Category: Credit

Winning in Real Estate Crisis

by Robert Jones Construction workers are re-tiling their bathrooms, real estate agents are taking jobs as waiters and waitresses, and mortgage brokers are sitting around watching TV. The collapse of the housing market has been brutal on just about everyone, it seems, with any connection to the industry. Well, almost everyone. Attorneys are busier than… Continue reading Winning in Real Estate Crisis

Olympic Foreclosure May Aid Others

By Mike Colpitts Olympic gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte’s parents are facing foreclosure on their Florida home. But in this day an age of modern technology, some good may come out of it with a real estate website that is offering free help to other homeowners in the same situation. The website, Real Estate Investing… Continue reading Olympic Foreclosure May Aid Others

Effort to Increase Mortgage Lending Launched

By Mike Colpitts A new product designed to increase mortgage lending and aid bankers in their risk taking decisions is being launched by real estate research firm CoreLogic in conjunction with FICO. The credit scoring product evaluates traditional credit data from consumer credit files and adds a new series of dimensions to more accurately reflect… Continue reading Effort to Increase Mortgage Lending Launched

Home Mortgage Debt Drops $1.2 Trillion

By Mike Colpitts Home mortgage balances have dropped $1.2 trillion since the start of the U.S. financial crisis in 2008, according to Equifax. The deleveraging of mortgages has come as a result of the record breaking U.S. foreclosure crisis and consumers paying down household debt. Home mortgage losses taken by banks and investors, including institutions… Continue reading Home Mortgage Debt Drops $1.2 Trillion

Refinances Soar Three Straight Weeks

By Mike Colpitts Fueled by record low mortgage rates, refinances soared for the third straight week as consumers applied for new home mortgages to take advantage of lower mortgage payments, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The jump in refinancing, which rose 5.6% for the week ending May 18, is being sparked by the lowest… Continue reading Refinances Soar Three Straight Weeks

One-Third of US Homeowners Underwater

By Mike Colpitts Nearly one out of three homeowners with a mortgage are underwater or owe more on their homes than they are presently worth, according to new research by Zillow economists. The figure represents almost 16 million U.S. mortgage holders struggling to pay home loans. However, foreclosure is not imminent for most underwater homeowners,… Continue reading One-Third of US Homeowners Underwater

Owner Financing Grows in Popularity

By Mike Colpitts Faced with a tight mortgage market, owner financing is growing in popularity as more homeowners market their homes to benefit new owners. But misconceptions over the easy availability of homes financed by their current owners keep many wannabe buyers from making home purchases. U.S. banks offer mortgages under tightly regulated criteria to… Continue reading Owner Financing Grows in Popularity

Credit Scores May Open Door on Mortgages

By Mike Colpitts In the first sign that mortgage lenders may be loosening their grasp lending to home loan borrowers, approved loan credit scores are declining. Applicants for home mortgages approved during the month of April averaged 745 on their FICO scores, a five point decline from two months earlier, according to Ellie Mae. The… Continue reading Credit Scores May Open Door on Mortgages