Slowdown in Home Sales New Normal

By Mike Colpitts A slowdown in home sales during what is usually the hottest time of the year for home buying activity just may be the new normal in real estate. The erratic ups and downs the residential market is suffering are setting home sales up for a long recovery process with a series of… Continue reading Slowdown in Home Sales New Normal

Majority Affected by Foreclosures

The crisis is hitting home. An overwhelming majority of respondents to a new Housing Predictor poll say they are directly affected by the foreclosure crisis in their own neighborhood. The survey found that 74% of all those who took part in the online survey from all 50 U.S. states said they think the foreclosure crisis… Continue reading Majority Affected by Foreclosures

Homeowners Crisis Builds New Wave

By Matt Weidner I’m a soldier, a street fighter, an attorney battling foreclosures on behalf of homeowners at the ground level, in the trenches, in courtrooms all across Florida. Let me save you the suspense and get right to the point. Things are worse than they’ve ever been and they are only going to get… Continue reading Homeowners Crisis Builds New Wave

Rent Prices Jump on Housing

By Mike Colpitts Rental rates for homes and apartments are rising and it appears rent prices are accelerating, according to a survey by an online real estate search firm. The report, issued by HotPads.com reveals that rental listing prices have increased an average of nearly 7% in the last year. Listings on studio and 5-bedroom… Continue reading Rent Prices Jump on Housing

Courts May Decide Housing Market Future

By Mike Colpitts Hundreds of lawsuits winding their way through courtrooms in the U.S. could ultimately determine the future of the housing market in America. A major case involving the attempted foreclosure of a home in Utah could produce a court precedent on which other cases could stand. Courts are hearing cases over foreclosure challenges… Continue reading Courts May Decide Housing Market Future

Jumbo Mortgages to Get More Expensive

By Mike Colpitts Mortgages on the nation’s most expensive homes are about to get more costly. In October the government is expected to halt backing jumbo mortgages of more than $625,500 through Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, triggering higher interest rates and down payments. The change could also send home values lower in some high-end… Continue reading Jumbo Mortgages to Get More Expensive

Foreclosures Drop, Despite Turmoil

By Mike Colpitts Foreclosure filings dropped 2% in May as banks and mortgage servicing companies experienced turmoil as a result of legal problems dealing with foreclosures. Filings fell a third from a year ago. Formal foreclosure auctions, the last step in the painful foreclosure process, however, were scheduled against 89,251 U.S. residential properties during the… Continue reading Foreclosures Drop, Despite Turmoil

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

Negative Home Equity Strengthens

By Mike Colpitts Homes in negative equity or with mortgages that are higher than the property’s current market value declined in the first quarter of 2011, according to a leading real estate research firm. Residential properties were down slightly from 11.1 million homes or more than 23% of properties in the prior quarter. The drop… Continue reading Negative Home Equity Strengthens

Housing Downturn Reaches Year Five

By Mike Colpitts The downturn in the U.S. residential housing market is approaching five years, which arrives in just one week with the start of June. Housing markets in California and Florida were the fist to feel the impact of the slowdown that resulted from a combination of Wall Street shenanigans and bankers creative financing… Continue reading Housing Downturn Reaches Year Five