Archives

Washington, D.C. - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) issued the following statement today regarding the release of the state attorneys general foreclosure settlement term sheet. "While much of Wall Street has already recovered from the financial fallout, many of America's Main Street communities continue to struggle with its harsh effects. The last thing these communities need is further deterioration of their already fragile housing markets and economies caused by these proposed settlement terms that would delay legitimate foreclosure actions and permit bankruptcy judges to reduce mortgage balances.

Destin, FL - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Driven by swelling local job markets, the best housing markets for investors in 2011 are spread across the U.S. with many markets located in areas that have a huge number of government jobs. The nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C. leads the annual just released list by Housing Predictor.

PORTLAND, OR - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in an effort to strengthen mortgage protections for servicemembers once they return home from duty.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to protect consumers, increase transparency in the foreclosure process, and hold banks and servicers accountable for providing relief to qualified homeowners, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced the Preserving Homes and Communities Act of 2011 based on similar legislation Reed introduced in 2009

Washington, D.C. - March 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A group of 18 U.S. Senators, led by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), urged government agencies to take action to prevent foreclosures and help families keep their homes.The senators made their request in a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke

Alexandria, VA - March 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An analysis in the March issue of the ABI Journal found that several bankruptcy courts are dealing with the foreclosure crisis through the adoption of loss-mitigation programs (LMPs). As Congress examines a possible repeal of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) due to ineffectiveness in modifying mortgages, John Rao of the National Consumer Law Center Inc. in Boston writes that several bankruptcy courts have provided a useful solution through the adoption of LMPs.

Ladera Ranch, CA - March 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- More than 300 homeowners attended a Foreclosure Prevention Workshop hosted by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) and the Orange County Home Ownership Preservation Collaborative. Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-44) was a special guest at the event, which was held Saturday, February 26, 2011.

Washington, DC - March 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The total number of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed foreclosure prevention actions in 2010 more than doubled from one year earlier, according to the FHFA’s Fourth Quarter 2010 Foreclosure Prevention & Refinance Report. Although loan modifications declined for the second consecutive quarter, refinancings through the Home

March 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Even as 50,000 new foreclosures start every week, the House Financial Services Committee votes tomorrow on four bills to dismantle programs aimed at helping homeowners. Industry figures show that more households than ever are in some stage of foreclosure, with over five million mortgage holders now at risk of losing their homes. Avoiding unnecessary foreclosures and encouraging loan modifications will be key to economic recovery, as the nation is sorely missing the jobs and growth provided by a healthy housing market.

IRVINE, CA - March 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- RealtyTrac™ (www.realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today announced the launch of a new foreclosure search widget for real estate agents and brokers, allowing them to easily insert a fully functional nationwide foreclosure property search to their websites. The new product will help agents drive more traffic to their websites and generate exclusive leads from end-users.

Destin, FL - March 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The erosion of the syndrome known as the “Wealth Effect” is showing that fall out from the housing slump is having a major lingering impact on the U.S. economy, according to Housing Predictor analysts

February 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission is mailing 1,455 refund checks to consumers defrauded by a mortgage loan modification and foreclosure rescue scam. The FTC alleged, and the court found, that operators of the scam falsely told consumers they would prevent their homes from being foreclosed and negotiate lower mortgage interest rates, monthly payments, and principal balances. The court also found that homeowners got few, if any, loan modifications, and many people lost their homes to foreclosure after paying up to $5,500.

Destin, FL - February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Apparently the majority of American consumers believe in miracles when it comes to the housing market. A new survey shows that a majority of respondents feel that Congress and the White House should stop trying to repair the damaged housing market so it can heal itself

Washington, D.C. - February 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The latest figures from the Mortgage Bankers Association show that reported mortgage delinquency rates moved down slightly in fourth quarter 2010, but more than five million homeowners remain at risk of losing their home to foreclosure.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties decreased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 8.22 percent of all loans outstanding as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, a decrease of 91 basis points from the third quarter of 2010, and a decrease of 125 basis points from one year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) National Delinquency Survey. The non-seasonally adjusted delinquency rate decreased 46 basis points to 8.93 percent this quarter from 9.39 percent last quarter.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Chairwoman Biggert, Ranking Member Gutierrez and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I appreciate the opportunity to share insights resulting from the Administration’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the most serious housing crisis since the Great Depression.

Destin, FL - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The best housing markets forecast in 2011 have been named by Housing Predictor, which forecasts local markets in all 50 U.S. states. Markets are annually selected by the real estate research firm, and updated as regional market conditions demand over the entire year.

Washington, DC - February 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The three co-creators of Foreclosure-Response.org – the Urban Institute, the Center for Housing Policy, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) – have compiled and released the newest data on seriously delinquent mortgages for all 366 U.S. metro areas.

PIERRE, S.D. - February 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Citizens across South Dakota are invited to review and provide comments on South Dakota Housing Development Authority’s (SDHDA) Neighborhood Stabilization Program Plan (NSP) and its appropriation ...

Destin, FL - February 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Despite the financial hardship it would trigger, Americans are divided on whether the U.S. government should take action to halt the foreclosure crisis. The stunning result was delivered in a new opinion poll taken by Housing Predictor.