Pennsylvania Lender to Pay $3.9 Million Fine

A Pennsylvania mortgage lender has agreed to pay a fine of $3.9 million to settle a lawsuit for lying to federal mortgage officials. The suit was filed in the Central District of California, alleging that officials of Capmark Finance LLC of Horsham, Pennsylvania made a series of false statements in connection with two nursing home… Continue reading Pennsylvania Lender to Pay $3.9 Million Fine

Feds Triple Incentive to Reduce Mortgages

By Amanda Green For over a year the White House has been applying pressure on the Federal Housing Finance Agency – the folks in charge of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – to embrace a mortgage principal reduction plan for struggling homeowners, and even offering triple incentives to lenders to reduce mortgages. U.S. Secretary of… Continue reading Feds Triple Incentive to Reduce Mortgages

Mediation Can Save Homeowners from Foreclosure

By Kevin Chiu Millions of homeowners at risk of foreclosure can be saved from losing their homes through mediation, according to a new report issued by the non-profit National Consumer Law Center. The report reviewed existing foreclosure programs in 19 states to come up with recommendations for states to adopt. Programs the organization feels are… Continue reading Mediation Can Save Homeowners from Foreclosure

Clean Air Produces Higher Home Prices

Housing prices get a major lift from reductions of smog and other pollutants, according to a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. After all, given the choice who wouldn’t want to live in an area with plenty of clean air to breathe each day? The study was gathered by researchers Kenneth Chay… Continue reading Clean Air Produces Higher Home Prices

U S Foreclosures Drop Huge

By Mike Colpitts Formal foreclosures or homes that were repossessed by their lenders accounted for 830,000 U.S. homes in 2011, a huge drop of 24% from 2010, according to real estate data research firm CoreLogic. The decline comes as a result of moratoriums enacted by the nation’s five largest mortgage lenders to study damage from… Continue reading U S Foreclosures Drop Huge

Bankruptcy Drop Shows Economic Upside

By Mike Colpitts Consumer bankruptcy filings declined through the latter half of 2011 and have now reached pre-recession levels, indicating a positive sign for the U.S. economy, according to credit report bureau Equifax. The drop in bankruptcy petitions paralleled a similar decline in foreclosures. Consumer and commercial bankruptcies dropped steadily from the second quarter of… Continue reading Bankruptcy Drop Shows Economic Upside

Home Builder Confidence Upswing

Home builder confidence in the senior housing market, age 55 and older, rose four points to 18 compared to a year ago, according to the National Association of Home Builders housing market index. The 55 plus single family index measures builder sentiment based on current home sales, new home buyers’ walk-in traffic and projected home… Continue reading Home Builder Confidence Upswing