Category: Banks

Double Digit Appreciation Threatens Recovery

By Mike Colpitts Double digit housing appreciation being experienced in some of what were the hardest hit U.S. housing markets threatens to de-stabilize prices, add to consumer doubts about the economy and threatens the housing recovery, according to an analysis of cities that have experienced wild appreciation over the past few months. Higher home values… Continue reading Double Digit Appreciation Threatens Recovery

Formal Foreclosures Fall 21 Straight Months

By Mike Colpitts Formal foreclosures fell for the 21st straight month in July as repossessions on U.S. residential properties ran into additional snags. Lenders completed 53,654 foreclosures during the month, a 1% fall from June and a 21% drop from a year ago, according to RealtyTrac. Bank owned REO activity also fell on an annualized… Continue reading Formal Foreclosures Fall 21 Straight Months

U.S. Decision Adds 750,000 Foreclosures

By Kevin Chiu The decision of the Obama Administration’s chief housing czar to reject principal mortgage reductions to underwater homeowners at risk of foreclosure is another blow to the U.S. housing market, and will result in at least 750,000 additional foreclosures, according to a Housing Predictor analysis. The heated debate over forgiving mortgage principal is… Continue reading U.S. Decision Adds 750,000 Foreclosures

Mortgage Rate Hike Threatens Housing Recovery

By Mike Colpitts For the first time in more than a year, mortgage rates have risen three straight weeks as growing instability over the  U.S.  economy jittered bond markets. U.S. Treasuries rose from a record low of 1.38% on the benchmark 10-year bond to more than 1.85%. The increased yield is good news for investors… Continue reading Mortgage Rate Hike Threatens Housing Recovery

Home Sale Inventory Slashed to 6 Months

By Mike Colpitts The dog days of summer usually bring a frenzy of home sales activity, but a reduced inventory of homes to sell in many regions of the U.S. is slowing sales, despite record low mortgage rates. The inventory has been slashed to just a 6.6 month supply, which would usually be a positive… Continue reading Home Sale Inventory Slashed to 6 Months

Housing Sparks Structural Problems, Despite Record Low Mortgages

By Mike Colpitts Problems with the U.S. housing market are more structural than cyclical in nature, analysts contend as the nation faces another round of quantitative easing in store from the Federal Reserve. Record low mortgage rates and the lowest home prices in years aren’t enough to turn around ailing real estate markets. Home values… Continue reading Housing Sparks Structural Problems, Despite Record Low Mortgages

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to Unload Distressed Mortgages

By Mike Colpitts Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are expected to start unloading hundreds of thousands of distressed mortgages following a Treasury Department announcement ordering the reduction of troubled mortgages. Despite a political bottleneck in Congress over how to handle the two lenders, the action “will help expedite the wind down of Fannie… Continue reading Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to Unload Distressed Mortgages

Underwater Refinancing Program to Expand

By Ryan Jackson A larger number of underwater homeowners with mortgages hoping to take advantage of all-time record low mortgage rates may be able to refinance under a program that is scheduled to be expanded by the U.S. government. An estimated 1.3 million homeowners have already refinanced through the government’s Relief Refinance Mortgage Program, which… Continue reading Underwater Refinancing Program to Expand

15 Year Mortgages Gain Broad Appeal

By Mike Colpitts Fixed 15-year mortgages, once thought to be the impossible for most homeowners to afford, are gaining ground in the current economy at never before seen levels. Homeowners refinancing homes and new home purchases are increasingly opting for the loans. The mortgages cut the number of years it takes to pay off a… Continue reading 15 Year Mortgages Gain Broad Appeal