Mortgage lenders in HUD's crosshairs over high FHA insurance claims - 02/28/10 08:05 PM
FHA-insured home loans have carved a large chunk of the market during this prolonged housing meltdown. Conventional mortgage lenders have withdrawn in large numbers into the shadows to get TLC from the government just to be able to survive. Many have plain vanished from the scene, generally swallowed by a little stronger bank.
FHA has become the favorite of first-time home buyers for its more lenient underwriting guidelines and lower down payment requirements. Its programs, however, are open to all applicants and many refinances have been done through it. Since FHA started gobbling up market share a couple of years ago, … (6 comments)

Upside down home loans keep on multiplying - Nevada mortgage borrowers lead the nation - 02/24/10 08:18 PM
Underwater - or upside down - home ownership got worse as the past year wound down. First American CoreLogic published a new research paper on the issue stating that over 11.3 million homes were upside down at the end of 2009, meaning that 24% of all residential real estate with mortgages was carrying that unwelcome label. At the end of the third quarter of 2009 there were 10.7 million houses underwater, so in three months about 600,000 additional properties got whacked.
To stay with the statistics, First American CoreLogic further reports that 2.3 million more homes were heading towards the famous … (11 comments)

Short sales making a move - Henderson mortgage recipients have more options - 02/22/10 08:41 PM
Mortgage foreclosure statistics of late are showing that the persistently upward trend seems to be waning, which is good news indeed. However, it is only part of the whole real estate picture. The economy remains weak and the stubbornly high unemployment level continues to worry many housing observers, suggesting that homeowners would still be vulnerable. So, how is it that home loan foreclosures are losing steam?
The answer to that interesting question appears to be that mortgage lenders are adjusting strategy to favor short sales over mortgage foreclosures. Campbell/ Inside Mortgage Finance survey just concluded supports that theory. It says that … (7 comments)

Las Vegas mortgage borrowers get federal attention - 02/19/10 11:18 PM
The current mortgage and housing meltdown has been particularly brutal to property owners here in Southern Nevada, home to communities like Henderson, Silverstone Ranch, Anthem, Summerlin, Southern Highlands and Mountains Edge. Nevada has held the lead in most foreclosures by any state for months and that statistic is heavily influenced by Las Vegas valley, the most populous area in the state. Many of those who are still in their homes are often in some stage of the foreclosures process, trying to do a loan modification or have started a short sale campaign. Scores of others are hanging in there, but are … (4 comments)

Mortgage delinquencies just won't let up - 02/17/10 05:39 PM
Some national housing reports lately have been cautiously positive. Prices have stabilized a bit in scattered real estate markets, a good example of that is Las Vegas. Sales have gone up here and there, spurred on by affordable mortgage money and of course record-low price levels. All this is still short of kicking off a full-blown recovery, but at least it's something to work with.
Despite that, TransUnion, one of the big three credit bureaus, now says that mortgage delinquencies of 60 or more days climbed to a new high of 6.89% in the fourth quarter of 2009, translating into a … (6 comments)

Shared-appreciation mortgage new kid on the block - 02/14/10 10:11 PM
Home loan modifications have the potential to remedy the housing market swoon currently severely affecting most of the nation. They have to be done right for them to work, though. Thus far the government has been the driving force behind loan mods, urgently pushing the private mortgage sector to follow its lead. But the response has been disturbingly lukewarm, so far.
Innovation in the home loan business has been robust in the past but somehow now that new ideas are desperately needed there isn't much to write home about. Option ARMs, Alt-As, NINA products and many others flooded the real estate … (4 comments)

Lender offering extra carrot to struggling homeowners - Las Vegas mortgage borrowers hoping to join in soon - 02/12/10 04:40 PM
The government has burned the midnight oil for months in an effort to help distressed homeowners deal with mortgage payments they can't afford and possibly find a way for them to stay in their homes. HAMP, or Home Affordable Modification Program, and other similar programs haven't really produced the results they were designed for, though. It is also almost single-handedly running the massive mortgage market today, pumping sufficient liquidity into it that in turn has kept interest rates record low. Despite its pro-active programs it can't do it alone. It needs the private home loan industry to play ball, which it simply … (6 comments)

Las Vegas real estate statistics weaker in January - 02/09/10 09:54 PM
Southern Nevada - including Summerlin, Rhodes Ranch, Anthem, Southern Highlands, Mountains Edge and Spanish Trail - housing market has shown some stability over the last several months, essentially all through last fall and in December. The important numbers cautiously moved in the right direction, or at least didn't get much worse. Appealing mortgage rates continue to excite buyers, as do enticing prices especially in the lower half of the Las Vegas real estate spectrum. The new year started a little bit on an iffy note, though.
There were 2,608 existing single-family homes sold in January, 864 less than in December, adding … (6 comments)

Video Blog- "Is The FDIC Killing Short Sales?"- A MUST WATCH - 02/08/10 11:32 PM
Bob has brought us a video from the Think Big Work Small guys that tells us how the tax payer is being abused by the FDIC and the big banks. Like he says, it's must watch material. Tighten your seat belts now.
Via Robert G Hertzog (Summit Home Consultants):
Video Blog- "Is The FDIC Killing Short Sales?"- A MUST WATCH
Many of you read the blog I wrote in September/2009, entitled "Is The FDIC Killing Short Sales?"  In the blog, I explained how OneWest Bank, who had received a sweetheart deal from the FDIC called a "shared-loss agreement", was holding my client hostage … (4 comments)

Housing recovery needs a stable mortgage market - 02/07/10 04:51 PM
Mortgage lending today is mostly in the hands of the government. Just about all new home loan financing or refinances are either purchased, securitized or insured by government agencies, the likes of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA leading the charge. Then there is the Federal Reserve that has filled the gaping void left by scared and loss-licking private investors in the secondary mortgage market. Without the Fed rolling up its sleeves and operating there that key segment would resemble a person from "Honey, I shrunk the kids." If so, the real estate market as it has been known until now … (6 comments)

Las Vegas housing market entertaining a rebound - 02/04/10 09:55 PM
In small steps real estate talk in Southern Nevada - with communities like Summerlin, Mountains Edge, Charleston Heights, Spanish Trail, Henderson and Anthem - is turning to recovery looming on the horizon. 2009 statistics showed that it does have a pulse as investors descended in droves on the scene to gobble up property for rentals in the lower half of the market. First-time home buyers were also active, enjoying low mortgage rates, nice tax benefits and attractive prices.
Prominent Las Vegas housing industry analyst, Home Builders Research, is cautiously optimistic about the market's direction this year. Resale home prices are to … (10 comments)

Mortgage lenders forced to buy back bad loans - 02/02/10 05:57 PM
Mortgage paper by the millions has been lately marked with a big fire-red stamp BAD. Or some home loan industry observers prefer to use the equally merciless description TOXIC. There probably are a few other choice words floating in the media about them. Nevertheless, these mortgages in default are a major weight on the books of anyone who holds them - generally portfolio lenders and investors - and that being so, they want to get rid of them, if at all possible.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the colossal GSEs, which make up a large chunk of the secondary mortgage market, … (13 comments)