Losing Money on House Hard to Handle

By Mike Colpitts Nobody wants to think about it and nobody wants it to happen to them. Losing money is an awful thing to go through. But millions of Americans have seen their stock market portfolios blow-up and their home values erode. Losing money is a hard thing to do. The run up of America’s… Continue reading Losing Money on House Hard to Handle

2010 Mississippi Housing Market

Tough economic conditions are making life rough in Mississippi. State tax collections have been declining for more than a year amid one of the worst economic downturns in the state’s history. The state budget, already in the red, is expected to get much worse before things get better. Still, there are bright spots in the… Continue reading 2010 Mississippi Housing Market

2010 Washington Housing Market

Markets are beginning to rebound in terms of the downturn in housing in Washington, but the major bounce back that many have optimistically hoped for doesn’t seem to have much of a chance of materializing in the near future. Pushed by the federal tax credit, home sales experienced a strong rebound only to fizzle once… Continue reading 2010 Washington Housing Market

2010 Michigan Housing Market

Driven by the lowest home prices in decades, the Michigan housing market has little chance of ever catching up with home prices that residences were once selling for but markets have made compelling improvements over their disastrous fall-outs. The “Big 3” auto companies re-hiring of thousands of workers should eventually help the state recover. As… Continue reading 2010 Michigan Housing Market

Mortgage Modifications Lag

Bureaucratic stumbling blocks and red tape have hampered the government’s mortgage modification plan, helping only a small number of Americans stay in their homes, Treasury Department officials acknowledged. The Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) has permanently modified only 66,000 homeowner mortgages from more than 4-million that may be eligible for the plan. Another… Continue reading Mortgage Modifications Lag

Slow Ride to New Paradigm in 2010

Slow Ride to New Paradigm in 2010 By Kevin Chiu Mortgage rates are creeping upward. The sale of foreclosed properties is slowing as bankers catch up with the record volume of homes in default. Money markets remain tight, and the volume of home sales has slowed as a result of government incentives that were expected… Continue reading Slow Ride to New Paradigm in 2010

No Hurry for Those at Risk of Foreclosure

Senator Jack Reed D-Rhode Island Senator Dick Durbin D-Illinois Senator Sheldon Whitehouse D-Rhode Island No Hurry for Those at Risk of Foreclosure By Mike Colpitts Two months after the proposal to force bankers to work with homeowners at risk of foreclosure was introduced in Congress the bill is bogged down in committee. A House Financial… Continue reading No Hurry for Those at Risk of Foreclosure

Housing Recovery on the Way

Powered by the highest number of home sales in more than two years, the housing market appears to be on the road to recovery – at least to some consumers. First time buyers pushed to close purchases before the looming government deadline expired for an $8,000 tax credit. Rock bottom priced triggered a flood of… Continue reading Housing Recovery on the Way

Forty-Eight States in Taxing Turmoil

Forty-eight of all 50 U.S. states are in economic turmoil as a result of the housing bust and the financial crisis. States have laid-off employees, slashed budgets and cut back on services, including schools and emergency services such as police and fire department personnel. “Forty-eight states are in budget crisis,” according to New York Governor… Continue reading Forty-Eight States in Taxing Turmoil

Market Bottom: They Just Don’t Get It!

By John Hines Economist The bottom of the real estate market is a fleeting place that has seen the initial stages of recovery tease markets in the worst hit areas of the country, including California, Florida and Nevada. As home sales rise, bankers hold off on making foreclosures and keep lending standards so high that… Continue reading Market Bottom: They Just Don’t Get It!