Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) Program
You can't afford your mortgage payment and it's time for you to transition to more affordable housing, the Home Affordable Foreclosure AlternativesSM (HAFA) program is designed for you. HAFA provides two options for transitioning out of your mortgage: a short sale or a Deed-in-Lieu (DIL) of foreclosure. In a short sale, the mortgage company lets you sell your house for an amount that falls "short" of the amount you still owe. In a DIL, the mortgage company lets you give the title back, transferring ownership back to them.
Read more here
Friday, August 17, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Obama Administration Releases June Housing Scorecard
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury recently released the June edition of the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard – a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market. Data in the June Housing Scorecard show some promising signs of stability, though the overall outlook remains mixed.
Read the full article below
http://rismedia.com/2012-07-10/obama-administration-releases-june-housing-scorecard/
Read the full article below
http://rismedia.com/2012-07-10/obama-administration-releases-june-housing-scorecard/
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Mortgage rates chart new depths
Mortgage rates sank to new lows this week as fears about a U.S. economic slowdown and the impact of the European debt crisis continue to make Treasuries and bonds that fund most mortgages look like safe bets to investors.
Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.62 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending July 5, down from 3.66 percent last week and 4.60 percent a year ago, Freddie Mac said in releasing the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That's a new all-time low in Freddie Mac records dating to 1971.
Read the Full Article
Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.62 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending July 5, down from 3.66 percent last week and 4.60 percent a year ago, Freddie Mac said in releasing the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That's a new all-time low in Freddie Mac records dating to 1971.
Reuters: Rate cuts by central banks signal 'growing alarm' about global economy
By Inman News, Thursday, July 5, 2012.Read the Full Article
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Home prices rise in nearly all major U.S. cities
"WASHINGTON (AP) – June 26, 2012 – Home prices rose in nearly all major U.S. cities in April from March, further evidence that the housing market is slowly improving even while the job market slumps."
Read the The Associated Press article
Home prices rise in nearly all major U.S. cities
Read the The Associated Press article
Home prices rise in nearly all major U.S. cities
More Americans expect home prices to rise
News and Events WASHINGTON – June 26, 2012
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More Americans are optimistic that home prices will inch up over the next year, and they expect prices to rise at least 1.4 percent in that timeframe.
Read the full article
More Americans expect home prices to rise
More Americans are optimistic that home prices will inch up over the next year, and they expect prices to rise at least 1.4 percent in that timeframe.
Read the full article
More Americans expect home prices to rise
Monday, June 25, 2012
Regional MLS reports median single-family home price up
Click here for the full report: Palm Beach County Market Report May-12
Source: Regional MLS; (RMLS)
May-12 Quick Facts: •The median price of existing single-family homes increased to $165,000 up 3.1% vs Apr-12.
•Existing single-family home sales increased 1.1% from Apr-12 for a May-12 total of 1,603 sold units.
•Condos increased in price to $82,000 up 13.9% vs Apr-12.
•Existing condo sales decreased -5.2% in May-12 over Apr-12 for a total of 937 sold units.
May-12 Quick Facts: •The median price of existing single-family homes increased to $165,000 up 3.1% vs Apr-12.
•Existing single-family home sales increased 1.1% from Apr-12 for a May-12 total of 1,603 sold units.
•Condos increased in price to $82,000 up 13.9% vs Apr-12.
•Existing condo sales decreased -5.2% in May-12 over Apr-12 for a total of 937 sold units.
Housing Trends JUN-2012 Newsletter
Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter. This eNewsletter is specially designed for you, with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general.Please click on this link to view the Housing Trends JUN-2012 Newsletter http://teamscherer.housingtrendsenewsletter.com
The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau, Realtor.org reports and other sources.
Housing Trends eNewsletter is filled with local and national real estate sales and price activity provided by MLSs and the National Association of Realtors, U.S. Census Bureau key market indicators, consumer videos, blogs, real estate glossary, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, and REALTOR.com local community reports.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A fixer-upper purchase strategy... Consider future value financing
Click here to read the article
You are attracted to a house that is perfectly located but it just came out of foreclosure and needs a lot of work to make it habitable. To swing the deal, you need to finance both the purchase and the required repairs. How do you do that?
You are attracted to a house that is perfectly located but it just came out of foreclosure and needs a lot of work to make it habitable. To swing the deal, you need to finance both the purchase and the required repairs. How do you do that?
Friday, May 25, 2012
Housing Trends eNewsletter May 2012
MAY-2012 Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter. This eNewsletter is specially designed for you, with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general.
The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau and Realtor.org reports, videos, key market indicators and real estate sales statistics, a video message by a nationally recognized economist, maps, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, plus local neighborhood information and more.
Please click here to view the MAY-2012 Newsletter Housing Trends eNewsletter.
Friday, March 16, 2012
5 Foreclosure Myths
Beginning in 2007, foreclosures rocked the real estate world. Like an out-of-control freight train, they began decimating the market, peaking in 2009. Myths and rumors began propagating like mushrooms as consumers struggled to understand the new reality. Although many misconceptions have come and gone, we still encounter five myths on a regular basis.
My personal opinion: don’t hold your breath.
Banks have learned that if they control inventory, they can affect local prices. By releasing homes in measured amounts, they realize higher prices than if they released a glut of homes. In addition, they’ve learned that if they can mitigate their losses by agreeing to a short sale, everyone wins.
Every few weeks I’m asked how to buy foreclosures direct from a bank. Someone knows a friend being foreclosed on and they want to step in and grab the house before it hits the market. Don’t we all? In reality, banks have a simple system – they first offer properties on the courthouse steps. The rest they assign to asset mangers who then hire local real estate agents to put them on the market along with all the other homes. Want an REO? Pay cash at the courthouse steps or get in line witheveryone else when they hit the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service).
Myths control behavior, and this has never been truer than in the housing market. Savvy agents will work hard to educate their clients, debunk myths, explain market trends, educate with solid facts – and actually close transactions.
1. There is going to be a flood of new foreclosures to the market.
This rumor has appeared every year since 2008 and has been routinely debunked. However, recent announcements that the Feds reached a settlement over the robo-signing scandal have reignited speculation. The idea is simple: Since the cork is now out of the foreclosure bottle, we’ll soon see another flood of REOs inundating the marketplace.My personal opinion: don’t hold your breath.
Banks have learned that if they control inventory, they can affect local prices. By releasing homes in measured amounts, they realize higher prices than if they released a glut of homes. In addition, they’ve learned that if they can mitigate their losses by agreeing to a short sale, everyone wins.
2. You can go directly to a bank to buy a foreclosure.
Every few weeks I’m asked how to buy foreclosures direct from a bank. Someone knows a friend being foreclosed on and they want to step in and grab the house before it hits the market. Don’t we all? In reality, banks have a simple system – they first offer properties on the courthouse steps. The rest they assign to asset mangers who then hire local real estate agents to put them on the market along with all the other homes. Want an REO? Pay cash at the courthouse steps or get in line witheveryone else when they hit the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service).3. You can get a killer deal by submitting lowball offers on foreclosures.
You would think this myth would be dead by now. Unfortunately, like Elvis sightings, it just won’t go away. Here’s the truth: Banks want REOs sold in 30 days or less, so they typically appear on the market priced slightly under comparable properties. If the property doesn’t sell quickly, the bank will lower the price after about 30 days. Lowball offers are ignored and are, quite frankly, a waste of everyone’s time and effort. You might get a deal by offering a lower price on a foreclosure that’s been sitting on the market for more than 90 days, but remember that there are good reasons it’s gone unsold for so long. And even if you have cash, your lowball offer won’t be accepted —seriously.4. You can’t use foreclosures when doing an appraisal.
Or short sales, for that matter. That is no longer true. In fact, in many neighborhoods, that’s all that’s there. Therefore, foreclosed or distressed sales represent the actual value of homes in the area and HAVE to be used to appraise other properties. Don’t like it? Get over it. Times have changed and the ways neighborhoods are valued have changed as well.5. Foreclosures are only affecting the bottom end of the market.
This used to be true. However, while foreclosure rates on the lower end of the market have actually decreased, they’re actually increasing on the upper end. According to Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac, the market share of foreclosed homes under $1 million is shrinking, but those among properties valued over $1 million are rising – up 115% since 2007. And foreclosures on properties valued upwards of $2 million have increased by 273%. While some well-known jet-setters have melted down and lost everything, others are choosing to strategically default. They see it like liquidating a poorly performing portfolio – they have enough resources to cut their losses and move on. Historically, banks have been reticent to foreclose high-end homes and absorb a large loss, but defaulters are now forcing their hands and mansion foreclosure rates are moving on up.Myths control behavior, and this has never been truer than in the housing market. Savvy agents will work hard to educate their clients, debunk myths, explain market trends, educate with solid facts – and actually close transactions.
Monday, March 12, 2012
What You Need to Know about Cancellation of Mortgage Debt
What You Need to Know about Cancellation of Mortgage Debt
column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.A lender will, on occasion, forgive some portion of a borrower’s debt. The general tax rule that applies to any debt forgiveness is that the amount forgiven is treated as taxable income to the borrower. Some exceptions to this rule are available, but, until recently, the borrower was required to pay tax on the debt forgiven. A new law enacted in December 2007 provides relief to troubled borrowers when some portion of mortgage debt is forgiven. However, this relief expires on December 31, 2012 and NAR will be working to obtain an extension throughout the year.
column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.A lender will, on occasion, forgive some portion of a borrower’s debt. The general tax rule that applies to any debt forgiveness is that the amount forgiven is treated as taxable income to the borrower. Some exceptions to this rule are available, but, until recently, the borrower was required to pay tax on the debt forgiven. A new law enacted in December 2007 provides relief to troubled borrowers when some portion of mortgage debt is forgiven. However, this relief expires on December 31, 2012 and NAR will be working to obtain an extension throughout the year.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
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