, the 25m represents a projected 48% of all US mortgages. While subprime and option adjustable-rate mortgages (ARM) are the biggest source of underwater borrowers in the current market, Deutsche said a larger percentage of prime conforming and prime jumbo borrowers will join the fray.Prime conforming and prime jumbo will make up 79% of all US mortgages and Deutsche estimates 41% of conforming and 47% of jumbo will be underwater, up from current levels of 16% and 29%, respectively.This rapid influx of underwater borrowers will have a significant impact on default rates. In addition to future underwater borrowers being forced into default from a “life event” — unemployment, divorce, disability, etc. — Deutsche warned others may “ruthlessly” or strategically default.Increased defaults in the middle class will suppress consumption, added Deutsche, further slowing housing recovery.It’s hard to predict exactly how high the default rates will go. The current housing recession is unique in that it was brought on and perpetuated by a number of factors — unstable loan products, crashing housing prices, and unemployment, among others. Deutsche cited a study of the Massachusetts housing decline of the late 1980s and early 1990s that showed less than 7% of underwater borrowers defaulted as perspective on the default rate for underwater borrowers.But in the early 1990s, borrower and loan product quality were significantly better, the home price decline wasn’t as severe, and unemployment was lower. Deutsche said the 7% experienced in Massachusetts should be the floor — a best-case scenario — for the surge of underwater borrowers it expects in 2011.Borrowers with loan products with already high underwater rates will only get worse.By 2011, Deutsche predicts 89% of option ARM borrowers will be underwater, up from 77% in 2009. The rate of underwater subprime borrowers will increase from 50% to 69%, and underwater Alt-A borrowers will increase from 49% to 66%.An important factor to consider is how deep underwater borrowers will be, and it depends on their loan type.For prime conforming borrowers, Deutsche predicts the number of borrowers with negative equity — loan to value (LTV) between 105% and 125% — will virtually equal the number of borrowers with what it calls “severe negative equity” — LTV over 125%.But Deutsche expects the 89% of option ARM borrowers underwater to be split with most — 77% of total option ARM borrowers — holding severe negative equity. For underwater prime jumbo loans, more borrowers will have severe negative equity — 29% of the combined 47%.The split for underwater Alt-A borrowers is expected to take an opposite proportion, with 49% of all Alt-A borrowers in negative equity and only 18% in severe negative equity. Underwater subprime borrowers will face a similar breakdown.
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Posted by Linda Landry on August 6, 2009 at 4:51pm
Due to the current real estate climate many homeowners owe more on their homes than the current market value; or are 'underwater'. What is the benefit of continuing to pay on a loan that is considered a 'bad debt'? Some would say none as it does not appear to make economic sense. However, thereis more to it than just the current mathmetics of the subject. Regarding homeownership there is more of an attachment to the product than just the financial investment. Residential property is also home and the place of memories from family gatherings. Additionally the real estate market has it's ebbs and flows and the tide will eventually turn. Since equity is not a liquid asset money is not lost when it disapates UNLESSthe property is sold. Therefore if an owner is not in a position to require selling it is a good time to sit tight. It is a good time to utilize toward preventative maintenance and a good time to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Additionally, by continuing your personal responsible behavior, you are doing your part to stablize the real estate market.Linda Landry REALTOR ® Exit Realty 1st Choice Tucson, Arizona
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For the past 3 years my life has consisted of one thing - researching REO. Every aspect of REO that is. When you have thousands of members and clients that depend on your company for results it can be a daunting thing. Especially when the government makes over 20 changes to the TARP program within 9 months!The past 3 weeks have been dedicated to the development of our new levels of training (2 and 3) which are going to be geared towards the REO Masters Network directors. The way that this network is being designed resembles an undergraduate and graduate program. With the REOM being the "graduate" program I had to step it up a little bit with content. So, with that end in mind I began with a "State of the Market" initial presentation, ended with a "Future Projections" summary and then sandwiched some cutting-edge REO stuff in between. I should have given myself 3 MONTHS!I can say that I've learned a lot, which is always a great thing. I was kind of waiting-out the whole government involvement of real estate until the dust settled so as not to fry any of my mental circuitry. I watched from September 08 through March of 09 as colleagues were trying to decipher the realities of the real estate market, TARP, the Financial Stability Plan, "Making Home Affordable", HOPE NOW, and the mergers of banks left and right. In my little universe I was telling myself the whole time, "just keep track of everything, but don't try to figure it out yet". Whew! Glad I made that decision and stuck with it.Fellow professionals I'm here to say that this market is absolutely, undoubtedly one of the craziest markets in American history. Go watch some of the real estate market videos on YouTube of Mark Zandi of Moody's or Glenn Beck (whatever your personal opinion may be, these guys toss out some pretty indisputable stats).Oh, and if you have a couple of minutes, check out the Wall Street Journal's take on the history of the meltdown (there are 3 parts, but I'm only embedding part 1):OK, back to the think tank.Sincerely,Dan Waterman
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I came across a new problem today that may force more foreclosures. If you are in a condo and there are more than 15% of owners who are delinquent in their condo fee, you are out of the guidelines of Fannie Mae. So, no new loans and no refinance for any of the current owners or potential buyers. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this.I think it just highlights how deep and pervading the mortgage mess has become.
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I don't know if you've been hearing the rumors, but there's a gathering consensus that the sub-prime mortgage market was just the beginning of the REO wave, that next up we're going to see more "prime" mortgage defaults and foreclosures. Check out this article from the New York Times, for example.That's my sense of it, surely. Most of the REO listings I've been getting have been in Watsonville, and most of them, I'd guess, were sub-prime borrowers stuffed into loans they couldn't really afford.Now, I think we're going to be seeing lots more prime-borrowers, stuffed into loans that they could barely afford, but with with Americans being profligate spenders and abusers of debt, they have now borrowed themselves into a hole from which the only escape is foreclosure and/or bankruptcy.I kind of went through a blessed dry spell where I was not really getting many BPOs, maybe just 2-3 a week. I have kind of cut back, anyway, ignoring all broadcast requests and accepting just the BPOs from my bread-and-butter companies who also give me listings.This week, though, I have had as many orders as I've ever had - and, interestingly, many of these are higher-end properties. Some of them are very high-end: estate type properties on acreage, or beach properties with ocean views, etc.Time to wax my surf board and get ready for that next wave, I guess.
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