Category: Mortgage

Americans Divided Over Halting Foreclosures

By Kevin Chiu Despite the enormous financial damage it would do to the U.S. economy, Americans are divided over whether the record flood of foreclosures should be halted. That’s the stunning conclusion derived from the latest Housing Predictor poll. With foreclosures at all-time record levels, a divide has grown over the foreclosure crisis like perhaps… Continue reading Americans Divided Over Halting Foreclosures

Mortgage Rates Climb as Loan Applications Rise

By Mike Colpitts Fixed mortgage rates rose for the third straight week slightly as pent-up demand for housing got more applicants to apply for home mortgages. The rate on a 30-year fixed rate loan rose marginally just one basis point for the week to 4.81%. However, rates for all other types of mortgages declined for… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Climb as Loan Applications Rise

Federal Housing Agency Orders Halt to Home Resale Fees

By Mike Colpitts U.S. mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be halted from providing mortgages on homes that hold home resale fees under a new federal mandate. The decision, ordered by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees both government backed lenders, was ordered late Tuesday. It was contained in a proposal made… Continue reading Federal Housing Agency Orders Halt to Home Resale Fees

Mortgage Rates Drop Lower

By Mike Colpitts Driven by a spike in Treasury prices, mortgage rates saw a major drop lower as worries over a Greek default and the Federal Reserve’s dim economic outlook rattled financial markets. Rates paid to investors seeking the safest investment in Treasury bonds reached the lowest yield in four months Monday, hitting 1.84% on… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Drop Lower

Markets Forecast to Rise with Housing Inflation

In a turning point that demonstrates U.S. housing markets are making a recovery, Housing Predictor is forecasting that local markets in seventeen states will experience housing inflation in 2011. The states are dominated by the Mid-west and most Northern regions that were less affected by harmful new mortgage lending products during the real estate bubble,… Continue reading Markets Forecast to Rise with Housing Inflation

Mortgage Volume Slows as Applications Decline

By Mike Colpitts Refinancing applications fell to the lowest level in more than a year and mortgage applications for new purchases also declined for the week, demonstrating mixed signals for the housing market, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The composite index, a measure of loan application volume showed a decline of 12.9% on a… Continue reading Mortgage Volume Slows as Applications Decline

Homeowners Will Walk Away from Home Mortgages

In what may be a harbinger of things to come almost half of those surveyed say they will walk away from home mortgages if home prices continue to drop. The Housing Predictor opinion poll is the most forceful indicator yet of what is likely to happen next as a result of the troubled U.S. economy.… Continue reading Homeowners Will Walk Away from Home Mortgages

Efforts Grow Against Bad Bank Behavior

By Kevin Chiu Billions of dollars in damages are being sought against bank executives through lawsuits as foreclosure fraud class actions pile up against major banks. The lawsuits are besieging an industry that racked up record profits as a result of bad bank behavior in what amounts to the U.S. largest series of alleged fraud… Continue reading Efforts Grow Against Bad Bank Behavior