Mortgage Rates Hitting New Lows

By Cheryl Reams Mortgage rates haven’t been this low on record, but with the economy still struggling to improve and the housing market showing few signs of a steady improvement it doesn’t seem to matter that much to those considering the purchase of a home. The Freddie Mac 30 year fixed rate home mortgage dropped… Continue reading Mortgage Rates Hitting New Lows

Outlawing the New Wall Street Real Estate Financial Tool

Even before the greatest financial reform legislation is passed by Congress since the Great Depression, Wall Street bankers and creative companies are popping up to finagle another way to rake in billions of dollars in profits from real estate. Risky Wall Street practices have gained the attention of politicians at the state level, who are… Continue reading Outlawing the New Wall Street Real Estate Financial Tool

Flood Insurance Halt Stalls Real Estate

By Lindsey Hadwin The halt of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is having a ripple effect on real estate home buyers, mortgage lenders and real estate agents endangering the housing market, still suffering from a downturn in many areas of the country. The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies estimates that about 1,200 home… Continue reading Flood Insurance Halt Stalls Real Estate

BP Oil Spill Devastation Grows in Gulf of Mexico, Relocations Expected

By Kevin Chiu and Mike Colpitts Destin, Florida – The devastation that the BP oil spill is producing to the Gulf of Mexico is at least the size of all five Great Lakes as America’s greatest environmental disaster. It is likely to force hundreds of thousands of residents to relocate their homes to other areas… Continue reading BP Oil Spill Devastation Grows in Gulf of Mexico, Relocations Expected

Future Foreclosure Notices Drop, While Final Foreclosures Rise

By Kevin Chiu An increase in home refinancing, mortgage modifications and bank work-outs led to a possible drop in future foreclosures with a decline in formal notices of default in May. The decrease marked a seven percent decline for the month and accounts for a 22% drop from year ago levels. But bank repossessions for… Continue reading Future Foreclosure Notices Drop, While Final Foreclosures Rise

Countrywide Settlement in Homeowners Overcharging Scam

By Cheryl Reams Failed mortgage lender Countrywide Mortgage, once the nation’s largest home lender, has agreed to pay $108-million in fines to the Federal Trade Commission for scamming homeowners in foreclosure out of excessive fees. The Countrywide settlement comes more than two years after the FTC charged the failed lender with collecting excessive fees from… Continue reading Countrywide Settlement in Homeowners Overcharging Scam

Credit Unions Gain Mortgage Business

By Kevin Chiu Credit unions are attracting more business from conventional banks and mortgage lenders in the wake of the financial crisis, as bankers lose customers as a result of loose lending practices and distrust with the foreclosure of millions of homes. Risky mortgage lending practices, in which many banks turned a blind eye to… Continue reading Credit Unions Gain Mortgage Business