Archive for May, 2008

Foreclosure Bargains: What You Need to Know

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

For the last couple of years, foreclosure properties have received more than their usual share of interest. In fact, a survey conducted by Trulia.com revealed that foreclosure searches conducted online has triples for the first quarter of this year alone.

Unfortunately, most of these foreclosure searches remain as searches. About 70 percent of the consumers who participated in the survey were worried about the negative side of buying foreclosures. In most instances, interested buyers become hesitant because they lack the information that will help them make an informed decision.

If you are among these consumers, then it is about time that you learn about foreclosure facts. Just like any other investment, these foreclosure properties come with significant risks. In order to make a smart decision, consider these approaches:

  1. Obtain Solid Information - it is important for you to know what foreclosures are and the process involved as well as the current foreclosure situation in the country. By finding out how and why these foreclosed homes are considered as golden opportunities, you will be able to determine if you are in the position to make an investment.
  2. Get Expert Assistance - if you are still unsure of some areas of foreclosure, do not hesitate to ask for expert help. There are actually many foreclosure experts such as MostlyForeclosures.com who can provide you with accurate and reliable information about foreclosure investment.
  3. Study the Market - for you to make the right decision when it comes to buying foreclosures, it is wise that you learn about the market. You must make sure that you make your decision to buy when market conditions are favoring buyers. this way, you get all the perks and extra incentives that buyers receive from a market where sellers are anxious to sell.
  4. Conduct Inspections - if you are worried about buying foreclosures because of the hidden costs, you should have the property inspected first before closing any deals. Knowing exactly what you are getting for your money is what savvy buyers do.

After all the hard work, you will be able to buy these foreclosure homes confidently.

April Foreclosure Filings Reach Record High

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

For the month of April, foreclosure filings increased by 65 percent from last year. With 243,000 new foreclosure listings for last month, local governments are being put into a compromising position because of the negative impact to the property tax collection.

In their monthly survey of foreclosure filings, RealtyTrac reported that the record of 239,851 foreclosure filings last August 2007 was surpassed by last month’s results. This is considered to be the most number of foreclosure filings in a month since January 2005. The said report included data for default notices, bank repossessed houses and auction sales. For the month of April, 54,574 properties were actually repossessed.

Such high number of foreclosure filings also has a great impact on home prices. With the already-saturated market of foreclosure homes for sale, most communities are worried about the dwindling tax collection. After all, declining home values effectively reduce the amount of taxes needed to be paid.

Troubled states like California, Florida and Arizona will be hit most likely by this bad news. Having the highest foreclosures rate in the nation has certainly caused home prices to plummet in these regions.

Nationwide, home values have declined by 7.7 percent, the greatest since 1982 based on data from the National Association of Realtors. Also, the inventory of homes on the market has increased by 3.5 percent for April.

As legislators struggle to find a long-term solution to the foreclosure crisis, there is still a great possibility that the next months will continue to bring in more foreclosure properties. Considering that delinquent payments are on the rise, this is not at all surprising.

Buyers who consider these foreclosed homes as great investment opportunities will somehow consider this news a blessing in disguise. With foreclosure filings increasing, getting gorgeous properties at a fraction of their current market value is certainly a possibility. The best news is that the large inventory of foreclosed houses for sale will mean more choices.

For the hottest foreclosure deals, visit MostlyForeclosures.com.

Democrats Successfully Defended Mortgage Bill

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

A mortgage bill, designed to help distressed homeowners, was approved by the House Financial Services Committee after the Democrats successfully fended off all sorts of challenges from the Republicans.

The said bill authorizes the Federal Housing Administration or FHA to guarantee new mortgages in the amount of $300 billion, offered by private lenders approved by the government.

The Committee strongly believes that the bill could probably help over 1.5 million troubled homeowners. These citizens really need help especially during this difficult time, even though most of them took out loans that they can never really afford in the first place. There are also those homeowners who were taken advantaged of by really aggressive mortgage brokers and lenders.

For the Committee, letting these mortgages go all to foreclosure will certainly make the economy suffer. In fact, the last couple of years have already showed the negative impact of rising home foreclosures rate in the country.

On the other hand, the Bush Administration believes that the bill is actually just a bailout program that will basically utilize taxpayers’ money.

The said legislation is designed in such a way that the government will not be lending money directly. Instead, new mortgages from private lenders will be guaranteed. These mortgages can equal to at most 90 percent of the property’s current market value.

As a requirement, only homeowners whose debt-to-income-ratio is 35 percent or higher are eligible for the program. Also, the mortgage should have been taken out before January of this year to qualify.

As for the government, they will enjoy a share of the profits once the homeowner managed to sell the property. The government is only required to pay the lender in the event of a default. According to the committee, they are estimating about 1 to 2 percent of defaults, which can be roughly translated to $3 - $6 billion.

MostlyForeclosures.com is one of the most reliable foreclosure resources. Please feel free to browse our site for foreclosure listings, tips and other information.

Bad Loans affect Countrywide Financial Corp.

Monday, May 12th, 2008

Countrywide Financial Corp. is one of the leading lenders in the real estate business and now they are finding themselves once again in red ink. They reported a loss of almost $900 million in various housing-related issues including bank foreclosures. The year 2007 has not been any great for many homeowners who defaulted on their mortgages causing a rise in the number of government foreclosures. The year 2008 has also started on a bad note with rising pre foreclosure homes and this has put big lenders like Countrywide Financial Corp. on the back foot.

The California based mortgage company said that it had lost almost $893 million in the first quarter of 2008 itself and as a result of that their profit has been severely affected. The annual revenue of the company also suffered due this situation as it fell from $2.41 billion in 2007 to $678.9 million in 2008. All this is caused by the delinquencies of homeowners whose properties are now being listed in distressed properties list. The unfortunate thing is that most of the homeowners are not aware of the various options they have to stop foreclosures. The crux of the matter is that if the homeowners can speak to the lenders and make them understand their poor financial condition or inability to make a particular mortgage payment then lenders can assist them.

So at the end of the day the mortgage companies are reporting heavy losses due to bad loans or delinquencies while homeowners are reeling under the after effects of foreclosed homes. At such a time, an investor like you can get a great home through a short sale. All you have to do is create a membership account at MostlyForeclosures.com and download the comprehensive foreclosure listings.

American Taxpayers: Not Willing to Fund Housing Bailout

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Amidst the chaos to find the solution for the enduring housing crisis, many Americans are not agreeing to the proposal of the Congress to bailout these reckless borrowers and lenders. At Angryrenter.com, a petition is being signed by visitors who believe that taxpayers’ money should not be used to pay for the bailout program.

Launched just last week, the petition is actually gathering about 50 signatures every hour and receiving an average of 15,000 visitors daily. For Angryrenter.com, it is just not right that the government use the money to reward such irresponsible behavior. In other words, it demands that the free market sort itself out.

Among the petitioners are renters who are not at all pleased about having to pay for this bailout program when they themselves have resisted the urge to jump on the subprime loan bandwagon. Some homeowners who have worked very hard to keep their homes are also expressing their outrage at the bailout program.

It also did not help that the Senate version of the housing bailout program included a provision that gives builders huge tax breaks. Many Americans believe that there is a possibility that large builders will be saving millions of dollars why they will have to live with the fact that their taxes is going to undeserved individuals and companies.

For renters, it is indeed an unfortunate situation. If you are among these people who would love to won their own property, you could always consider foreclosure homes as an alternative to newly-constructed houses.

You will be able to save much and enjoy instant equity at the same time. At times like this, it will help if you grab opportunities. You might berate yourself for hesitating when market conditions are just perfect for buying these foreclosed properties.

If you want to see some of these amazing foreclosures for sale, simply visit MostlyForeclosures.com they have daily updated Foreclosure Listings.

The Future of the Foreclosure Market

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Over the next five years, one out of every 8 American homeowners will end up in foreclosure, and estimate of approximately 6.5 million families is the grim prediction of investment bank Credit Suisse.

Released in a report last week, “Foreclosure Trends: A sobering reality.” Credit Suisse predicts the price of homes will continue to fall throughout 2008 and 2009, causing a huge wave of foreclosures.

Excerpts from this transcript include:

“… We estimate a total of 6.5 million loans will fall into foreclosure over the next five years, with the peak in 2008,” the report says. “That estimate includes about 1.2 million loans currently already in foreclosure… The coming flood of new foreclosures could put 8.4% of total homeowners, or 12.7% of homeowners with mortgages, out of their homes.”

Other key points in the report:

  • The report predicts housing prices will fall by 10% in 2008 and 5% in 2009, and then grow by 3% in future years.
  • The report concludes falling prices - and resulting negative home equity - is “a primary driver of default and that the walkaway effect is alive and well.” In other words, some people who have been paying their mortgages on time, and are capable of continuing to pay, will instead stop paying and walk away once they realize their home is no longer worth what they owe on it.
  • Likening the foreclosure crisis to a baseball game, the report says, “We are at best in the third inning … global real estate investors are in the early stages of meltdown.”
  • By 2009, the report predicts, 63% of sub-prime borrowers will be “underwater” on their mortgages — owing more than their homes are worth.

It’s time we took matters into our own hands by investing in the real estate foreclosure market. Savvy investors are putting their money down on properties that will reverse and appreciate quickly once the crunch is over. Become a member today and discover available foreclosure properties for sale in your area as well as across the nation. Our databank contains HUD foreclosures, Repo Houses, VA homes and all types of Homes in all stages of foreclosure. Search through our Foreclosure Listings.

Fraudulent Mortgage Rescue Scams Plague Strapped Homeowners

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

If it isn’t bad enough to be facing foreclosure, homeowners with distressed properties desperate to stop foreclosures are being made scammed by persons toting to be “assistance”. In reality, what is taking place is that these con artists are, for a fee, promising to get the homeowners property off of foreclosure listings and out of preforeclosure. Bank foreclosures and government foreclosures and their homeowners are being made empty promises, and what is happening is more and more persons are finding themselves with foreclosed homes.

In Iowa, Attorney General Tom Miller has drafted a bill that directly addresses this wave of mortgage foreclosure rescue fraud.

“The problem is these ‘rescue scams’ just take people’s money and fail to do almost anything to help them avoid foreclosure,” Miller said. “And they take precious funds from people who are vulnerable and who can least afford to be cheated. This is the definition of adding insult to injury.”

For example, Des Moines residents, the Potters, facing foreclosure, paid $795 to a company that claimed the ability to arrange for a system to stay out of foreclosure. But Miller learned the company had no authority to make such arrangements, nor was there any attempts made to make the arrangements, and then insisted on another $500 payment. The Potters were able to recover only half of the $795.

“Foreclosure rescue scams are just starting to appear in Iowa.” Miller said. “It’s a symptom of the overall climate of an avalanche of foreclosures here and all over the country. We need this legislation to prevent the problem flaring up here as it has in many other places.” he said.

In reality, homes that have been foreclosed upon, or homeowners facing foreclosure need buyers. And this buyer can be you. Should you be searching for below market priced housing, you have found the right place. MostlyForeclosures.com is the Internet’s premiere source of properties that are available today in the foreclosure market. Join today and quite possibly find a real estate deal too good to be true.