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

2012 Mississippi Housing Market

Mississippi has experienced its challenges over the years, especially when it comes to the economy and Mother Nature. But the Mississippi real estate market is showing improving signs of recovery, despite tough economic realities. Homes in South Mississippi along the Gulf Coast, which was all but destroyed by Hurricane Katrina are selling at a faster… Continue reading 2012 Mississippi Housing Market

States Mortgage Settlement to Aid Wrongly Foreclosed

By Mike Colpitts The mortgage settlement reached by 49 state attorneys general and the U.S. government requires banks and mortgage servicers to implement changes servicing mortgages, handling foreclosures and attempts to insure the accuracy of information provided to federal bankruptcy courts in an unprecedented manner. The $25-billion agreement requires new bank servicing standards in an… Continue reading States Mortgage Settlement to Aid Wrongly Foreclosed