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California Foreclosures: Send in the Clowns

By
Real Estate Agent with Real Estate West BRE# 701315


On the front page of the LA Times there is a story by Jonathan Peterson titled Aid on Home Loans Sought...that should scare every potential buyer along with every homeowner. If the Boys in Washington DC have their way they are going to bring the mortgage market to a grinding halt. These clowns want to pass a bill that would allow bankruptcy Judges to not only alter the interest rate and payment on a mortgage but the amount of the loan itself in an effort to "save" homeowners. What a bunch of garbage! While I feel for those who have lost their jobs, had medical problems or faced a death or divorce.. the fact is they are in the minority.

Most of the helpless homeowners the government wants to save never should have been allowed to buy a home in the first place. They had rotten credit and no financial resources. The house payment isn't their only debt problem. Most have huge credit card debt. They can't afford the payment and upkeep on a home with all their other debt. 90% of them will still lose the house no matter what the government does as they have little sense of financial responsibility. The only thing this little bill will do is make most lenders back out of the market. The few who stay will push up rates by 1.5-2% or more to cover future losses.

Think about it... who in their right mind would make a loan to anyone if it could be altered or foregiven by filing bankruptcy. The courts would be clogged by people filing bankruptcy to have their rates lowered and or the amount of the loan discharged. The only thing I have to say about Sen. Richard Durbin ( D-Ill.) and Majority Leader Henry Reid(D-Nev) is what a couple of twits.

The mortgage market isn't in enough of an uproar. Nope.. so these two have come up with a little program to literally destroy the entire industry. Makes you wonder if they ever get outside and see what is really happening in the world. It also makes you wonder just what those guys are smoking in the back room.

I know when Stephen Sondheim wrote A Little Night Music .. he probable didn't have these guys in mind... nevertheless the lyrics sure seem to fit.....Where are the clowns?...Quick, send in the clowns....Don't bother, they're here....


I don't know about you but I'll be firing off a letter to my representatives in both the House and Senate

Comments (16)

Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

One thing I learned a long, long time ago, folks don't change. 

The government can do what ever they want, it won't save the buyers in trouble because they were not worthy of the loan in the first place. 

Five years from now, we'll be looking back at the folks who got in a program and then defaulted anyway. 

Feb 26, 2008 10:33 AM
Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West - Manhattan Beach, CA
e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
Lenn- Yep... Most of the ones in trouble didn't just get there a few weeks ago.. they always had financial problems and always will.
Feb 26, 2008 10:58 AM
Lynda Eisenmann
Preferred Home Brokers - Brea, CA
Broker Associate ,CRS,GRI,SRES, Brea,CA, Orange Co
O.k. beach girl, tell us how you really feel! I'm in agreement with Lenn's comment above. Why is it always got to be a goverment bail-out? What happned to those folks who were prudent on their purchasing limits?
Feb 26, 2008 11:40 AM
Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West - Manhattan Beach, CA
e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
Lynda- LOL..You know I can't keep my mouth shut.. I almost had a coronary this morning.  Bailing out all of those who don't deserve it only makes it harder on those who try to be prudent.   I find myself very weary of the sad stories of those who never should have been able to buy a home in the first place. 
Feb 26, 2008 12:07 PM
Neal Bloom
Brokered by eXp Realty LLC - Weston, FL
Realtor CRS-Weston FL Real Estate

Kaye,

I think we are worse than your state is from the latest reports.

Feb 26, 2008 12:18 PM
Marlene Bridges
Village Real Estate Services, Inc. - Laguna Hills, CA
Laguna Homes|Laguna Condos|Laguna Real Estate
Kaye - They may be sending in the clowns as first string.  They're probably filling up the bench with the second string magicians.
Feb 26, 2008 12:40 PM
Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West - Manhattan Beach, CA
e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA

Neal- I do believe FL has more problems.. but this is still not a good piece of legislation and will come back to bite then downline..

Marlene- I knew Ms GG would get it...LOL

Feb 26, 2008 01:14 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

I'm with you, Kaye. Don't make sense!! It's all political I suspect. It should not be a big surprise given some other dumb decisions that have been made in the past.

Jeff 

Feb 26, 2008 03:35 PM
Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West - Manhattan Beach, CA
e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
Jeff-Not a surprise .. just sad these guys are so dumb
Feb 26, 2008 03:48 PM
Vicki Lloyd
The Lloyd Realty Group - San Diego, CA
(619)452-9798, Real Estate San Diego California
I just read in this morning's paper that the President's office has said that would get a quick veto.  Thank goodness!  I really don't want my tax dollars going to reward the idiots and liars who should have known that the perpetual increase in home values was a myth!
Feb 27, 2008 03:26 AM
Anonymous
Kellie

Side note to Vicki Lloyd:

That's interesting that you don't want your money to bail out these people, yet your tax dollars will be bailing out the banks/lenders and monolines. Maybe you should read Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal or watch CNBC for the clear information.

Lake Forest and all other parts of South Orange County will be swimming in foreclosures by the end of 2008 and we still will not have reached a "bottom". You will be paying for it one way or another.

If all the comments aren't paying attention to the fine print on the so called bail-outs they will be painfully surprised when they realize we're not comin out of this "recession" (stagflation) any time soon.

Feb 27, 2008 04:42 AM
#11
Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West - Manhattan Beach, CA
e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA

Vicki- Thanks for the heads up

Kellie- Our tax dollars are always bailing out someone.  This is a two -edged sword....

If you bail out most of these owners they will be right back in trouble again as they really can't afford homeownership until they clean up their finances.  If you bail out the banks.. then they suffer no real penalty and go back to business as usual.. and come up with more idiotic ideas in the future.

However by bailing out the banks the country goes forward without huge financial repercussions which is better for most of us.. What we really need to do is go back to tough banking/loan  regulations and stick with it.  it will be a tough road for awhile but ultimately we will get the economy back where it should be if the financial community feels less threatened.

Feb 27, 2008 05:25 AM
Bryant Tutas
Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL
Selling Florida one home at a time

Kaye, They certainly have not thought through the effect this would have in the lending sector. You are right that everyone would be filing bankruptcy.

Up until a few years ago Florida had a loophole in our bankruptcy laws relating to homesteaded property. It couldn't be touched no matter how long it had been your homestead. The attorneys up north were telling their bankruptcy clients to take all of their assets and by a "homestead" in Florida prior to filing bankruptcy. And they did. They would pay cash for a house down here then file bankruptcy in NY. They could then move to Florida and live the good life in their free and clear house. 

Homestead property is still exempt but you do have to own it for awhile first. I'm not sure the exact rules but they have closed the loophole.

Feb 27, 2008 08:25 AM
Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West - Manhattan Beach, CA
e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
BB- I think a lot of states had that bankruptcy loophole..  I think we had it but  ammended many years ago.. CA still has homestead but only covers a minimal amount so not of major concern however you can't obtain a loan if you have homestead on the property.
Feb 27, 2008 12:47 PM
Jason Grams
none - Roseville, CA
I absolutely agree.  Great post.
Mar 02, 2008 01:34 PM
Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West - Manhattan Beach, CA
e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
Thanks Jjason..
Mar 02, 2008 04:55 PM