A great article by Don Lee – Tribune Washington Bureau – highlights how underwater mortgages are a serious contributor to the dismal performance of the national economy. It is estimated that there are 15 million homeowners who are undewater on their mortgages, many of whom can and continue to pay on their mortgage, but have … [Read more…]
A San Diego police officer and his wife recently pleaded not guilty to accusations that they trashed their foreclosed home in Riverside County, taking $44,000 in appliances and fixtures with them when they moved out. Both have been charged with one felony count of damaging or carrying away items from a foreclosed property. Damage was … [Read more…]
On October 20, 2010, the White House issued the following Fact Sheet: FACT SHEET: Federal Government Efforts to Support Accountability, Stability and Clarity in the Housing Market Today the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Office … [Read more…]
MERS or the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, little known before the foreclosure tsunami struck, was developed in the early 1990’s by a number of financial entities, including Bank of America, Countrywide, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, allegedly to allow consumers to pay less for mortgage loans, streamline the mortgage process through electronic commerce, and eliminate … [Read more…]
In an effort to curb the predatory practices of certain "loan modification" companies, claiming to offer loan modification services for an upfront fee, the Arizona Legislature recently passed several laws with some good sized teeth – codified at A.R.S. Sections 44-1378-1378.08. A.R.S. Section 44-1378.02, for example, prevents a "foreclosure consultant," as defined in A.R.S. Section 44-1378, … [Read more…]
Let’s start out with this – I’m incensed today. The newest cottage industry to crop up in the wake of the foreclosure tsunami are the loan modifiers. Many of the most notorious loan modification companies were headed by the same individuals that were all to happy to originate loans that never should have been considered … [Read more…]
Bank of America, which bought Countrywide Financial for $4 billion in stock in early 2008, has come under pressure from the Massachusetts Attorney General, as a result of Countrywide’s notorious lending practices. Bank of America’s move is part of an agreement to settle claims over certain high-risk loans made by Countrywide. See link to Wall … [Read more…]
University of Arizona College of Law Professor Brent T. White has stirred quite a bit of controversy over his recent article in the Arizona Legal Studies entitled "Underwater and Not Walking Away: Shame, Fear and the Social Management of the Housing Crisis." His basic thesis is that despite the increasing number of homeowners walking … [Read more…]
It seems that the small glimmer of hope that everyone is hoping for in the housing market is not likely to come anytime soon. Mathew Padilla has posted an excellent blog article discussing that the discussion of another wave of foreclosure implies that the current wave has already receded. Sam Khater, a senior economist with … [Read more…]
On May 20, 2009, President Obama signed into law Senate Bill 896, also known as the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009." Section 702 of that Act – the "Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act" is very broad in scope and affects the ability of the new owner of certain foreclosure property (including Section … [Read more…]