Archive for March, 2008

Luxury Florida Homes in the Auction Blocks

Friday, March 28th, 2008

In the wake of the current housing crisis, owners with mortgage troubles are not the only ones suffering from the declining home prices and sluggish home sales. Even builders of luxury homes are now worried that they would not be able to sell these properties which could result to major investment losses. As a last resort, these builders have decided to auction off their properties at Sotheby’s.

Mega mansions with listings prices ranging from $1.5M to $15M are now being offered at auction blocks to attract more buyers. They are located in various Florida hot spots such as Fort Lauderdale, Hutchinson Island, Key Largo and Delray Beach. Some of the luxury homes have been in the market for as long as 8 years and their owners are already spending much on holding costs.

With the nation still stumbling through the real estate market crisis, investors with big bucks who are looking to enjoy the greatest deals should check out these properties. Market conditions are clearly favoring buyers over sellers and this should be enough reason to dive in and invest.

On the other hand, buyers with a tight budget can still own hot properties by considering foreclosure homes. In the past couple of years, millions of homes have already entered some stage of foreclosure and have decidedly influenced home market values. Aside from being sold at a fraction of their present market values, there are literally thousands of foreclosure homes to choose from.

The key, of course, is where to look. Although you could participate in foreclosure auctions, you will enjoy a larger inventory of repossessed properties with foreclosure listings. Reliable listings are available from brokers such as Mostly Foreclosures. Head on over to their site and check the hot leads!

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Sharp Drop in Mortgage Rate This Week

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

This week, Freddie Mac reported a sharp drop in long term mortgage rates that coincided with inflation reports, short-term interest rate cuts and poor retail sales.

Mortgage rates dropped from the previous week’s 6.13 percent to this week’s 5.87 percent. This drop is applicable to 30-year fixed rate mortgages. On the other hand, the 15-year fixed rate mortgage experienced a drop from 5.6 percent to 5.27 percent. The said decline was believed to be the result of various efforts made to improve the market’s liquidity.

These efforts included the decision of the Federal government to cut interest rate on short-term loans. Aside from this, the report from the Consumer Price Index showed weaker increases in prices compared to consensus expectations. In fact, the month of February revealed unchanged energy and food costs.

On the other hand, retail sales dropped by about 0.6 percent last month which is a far cry from the expected 0.2 increase. This could indicate that the national economy is actually weaker than most experts believe.

For buyers and investors, a low mortgage rate is actually encouraging. And with the many foreclosure properties to choose from, you will really enjoy the favorable conditions. Buyer confidence will certainly improve very soon as the federal government continues to look for ways to resolve the housing crisis.

f you are really keen on buying a foreclosed property, it will be to your best interest if you subscribe to foreclosure listings from reputable realtors such as Mostly Foreclosures. Before doing so, you should try to get pre-approved for a mortgage first so you have an idea how much you can really afford. Make sure that your financial documents are in order when applying for a mortgage. You should also try to be realistic of your financial capacity in order to avoid over-extending.

Florida Tops 2007 Fraud List

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

For two straight years, the state of Florida led the list for having the most cases of mortgage fraud recorded. According to the industry data, more and more agencies are suspecting mortgage fraud as the housing market crashes.

Coming in second is the state of Nevada, which was ranked number six last year. The list was followed by Michigan, California, Utah, Georgia and Virginia.

The fraud list was actually released during a conference of the Mortgage Bankers Association in Chicago and did not include the state by state fraud cases. Instead, the list used the “fraud index” as basis. Aside from this, the report also cited statistics from the FBI that showed a 30 percent increase in mortgage fraud compared to 2007 and almost 200% to 2000. The sate was from the reports filed by insured lenders from all over the nation.

The high incidence of mortgage fraud is not even surprising. Experts believe that the blame can be shouldered by borrowers, real estate agents, builders, mortgage brokers and even the lenders. To curb mortgage fraud, the MBA actually called for more funding for the FBI and Justice Department. For the next 5 years, more that $31 million should be given to these agencies to shoulder the cost of new prosecutors and investigators.

Mortgage fraud has become a national concern especially when the housing market realized the major role it played. With the foreclosure crisis and bad market conditions, you can expect fraud to be quite evident.

For borrowers, it is very important to realize their financial capabilities in order to avoid mortgage troubles. If you are looking for additional mortgage tips, foreclosure news and of course, foreclosure listings, you can check out Mostly Foreclosures. As one of the leading foreclosure brokers in the nation, you will be guaranteed of quality services.

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Recession Fears Delay Home Buying

Friday, March 14th, 2008

Although the Federal government has plans of cutting mortgage rates by three-quarters of a point, home buyers have yet to dip into their pockets and make their purchases. One of the major reasons why these buyers seem to be delaying home buying despite lower interest rates is the growing fear of a recession.

Continue Reading: Recession Fears Delay Home Buying

Illinois Attorney General Subpoena Mortgage Documents

Monday, March 10th, 2008

In Illinois, Attorney General Lisa Madigan is looking into reports that two of the nation’s biggest lenders knowingly convinced borrowers to take out mortgage loans that they can not afford in the first place. Both Countrywide and Wells Fargo were issued subpoenas that ask them to give information contained in a number of mortgages sold in the state.

Continue Reading: Illinois Attorney General Subpoena Mortgage Documents

Lenders Urged by OTS to Collect Mortgage Debts Later

Monday, March 3rd, 2008

A newly-unveiled plan is making headlines in the nation, offering distressed owners with a way to stop foreclosure effectively. The said plan was formulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) in the hopes of providing a realistic solution to the foreclosure crisis.

Continue Reading: Lenders Urged by OTS to Collect Mortgage Debts Later

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