Squatters Grow in Housing Mess

Attempting to own a house by squatting in a property to gain legal ownership is increasingly becoming more popular in these tough economic times with more than 7 million homeowners who have been kicked out of their homes as a result of the foreclosure crisis. Gaining legal title to a home by adverse possession is… Continue reading Squatters Grow in Housing Mess

Housing Recovery Delayed as Foreclosures Stall

By Kevin Chiu As many as 1-million homes that should have been foreclosed in 2011 will be delayed until 2012 stalling a housing recovery in the U.S. as lenders work through problems with foreclosure procedures, lawsuits and other legal problems, according to RealtyTrac. The foreclosure tracking firm reported that a total of 1,170,402 residential properties… Continue reading Housing Recovery Delayed as Foreclosures Stall

Huge Downgrade in US Housing Market

By Mike Colpitts Buffeted by high unemployment and weak consumer sentiment, housing markets are encountering sluggish home sales in the midst of what is typically the busiest home buying season of the year. Home sales should see an improvement towards the end of summer, but the average US home is projected to decline 7.1% in… Continue reading Huge Downgrade in US Housing Market

Sarah Palin’s Daughter Turns Landlord

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol is becoming a landlord in Phoenix. The ex-Dancing with The Stars contestant, whose out of wedlock pregnancy alarmed the Republican religious right wing during Palin’s run to win the vice presidency, has moved out of her Phoenix area home, and has put it on the market as… Continue reading Sarah Palin’s Daughter Turns Landlord

New Home Building Starts Recovery

By Mike Colpitts Despite new home builder sentiment in the industry being exceptionally low, new home construction is in the early stages of recovery. The latest National Association of Home Builders confidence index was 16 in May. A reading under 50 indicates poor sentiment. However, new home developments are showing signs of life scattered throughout… Continue reading New Home Building Starts Recovery

Rigid Land Use Spiked Home Prices

By Mike Colpitts Rigid land use restrictions contributed to the housing bubble burst and still play a major role driving home values lower, according to a new study conducted by a Washington, D.C. think tank. “The majority of losses in the housing crash were overwhelmingly concentrated in metropolitan areas with restrictive land development regulations,” said… Continue reading Rigid Land Use Spiked Home Prices

Record $1 Billion Real Estate Auction

By Mike Colpitts A leading real estate auction company will put $1-billion in commercial property and notes up for auction, marking a new record for the largest real estate auction in U.S. history. The Las Vegas event illustrates the enormity of the real estate auction business selling-off assets for banks and mortgage service companies handling… Continue reading Record $1 Billion Real Estate Auction

Mortgage Fraud Led By California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada

By Mike Colpitts Mortgage fraud is blamed for trillions of dollars in failed loans in the U.S., especially in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona, where incidents have been the highest and foreclosures make up the largest volume of troubled homeowners, according to federal authorities. But state and federal law enforcement agencies are encountering major problems… Continue reading Mortgage Fraud Led By California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada

Mortgage Interest Rates Drop on Japan Fears

By Mike Colpitts Interest Rates on home mortgages dropped as a result of investor worries over the disaster in Japan and fears of contagion over financial markets falling across the world. Mortgage rates showed a drop across all types of loans offered to home borrowers, according to Freddie Mac. The average rate on a 30-year… Continue reading Mortgage Interest Rates Drop on Japan Fears

Half of Homeowners Qualify for New Mortgage

By Mike Colpitts Only about half of all homeowners would qualify to buy a new mortgage under current more restrictive mortgage lending guidelines. In the U.S. 54% of homeowners with a mortgage would qualify to put 20% down from the sale of their present home, according to Core Logic, which researches the mortgage industry. The… Continue reading Half of Homeowners Qualify for New Mortgage