Housing Crisis Information

If you are like most people, the news you hear about real estate can be very confusing. On the one hand, real estate has been one of the hardest hit sectors of the economy, and much of the news still reflects this. On the other hand, there are some reports about real estate being one of the most positive indicators of an economic recovery.

Here are some of the most important recent developments you need to know:
Homebuilder Confidence is rising – According to the National Association of Homebuilders, it’s the highest it has been since before the foreclosure crisis began in 2007. This is important because it means that professionals are optimistic about the housing market again. Now, because of how long it takes for homebuilders to ramp up their businesses, it will still be a while before we see a ton of new homes built, but this is definitely a positive sign.

Housing Starts have increased – 535k Single Family Homes were started in August. This is still lower than we need, however, and there is not enough inventory to cover the demand (especially with historically low interest rates). Existing home sales have also skyrocketed according to the National Association of Realtors. In fact, they have gone up almost 10% since this time last year.

Underwater properties are still a large part of the market – In fact, according to NAR, more than 1 in 5 of all home sales is a property that is either behind on their payments or in the foreclosure process.

　 The good news is that this market offers an opportunity for just about everyone. If you are underwater or in danger of losing your home to foreclosure then there have never been more opportunities than there are in today’s market to sell your home and find a dignified solution. If you are looking to buy a new home, this is quite possibly the most affordable time in history to buy a home.

I would love to discuss how today’s market fits your needs. Feel free to contact me
for a free confidential consultation!

Foreclosures Decline but Remain High and Prepayments Surge

A very insightful article by Krista Franks Brock of  DSNEWS.COM on October 3, 2012


Foreclosure inventory continues to decline but remains more than eight times what it was in the decade prior to the housing crisis, according to the latest report from Lender Processing Services (LPS).

Noncurrent loans make up 10.9 percent of all loans as of August, demonstrating a year-over-year change of -7.6 percent, according to LPS.

As of August, the delinquency rate stands at 6.9 percent, and the foreclosure rate is 4.0 percent.
There remains a large gap in the foreclosure rate between judicial states and non-judicial states. In fact, in judicial states the rate remains near an all-time high of 6.49 percent, while the foreclosure rate in non-judicial states is 2.28 percent.

The amount of loans 90 or more days delinquent is near half of its January 2010 peak. The majority of these loans are more than nine months delinquent. About 43 percent are at least 12 months delinquent.

The overall delinquency rate declined 2.3 percent in August. States ranking highest for non-current loans include Florida, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, and New York. States with the lowest percentages of non-current loans include Montana, Alaska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and North Dakota.

LPS noted prepayment activity was up “significantly” in August, nearing levels last reported in 2005.
The annualized prepayment rate at the end of August was almost 25 percent, according to LPS’ findings.

Prepayment was highest among loans with higher combined loan-to-value ratios (CLTVs). For example, among loans with more than 120 percent CLTV, prepayment increased more than 65 percent year to date.

According to LPS, this trend is significant because prepayments are an indicator of refinance activity.
In August, 2011 vintage loans experienced a 23 percent increase in prepayments over the month. Loans with vintages from 2007 and earlier experienced a prepayment increase of just 9 percent, which LPS interprets as signs of a “refi burn out.”

“[I]t is also becoming evident that loans originated in 2007 and earlier have diminished prospects for conventional refinancing opportunities,” stated Herb Blecher, SVP of applied analytics at LPS.

“Fewer than 30 percent of these vintages remain both active and current, and on average, they are marked by larger negative equity positions and lower credit scores,” Blecher explained.

Not All Sunsets are Beautiful

In 2007, the Mortgage Debt Relief Act was passed in an attempt to help the millions of homeowners who, due to the housing crisis and economic crash, suddenly found themselves in danger of losing their home to foreclosure.

The act has helped many distressed homeowners find solutions to avoid foreclosure and opened up options to them that were previously unavailable.

The Mortgage Debt Relief Act, however, was only intended to be a temporary solution and is now set to expire at the end of 2012. There is a bill in Congress that would extend it, but it is unclear if it will pass. For distressed homeowners, this means that time is limited to take advantage of this program.

Time is running out. But there is still a chance to change your financial direction and avoid foreclosure.  Contact me and I can help.  You didn't create this and you are not ALONE!

 

Rob Sales

Prudential Southeast Coastal Properties

Associate Broker, CDPE Advance,
DPP, REO Specialist, CIAS
912-655-7674
www.smartshortsales.net