Foreclosure Moratorium Triggers Mortgage Application Drop

Demonstrating that the four mortgage lenders foreclosure moratoriums count, applications for home mortgages dropped 10.5% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications for refinances dove 11.2%, while purchase money applications for new home mortgages were down 6.7%. The expiration of the federal home buyer tax credit coupled with the foreclosure freeze put in… Continue reading Foreclosure Moratorium Triggers Mortgage Application Drop

Weighing the Foreclosure Freeze

Opinion By Matthew Zifrony, Attorney at Law It’s sad that so many struggling homeowners are losing their homes due to foreclosure. Finding a way to keep them in their homes seems like the right thing to do. But is a freeze on all foreclosures the solution? On the human side, struggling families could use a… Continue reading Weighing the Foreclosure Freeze

Biggest Bank Makes Bold Move, Resumes Foreclosures

By Kevin Chiu The nation’s biggest bank resumed foreclosures in nearly two dozen states today, despite on-going legal battles over how it handled hundreds of thousands of foreclosures in courts where judges rule on homeowners losing their properties. Band of America has at least $106-billion in mortgages in foreclosure, according to SNL Financial, an unprecedented… Continue reading Biggest Bank Makes Bold Move, Resumes Foreclosures

Emergency Meeting Called in Foreclosure Crisis

By Mike Colpitts Florida’s attorney general is calling for an emergency meeting with mortgage lenders, saying the state’s economy could be devastated by the foreclosure mess. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray got the top prosecutors ball rolling for all 50 states, filing a lawsuit against GMAC Mortgage. He’s seeking $25,000 for each improper affidavit that’s… Continue reading Emergency Meeting Called in Foreclosure Crisis

Countrywide CEO Settles with SEC

By Kevin Chiu It was a rags to riches story befitting a movie. Angelo Mozilo, the Southern Californian sun tanned befallen Countrywide Financial CEO finally settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission agreeing to pay $67.5-million in fines on charges related to fraud and insider trading just days before he was to go on trial… Continue reading Countrywide CEO Settles with SEC

$11-Trillion in Home Loan Exposure as Attorney Generals Launch Investigation

U.S. banks and mortgage lenders are exposed to the foreclosure crisis with more than $11-trillion in home loans, and plenty of loans on their books are going bad with sky-rocketing foreclosures, despite a moratorium put in place by four of the nation’s largest lenders. Bank of America, PNC Financial, Ally Financial formerly known as GMAC… Continue reading $11-Trillion in Home Loan Exposure as Attorney Generals Launch Investigation

Foreclosures Reach New Record in September

By Kathy Ross Banks and mortgage companies formally foreclosed 102,134 residential properties during September setting a new all-time record for a month, according to RealtyTrac. It was the first time that foreclosures topped 100,000 in a single month. All foreclosure filings, including notices of default and other notices in the long and complicated procedure were… Continue reading Foreclosures Reach New Record in September

Prosecutors in All 50 States Launch Mortgage Foreclosure Investigation

Prosecutors in all 50 U.S. states have formed a bipartisan group to investigate banks and mortgage lenders, and review practices of “robo-signings” in the mortgage servicing industry stemming from allegations related to improprieties during foreclosures. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is leading the investigation on whether mortgage servicers have improperly submitted documents in support of… Continue reading Prosecutors in All 50 States Launch Mortgage Foreclosure Investigation

Consumers Union Joins to Halt Extra Home Sale Fees

By Mike Colpitts The Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America, perhaps the most influential consumer protection organizations in the nation joined a chorus of other groups opposing extra home resale fees collected by investors. Home resale fees are attached to home sale contracts, often without the knowledge of the home buyer. The fees… Continue reading Consumers Union Joins to Halt Extra Home Sale Fees

Home Sales Show Promising Sign with Growing Applications

Pushed by record low mortgage rates, applications for both refinancing and new home purchases rose strongly over the last week, showing a promising sign for the real estate market, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Refinances rose 21%, while purchase applications were up 8.5%. “After five weeks of steadily declining rates to yet another new… Continue reading Home Sales Show Promising Sign with Growing Applications