Foreclosure filings up or down? Whose report is right?
Feb. 21, 2012 Miami, FL - Mortgage Lending News: If you were paying attention on Thursday, you saw two different stories about the housing market: The Mortgage Bankers Association said delinquencies and foreclosures fell in the fourth quarter of 2011 while RealtyTrac said foreclosure filings rose in January.
One simple way to account for the difference: They’re looking at different points in time. But it’s also worth noting that the reports are generated using two different methodologies.
Reverse mortgages on the rise.
Feb. 21, 2012 Miami, FL - Mortgage Lending NewsConverting home equity into cash has been a challenge for homeowners since the real-estate downturn, but a growing number of lenders are quietly reviving a loan for seniors that does just that: the reverse mortgage.
Reverse mortgages allow homeowners who are at least 62 years old to draw down on their home's equity in exchange for cash in several ways, including one lump sum, a line of credit or monthly payments.
Mortgage foreclosures and delinquencies hit three-year low
Feb. 16, 2012 Miami, FL - Mortgage Lending News: The percentage of mortgages at least one payment past due fell in the fourth quarter of 2011 and fewer loans entered the foreclosure process, reflecting improvement seen in the economy, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported on Thursday.
The current housing crisis may determined this year's election.
Feb. 17, 2012 Miami, FL - Mortgage Lending News:The housing market has never been a major factor in a presidential election. Sometimes, the topic has hardly garnered more than a passing mention by either political party.
Right now, housing is not yet a front-and-center issue for President Obama or any of the Republican presidential hopefuls. But no less than five national surveys indicate that the issue is a top-of-mind topic among voters. Granted, the polls were undertaken by real-estate-centric organizations — Realtor.com, the National Association of Home Builders, HouseLogic, Yahoo Real Estate and Trulia. But the unanimity of their findings underscores just how worried current and future owners are about their homes.
JP Morgan Chase, and UBS are threaten to be downgraded two levels by Moody's.
Feb. 16, 2012 Miami, FL - Mortgage Lending News: UBS AG, Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN) and Morgan Stanley’s credit ratings may be cut by as many as three levels by Moody’s Investors Service, which is reviewing 17 banks and securities firms with global capital markets operations.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), Deutsche Bank AG (DBK), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and Citigroup Inc. (C) are among companies that may be downgraded by two levels, Moody’s said in a statement, adding that the “guidance is indicative only.” Moody’s today cut some European insurers’ ratings based on risks stemming from the region’s sovereign debt crisis.
Federal Housing Administration will exhaust its reserves next year.
Feb. 16, 2012 Miami, FL - Mortgage Lending News: The Federal Housing Administration will exhaust its reserves over the coming year, according to budget projections released Monday, which would require a Treasury infusion for the first time in its 78-year history.
But Obama administration officials said more recent developments, including fines that will go to the FHA from last week's $25 billion mortgage settlement with five major banks, could cover any shortfall and obviate the need for taxpayer funding.
San Francisco officials finds foreclosures riddled with errors
An audit by San Francisco county officials of about 400 recent foreclosures there determined that almost all involved either legal violations or suspicious documentation, according to a report released Wednesday.
Anecdotal evidence indicating foreclosure abuse has been plentiful since the mortgage boom turned to bust in 2008. But the detailed and comprehensive nature of the San Francisco findings suggest how pervasive foreclosure irregularities may be across the nation.
The improprieties range from the basic — a failure to warn borrowers that they were in default on their loans as required by law — to the arcane. For example, transfers of many loans in the foreclosure files were made by entities that had no right to assign them and institutions took back properties in auctions even though they had not proved ownership.
| Mortgage loan applications have increased 23% this last week due to record low rates. |
 |
 |
 |
| Top News | |||
| Thursday, 19 January 2012 11:14 | |||
|
The heightened activity comes as mortgage rates test new bottoms. Last week, rates on both the 30-year and 15-year fixed loans fell to new records, at 3.89% and 3.16%, respectively, according to Freddie Mac. The vast majority of the applications -- 82.2% -- were to refinance existing loans rather than purchase new ones, the MBA said. The fact that purchase applications significantly lagged those for refinancings underscored a truism about low mortgage rates, said Doug Duncan, chief economist for Fannie Mae (FNMA, Fortune 500). "[Home] sales are a lot less interest-rate sensitive than people think A near-miss for ARM holders Low rates have had a positive impact on the housing market in at least two important ways, said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. First, there are those borrowers who were able to avoid foreclosure by refinancing and lowering their monthly payments. Then there are the tens of thousands of homeowners with risky adjustable-rate mortgages who have avoided potential disaster. These borrowers could have been hit hard had rates been higher when their loans reset. But instead, they are saving money, he said. Adjustable-rate mortgages reset under a formula that involves a margin, specified in the contract, and an index, usually the one-year London Inter-Bank Offerer Rate (LIBOR). Margins on option ARMs range between 1.625% and 2.5%, and the current LIBOR rate is around 1.1%. That combines for a very affordable rate of 2.7% to 3.6%. "For anyone with the guts to hang on, ARM borrowing has been very favorable," said Gumbinger. "If you took the risk, you could be enjoying the results right now." Less favorable rates coming? However, the days of record low rates may be ending -- thanks to a recent action by Congress. To pay for the extension of payroll tax cuts, Congress mandated an increase in fees for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. That could mean an increase in upfront costs for borrowers of about half a point, starting April 1. The average fee borrowers pay now is about 0.7% of the mortgage balance for a 30-year and 0.8% for a 15-year, according to Freddie, or about $700 or $800 for every $100,000 borrowed. The new fee would add $500 for every $100,000 in principal. Instead of paying upfront, borrowers could pay the fee as a higher interest rate. Gumbinger said it would mean an additional one-eighth of a point to their rate. That may not sound like much, but adding an eighth of a point to interest rates comes to an extra $225 a year or so on a $250,000 mortgage, according to Scott Sheldon, a loan officer with W.J. Bradley Mortgage in California.
Mortgage Lending News, LLC Orlando Florida (305) 280-7400 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
|||
| Last Updated on Thursday, 02 February 2012 06:11 |
LINKS OF INTEREST
| CAMREO.COM |
| REOTECH.COM |
| FUTRABANCORP.COM |
ABOUT
| CONTACT US |
| ADVERTISE |
| SITE MAP |
Add your comments