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Mesquite NV Real Estate Market - Good News For Renters and Owners of Homes That Get Foreclosed Upon That Are Freddie Related.... Freddie Mac Will Allow Renters to Stay in a Foreclosure

Reblogger Virginia Hepp - Mesquite NV REALTOR
Real Estate Agent with Desert Gold Realty - Mesquite NV Homes For Sale DRE# S.0072173

Mesquite NV Real Estate Market - Foreclosed Freddie Mac Homes - When a home is foreclosed upon with a tenant renting it - there are questions and worries.  What will happen to the tenant - is eviction from the foreclosure looming?  Should you pack up and move, or are there any options for the tenant?

Mesquite NV short sales and foreclosures - If you would like a MLS list of Mesquite NV short sale and foreclosure properties for sale emailed to you - fill out the short form to Search Mesquite NV MLS and check the foreclosure box.  You will receive a list with addresses and MLS numbers.  You will also get email updates sent to you as new foreclosures and short sales are listed in the Mesquite MLS - opt out any time and your information is never shared.  If you want just Mesquite foreclosure property listings, not short sales, just say so in the 'additional information' box.

Thanks to Rick Hauser for his interesting commentary and links to information about renting a foreclosed home:

Original content by Rick Hauser

Yahoo Finance Article

On stuff like this - it pays to read more than one article - as each article has extra info... So - I've provided the articles out there thus far...

Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said it will allow some borrowers to rent out their homes after losing them to foreclosure.

*** Comment -- the foreclosed upon owner gets to keep the rent after they officially lost the house???

It goes on to say....

The goal of the new policy is to prevent properties from becoming vacant so they won't fall into disrepair.

***Comment - now - I really don't think that renters will be kicking in anything to repair the owners property.   But it would help in keeping the heat on during the winter vs. having to winterize it etc. and keeping the snow shoveled - and help prevent vandalism.  Since some renters can't count on a distressed owner fixing something critical such as a furnace - my bet is that a renter in that situation might just get the fix done to have the heat and then deduct it from their rent payment... (not always authorized of course - in their rental contract)    But per another article -  Freddy is going to allow owners to rent back after being foreclosed upon - at market rates.  Even then - it is debatible how much of a repair they would spring for.   So - Freddy is now getting into the landlord business....... Wonder how much in govt money and new hires that will cost to administer...

The article goes on to say....

Freddie Mac said it will allow renters to remain in their homes even if their landlord enters foreclosure.  Freddie currently has about 8,500 properties in the foreclosure process, but many of those are vacant.

"Keeping foreclosed properties occupied and in better repair will support local property values and promote a faster recovery in the housing market," said Freddie Mac Chief Executive David Moffett.

Fannie Mae said it has stopped about 20,000 foreclosure sales and halted 6,300 evictions of owners or renters this winter.

"Under Freddie Mac's new policy, tenants and former property owners need to demonstrate that they have enough income to pay the rental bill."

*** Comment -- former property owners??  They aren't paying the rental bill.  I think someone mis-worded this in the release....

It goes on to say....

Freddie Mac also said it would consider reinstating a mortgage for those borrowers who can qualify for a modified loan.

Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also said Friday they would extend a previously announced suspension of evictions through the end of February.

***Comment -- (Presumably - to keep people from having to move in the cold?  More likely - perhaps they just want the heat to remain on during that time....)

But a Marketwatch article - states that is is March - not Feb (like the Yahoo Finance article) - in the headline - but not in the body of the article.  Go figure!

Marketwatch Article

And that article states:

"It may be that a borrower can afford a market rent price but can't afford all the ancillary costs of maintenance," said Freddie Mac spokesman Brad German.  

*** Comment - Which is precisely my point.  Why would they kick in for maintenance?

It goes on to say..

"This would get them a smoother transition to find a new home or until Freddie Mac sells the home."

*** Comment -- Well - they sure won't be buying a new home after that!  Renting one?  Perhaps - if they have more than a few months deposit to put down.. since their credit will be trashed.  "Place to live" would have been better words to use (such as in a USA Today article)

"Fannie Mae will also provide financial assistance for a "transition" to individuals that decide to vacate the property."

*** Comment - I wonder how the owner will know about this.  A mailing by Fannie to them?

However, he argues that program will have costs. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will likely need to hire property managers to collect rent. "Fannie Mae is not set up to be a landlord," he said.

*** Comment - exactly my point from above....

USA Today Article

Details of the program:

•Leases will be on a month-to-month basis.

•Tenants and homeowners will only have to pay market-value or existing lease rents, not the mortgage payments. Freddie Mac will hire a property management company to determine that amount.

•Tenants and homeowners must be able to show proof that they have enough income to pay the monthly rental amount.

•Freddie Mac will also explore loan-modification options that might be available for some borrowers.

In mid-December, Fannie Mae also rolled out a policy that allows renters in a property that is being foreclosed on to rent that home rather than be evicted. It does not include homeowners. Up to 10,000 families are expected to be helped by Fannie's rental policy; Freddie expects about a 30% acceptance rate.

The Federal Reserve this week announced a policy to help some distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure. The Fed said it would work with companies servicing mortgages now owned by the Fed to modify qualifying mortgages of homeowners that are 60 days or more delinquent on payments.

Fannie and Freddie combined own or guarantee about half of the $10.6 trillion in outstanding U.S. home loan debt.

Comments(4)

Associate Broker Falmouth MA Cape Cod Heath Coker
https://teamcoker.robertpaul.com - Falmouth, MA
Heath Coker Berkshire Hathaway HS Robert Paul Prop

Besides reading articles, a call to freddie mac could get a clear package of information.

Jan 30, 2009 12:29 PM
Virginia Hepp - Mesquite NV REALTOR
Desert Gold Realty - Mesquite NV Homes For Sale - Mesquite, NV
Mesquite NV Homes and Neighborhoods - Search MLS

Good idea, Heath.

Feb 02, 2009 03:39 AM
Anonymous
Donne Knudsen

Virginia - Good info for the consumer to know, especially tenants.  Seems to me I also read about this recently but the option of the foreclosed homeowner becoming a tenant was much less desireable than the option of keeping the current tenants. 

Mar 11, 2009 02:41 AM
#3
Virginia Hepp - Mesquite NV REALTOR
Desert Gold Realty - Mesquite NV Homes For Sale - Mesquite, NV
Mesquite NV Homes and Neighborhoods - Search MLS

Donne - I think a renter's first step would be to find out if the foreclosure home is even owned by Freddie Mac and it may have already foreclosed.  Sometimes they are quick to change the locks, some times not.  I would hate to be living there and come home to a house I can't get into.

Jun 04, 2009 12:03 PM