By Mike Colpitts Hindered by financing problems and weak consumer confidence, existing home sales declined in May, falling 3.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.81 million units, and are more than 15% behind last year’s pace, according to the National Association of Realtors. The slowdown in sales comes at a time when growing… Continue reading Spring Home Sales Decline
Category: Foreclosure
Flipping Out Flipping Homes
By Kevin Chiu The monetary hunger of millions has driven flipping homes to earn a reputation for being an investment ploy to make fast money through a slew of TV shows. But the weak housing market has sent some of those trying to flip homes to flipping out. Distressed properties, including foreclosures and short sales… Continue reading Flipping Out Flipping Homes
ACLU Says Foreclosure ‘Rocket Docket’ Unconstitutional
By Mike Colpitts The American Civil Liberties Union says that Florida’s ‘rocket docket’ designed to speed up the foreclosure process to benefit bankers’ is unconstitutional, and will challenge the system to the fullest extent of the law in court. The U.S. 20th Judicial Circuit operates the system, which covers foreclosures in five Southern Florida counties,… Continue reading ACLU Says Foreclosure ‘Rocket Docket’ Unconstitutional
Mortgage Interest Rates Drop Six Straight Weeks
By Mike Colpitts Driven by slower economic activity and sluggish home sales, mortgage interest rates dropped for six straight weeks as the fixed rate 30-year loan fell a slim one-hundredth of one-percent to an average rate of 4.60%, according to Freddie Mac. The rate on the 15-year mortgage also saw a drop. Slower economic activity,… Continue reading Mortgage Interest Rates Drop Six Straight Weeks
Housing Foreclosure Crisis Five More Years
By Mike Colpitts The foreclosure crisis, already the harshest to hit U.S. homeowners in history is projected to drag on another five years, and will include more than a total of 15-million mortgage holders, according to a new Housing Predictor forecast. More than 7-million homes have been foreclosed since the crisis started as a result… Continue reading Housing Foreclosure Crisis Five More Years
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
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
New Normal Favors Renting
By Mike Colpitts The new normal in real estate favors a larger number of renters and an increase in landlords just trying to get buy, according to the National Multi Housing Council’s mid-year apartment strategy conference. Former U.S. Congressional Budget Director Doug Holtz-Eakin said it’s inconceivable the government would stop subsidizing real estate, despite Republican… Continue reading New Normal Favors Renting
Stocks Plunge on Housing News
By Mike Colpitts Following disappointing news about the housing market, the Dow Jones Industrial average plunged 279.65 points Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange on the first day of June, demonstrating investors’ worries over the stock market and the greater U.S. economy entering the customary busy summer housing season. The drop in the highly… Continue reading Stocks Plunge on Housing News
Open Letter on Foreclosure Mills
By Betty Delisle My name is Betty Delisle and I live in New Hampshire. I am self employed and work every day to provide for my family. I bought my first home in October of 2005 and was so excited because I finally had a chance to get off the government programs that I had… Continue reading Open Letter on Foreclosure Mills