Foreclosures, delinquencies skyrocketing among 'prime' borrowers
By E. Scott Reckard
November 24, 2008
Nationwide, 3.07% of prime mortgages were in foreclosure or at least 60 days late in the second quarter of this year, easily topping the previous record of 1.97% set in 1985.
Home prices keep plunging; L.A. sees some of the sharpest declines
By Peter Y. Hong
November 26, 2008

November 26, 2008
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Scott reported a story using Judy Jones' home in Murrieta as example to describe the general situation in the downturn of real estate. Very impressive, even it is so sad.
One thing makes me very upset, even I shouldn't since I know it is a cruel reality. Jones figures she owes about $100,000 more on the mortgages than her home's current value. She notified Bank of America Corp.'s Countrywide unit, the approach the lender urges troubled borrowers to take. No surprise to a seasoned real estate investor, she was told so long as she was current on payments, there is no way for asking help. So she intentionally missed an Oct. 15 deadline, then called Countrywide again and asked for help.
Why we have a system that awards those who defaulted (maybe with their maliciousness); while it declines to give a hand to those who act honestly and responsibly to keep making their payments, even it is so obvious the later are trying to stay afloat before drown? If the situation is so clear, what are the reasons for us to wait until the last minute it is almost no cure? Is it fair to treat a decent person who is known in trouble by asking him to be a "bad" boy before asking a help? Ridiculous!
Today, I am so busy in collecting foreclosure info in a particular area of California. One year ago, there is just almost no distressed property in this upper middle class neighborhood of Los Angeles County. Simply it is not the target area of "subprime" loan. I advised my client to wait for 8 months since I am expecting the second wave of "Option" or "Alt-A" loan to hit California, that is much much bigger than the subprime.
With the unemployment rate up to 8%, making California the third highest in the nation. The finding of my study is no surprise to my anticipation, but still it is very amazingly incredible. The distressed properties in that area increase roughly 7-8 times more than a year ago. That figures include those under NOD and NOT. It is difficult to precisely quantify the numbers (since sources are using different methods or sometimes do double counting).
Just out of my perception, it is about 30 or more NOT (notice of trustee sale) filings in September-October 2008; and in my memory, it is only about 3 filings a year ago. Almost 10 times more if we just factor in NOT only. Put it the other way, The numbers of NOT have a big surge in these two (most recent) months alone, more than the aggregate of the previous 8 months. (NOTE: Sorry, I didn't bother myself to study the NOD numbers.)
In my previous article Dealing With a Shark, You Are Out of Luck! , I mentioned a suspicious "pocket listing" (coming up on MLS for just one day.) The NOT against the house was filed in on December 27, 2007 (the opening bid is $458,059.) Two weeks ago, it was finally put on the market and listed for $284,000 (sold in one day). Clearly, the price dropped a lot. Some guys are so happy to jump on it, grasp it and thank their good friendly agent for the extra valuable help, now. However, is it really a good deal? We will find out in 8 months.
Other things being equal, it may be safe for me to assume all recent distressed properties come on the market at the same speed and processing (it is very possible wrong), then in mid-2009, we will see 10 times REO listings on the market and the pressure to sell them will be much greater. If it is the case, buyers will be able to pick up a real bargain if they can wait.
The L. A. Times reporter Scott Reckard seems to conclude that "The only practical help in sight is to get as many of these potential foreclosures modified as possible, so they come off the market." Gee, said easily than done.
How can we do it with the shrinking working forces due to the current popular policy to freeze employment in financial institutions? It is almost an impossible mission, right?
Wrong, I will say it is not the right way to do it, let alone the only way. But what I say or think doesn't mean anything to Paulson or Gaithner.
Eight months! Probably more like Spring 2010....
Regina P. Brown
Allison James Estates & Homes
www.ReginaBrown.AllisonJamesInc.com