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Monday, October 26th, 2009

Foreclosure Auctions Finding Few Bidders in Detroit

A recent auction of foreclosed and abandoned properties in and around Detroit, Michigan, saw only one-in-five properties sold—despite an opening bid of only $500.

Almost 9,000 homes and lots were on the auction block at the Wayne County tax auction, according to Reuters, with a total land area almost the size of Boston. At the end of the four-day auction, less than 1,800 properties were sold.

The auction was held by Wayne County to recoup unpaid property taxes, many for homes that had been abandoned or foreclosed.

With unemployment over 27 percent, Detroit is by far one of the hardest-hit cities in America. Detroit's population has dwindled from a peak of nearly 2 million in the 1950s to an estimated 800,000 today. Despite efforts by the city to revitalize the downtown, much of the city is turning into a ghost town, according to Reuters.

Detroit is struggling during the recession, with one of the highest bankruptcy rates per capita in the nation.

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Monday, September 14th, 2009

Home Loan Modification Program Begins to Help

According to a New York Times article, the Obama administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) is on the road to achieving its goal of modifying 500,000 home loans by November.

What Is HAMP?

HAMP is a program designed by the Obama administration to incentivize home loan modifications for lenders.

This program could help many people avoid filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy to keep their homes.

It’s backed by $75 billion and designed to end the foreclosure crisis plaguing American real estate. Here’s how it works:

  • Lenders reach out: For every home loan lenders and borrowers successfully modify, the lender gets $1,000 from the HAMP fund.
  • The payments begin: After three months of successful payments, the loan modification is considered “complete,” and cash incentives are distributed.
  • Maintenance is rewarded: For each year that the borrower (the homeowner) stays current on payments, the lender is given another $1,000.

In other words, HAMP attempts to lure lenders to modifications. Without this program, many lenders are financially incentivized (by the fee structure of the mortgage lending industry) to let mortgage loans slip into delinquency and the homes into foreclosure. In other words, late and delinquent loans earn lenders the most money through fees and penalties.

Who Can HAMP Help?

Borrowers are considered eligible if and when they’re at least 60 days behind on their home loan payments. Various economists have estimated that as many as two million American families can expect their homes to go into foreclosure before the end of the crisis if nothing is done to modify their loans.

Reports indicate that:

  • 19 percent of eligible borrowers have been offered modifications so far, which equals more than 570,000 loans.
  • 12 percent of eligible borrowers (about 360,000) have actually started the loan modification process.
  • Nearly eight percent of all U.S. homeowners are seriously delinquent on their mortgage payments, according to recent reports from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
  • 47 mortgage servicers have so far signed up with the Treasury Department to participate in the HAMP program. These servicers account for approximately 85 percent of all eligible mortgages.

Looking Beyond the Numbers

While the modification totals have been modest so far, these numbers show improvement from Bush administration efforts, when the FDIC announced explicit disapproval of the foreclosure-prevention steps taken at that time.

If more homeowners are able to engage in mortgage modification, the number of Americans filing bankruptcy to prevent foreclosure may start to drop off, a good sign of economic turnaround.

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Posted in Home Foreclosure | 3 Comments »

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Another ‘Foreclosure Wave’ to Come? Are We Even Off the First Wave?

With conversations swaying toward the July decrease in unemployment numbers and the excitement over the prospect of a teeter toward recovery, there is one major aspect to our current financial plight that's lacking in coverage: foreclosure.

When foreclosure is brought up, it's mostly talked about as though we have rode the first and mightiest of the waves and are settled into a set of less fierce waves of foreclosures, offering conjecture that the mend has begun.

Foreclosures Are Still a Top Issue

However, that might not be all that accurate of an assumption.

In fact, there are still many experts out there who believe we're just riding the first wave of the foreclosure epidemic.

Second Wave to Come?

Of the assumption of a ‘second wave’, Matt Padilla from the O.C. Register has a tone of indignation which might actually surmise the thoughts of most experts in the field: “To say there is a second wave implies the (current) wave has receded.”

Conceding to the same thought is Sam Khater, senior economist, First American CoreLogic, “I don’t see that the wave has receded.”

Some Foreclosure Prevention Measures Have Helped

Although Khater concedes to the fact that federal and state efforts have acted in delaying a relevant amount of foreclosures, he is vehement in asserting that these efforts only “prevented a few”.

More simply, it seems by all the true indicators that our foreclosure situation isn’t in the midst of a second wave but more in the spray of one giant one.

Another trusted economist and famed blogger who is not buying into the “second wave” theory is Barry Ritholtz.

Geographic Foreclosure Stats

In July, Ritholtz’s shows in his blog The Big Picture, a graph of staggering proportion. Wherein he examines the findings and offers that of all 50 states within the U.S, in the month of June, three of them (California, Florida, Nevada) account for nearly half of the country’s foreclosure-related activity.

To that fact, Ritholtz observes that the top 10 states accounted for 75% of all foreclosures for the month of June.

So if you are a resident of California or Florida you may not be so quick to agree with a second wave entering as much as you would the tsunami which has riveted your state.

Of course, those who would argue against these findings would say that the reason why California and Florida are at the top of the list and still climbing are because they are the top two states from the housing boom of the 90’s and early 2000.

While this may be accurate, it still does not negate the fact that foreclosures are in a perpetual rise.

Acquire additional information about bankruptcy and foreclosure.

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Sunday, August 9th, 2009

Why So Few Home Loans Have Been Modified

Since the collapse of the housing market in late 2007, leaders, policymakers and financial experts have been looking for a solution to the nation’s mortgage-based financial woes.

Despite economic incentives from the federal government, though, few mortgage lenders have offered the loan modifications necessary to keep borrowers away from foreclosure.

A recent New York Times home loan article details why. In brief, here’s what’s going on:

  • As part of recovery efforts, the Obama administration implemented a $75 billion program to reward lenders who modify troublesome home loans. The program essentially distributes $4,000 to lenders for each modified loan over a four-year period.
  • According to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, though, only about 3% of seriously delinquent loans have been modified in the foreclosure crisis. The reason? Banks and mortgage lenders can collect fees on delinquent loans. After a home goes into foreclosure and is sold at auction, the mortgage company can collect fees from the proceeds for insurance, legal services, title searches and appraisals.

Interests of Lenders & Borrowers at Odds

Though bank officials and others involved in making mortgage loans have reportedly denied that they would act solely for profits, evidence seems to point toward just such behavior.

While most borrowers – and the housing market in general – would benefit from modified loans, many lenders stand to lose money from stopping foreclosure.

This trouble in home lending is really just the most recent manifestation of the system that allowed the market to get so out of control – and to collapse so heavily – in the first place. Here’s what happens:

  1. A borrower takes out a mortgage loan and agrees to pay a certain amount of interest.
  2. The loan is put into a pool of loans, divided and sold to investors in pieces.
  3. Every time a borrower makes a payment, some of the interest goes to each investor who “owns” part of the debt.
  4. Loan servicers, who act as middlemen in this process, collect service fees every time they have to service the loan in some way (e.g. by assessing late fees).
  5. Servicers acting in their best interest, then, often prefer to limit loan modifications and milk late and delinquent loans for fees.

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Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

FTC Announces Plan to Help Distressed Homeowners

Unfortunately, some people have seen the abysmal housing situation in the U.S. as an opportunity to take money from struggling individuals and families.

We’ve written often about the many guises of foreclosure rescue scams and how to protect your home from foreclosure.

In July, the Federal Trade Commission announced Operation Loan Lies, a “coordinated national law enforcement effort to crack down on mortgage modification scams.”

178 Companies Targeted for Scams

Operation Loan Lies includes four separate lawsuits, meaning that the FTC will have started action in 14 separate cases since April.

Typically, a foreclosure rescue scam works like this to separate unsuspecting homeowners from their money:

  • Promise to help: Scammers typically claim to be able to halt, prevent or delay foreclosure or modify the terms of your home loan. Their message attracts those who are having difficulty making payments and are growing desperate to save their homes.
  • Demand for money – or more: Once a scammer has promised to assist his victim, he asks for payment up front or assures the homeowner that he can only help if the deed to the house is in his name.
  • Fail to follow through: Scammers then do little or nothing to help the distressed homeowner. Some leave town with the money; others evict the family once they have the rights to their property.

While such a scheme may seem blatantly suspicious in writing, to those in danger of losing their homes, the promises of these scammers often sound like the only good news they’ve heard in a long time.

Learning from Others’ Mistakes

The FTC’s game plan goes beyond legal action: it has created and posted a foreclosure warning video, which features people who were victimized by foreclosure rescue scams and provides information about how to deal with the threat of foreclosure.

FTC is Following Through

In early April of this year, a number of consumer advocates (including Attorney General Eric Holder, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and others) announced that they planned to increase enforcement against people preying on distressed homeowners.

This move seems to be evidence that they’re following through.

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Saturday, August 1st, 2009

Good Economic News: New Home Sales Increase in June

It’s no secret that the current economic woes of this country (and much of the world) can be traced to the U.S. housing market – which is why updates about home sales are watched so closely by those looking for indicators about where the economy is headed.

The Department of Commerce recently announced that sales of residential buildings increased by a healthy 11% in June, a figure well above the 2.3% widely predicted.

Here are some hard facts:

  • New home sales in June increased 11% from May.
  • The month-to-month jump was the largest recorded in the past nine years.
  • Compared to June of 2008, sales fell 21.3%.
  • The South was the only region of the country in which home sales decreased (by 5%).
  • Existing home sales increased 3.6% in June, marking a third consecutive month of increases.

Tax Incentive Enticing Buyers

Analysts have suggested that the jumps can likely be attributed to a combination of low prices and interest rates and the one-time $8,000 tax credit available to first-time buyers who purchase before November of this year.

Home production has greatly slowed since the boom months and the number of new homes currently on the market is at its lowest level since 1998, according to sources.

Despite these figures, the market still has more than eight months’ worth of houses (if buying continues at its current rate).

That’s higher than the “ideal” six-month supply, but an improvement over May’s 10.2 months’ worth.

Competition Steep for New Homes

Sources indicate that part of the problem facing new home sales is the bargains available from foreclosure properties, short sales and sales of existing homes that have been on the market a while.

Put another way, even though last month’s numbers beat many expectations, a normal (not boom) year typically sees three times as many new home sales.

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Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Facing Foreclosure, Couple Turns to Snake for Help

The Knoxville News Sentinel has a story that starts off in all-too-familiar territory these days.

Things were going swimmingly for the Herrons until wife Patricia lost her job earlier this year.

With that income gone, the Herrons began falling behind on payments. Their cars were repossessed, and husband, Thomas, was forced to walk several miles to get to his job.

Now, the couple is facing foreclosure, and they've turned to their pet boa constrictor to help raise money.

While holding a garage sale to raise cash, they set up an impromptu photo studio with their snake. For $5, visitors could take a picture with the pet and leave with a printed copy.

This couple is certainly sharp and creative, but the story is also sad.

You shouldn't have to sell all of your possessions just to protect your home. Had the Herrons considered filing bankruptcy, they might have been able to keep their cars, home, belongings and snake.

Bankruptcy is designed to help just like the Herrons.

A good couple that, due to circumstances out of their control, fell on hard times. With the unemployment rate in Tennessee above 10 percent, many more couples may soon find themselves in financial dire straits.

Just remember: You have options. You don't have to lose it all.

Filing bankruptcy may help you control your debt, and stay in your home.

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Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Faces of Foreclosure: First Person Accounts

Los Angeles may be home to movie stars, but it's also one of the areas hit hardest by the economic downturn.

With home foreclosures in Los Angeles still on the rise this year, the Los Angeles Times provides five first-hand accounts from people facing foreclosure.

It's a simple, captivating and heartbreaking read. Each of the five people profiled offers a distinctively different tale, but they've all faced the same stress: How do we stay in our home?

In reading their stories, I think there are several lessons that we can take away, particularly if you're facing foreclosure or other financial struggles.

  1. You can't take action soon enough. Many of the people in the article waited until it was too late to take action. Time is not on your side if you are facing foreclosure. Don't wait until you receive an eviction notice. If you are getting behind on your payments, then take steps today to improve your situation. The sooner you start, the more options you may have. If you lose your job and notify your bank right away, they may be more willing to work with you. Then again ...
  2. The banks are not on your side. Several of the people in the story mentioned how unwilling their banks were to work with them. Often the banks wouldn't even respond to requests for help. One bank wouldn't lower a man's $500,000 mortgage, but sold his house for a fraction of that! Also, several couples went to the bank seeking help only to have more loans pushed on them with higher interest rates and higher monthly payments.
  3. Know your rights. Some of the people turned to bankruptcy for help, only to report having banks turn up on their doorsteps with foreclosure notices. If you file bankruptcy, all foreclosure efforts must stop until your case is resolved. If you file, and a bank shows up on your doorstep, report this to your lawyer immediately. The bank is in violation of the law in these cases.
  4. Even the prepared can struggle. The people profiled had money in savings and retirement accounts. They owned their business and were often responsible. But still, they faced hardship. Even the best prepared can struggle. Don't let your pride keep you from seeking assistance.
  5. You need long-term help. When hard times hit - like a job loss or injury - it's difficult to say how long the trouble will last. Will you find work soon? Will things recover quickly? You never know. But many people get in trouble by trying short-term fixes that only complicate their problems. If you find yourself slipping into serious debt, you should look into real, lasting solutions right away.
  6. Help is available. Most of all, don't give up hope. You have options. The people in this story turned to free legal aid organizations for help. For many people, filing bankruptcy allows them to stay in their home. Other people need short-term assistance to help with food and child care. The support is there, if you take advantage of it.

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Saturday, July 18th, 2009

The Face of Foreclosure

In Florida, the state Association of Realtors hopes to bring about change in public policy regarding foreclosures by giving a human face to the concept, highlighting the individuals who have lost the homes that are now back on the market at depressed prices.

The agency has started a Web site: FloridaFaceOfForeclosure.com

The site strives to collect information from those individuals caught up in the personal crisis that is home loss.

Hopes for Advocacy

The group hopes that the information collected on their Web site will “provide the building blocks for strong advocacy and ultimately, good public policy as it relates to the housing market in all its facets,” according to a statement from the agency as reported by the Bradenton Herald.

The site asks foreclosure victims questions that include what type of home they owned, the  size, their experience working with their lenders and what factors contributed to the eventual loss of their homes.

It's the Right Time to Focus on Foreclosure

Foreclosures in the area around Bradenton, Florida are comfortably on their way to smashing the record, set last year, so there are plenty of stories to chronicle.

Mary Aston, a local realtor, believes the idea may help prevent another crisis like the one the area is currently experiencing.

“We still have foreclosures coming in, and I really do think if the data will help fix the system, then it’s never too late,” Aston says.

“Maybe it will prevent similar mistakes from being made in the future or maybe it will help people now who are trying to avoid foreclosure.

Long Overdue

Other Realtors feel the data collection is overdue.

“I feel like we’re way behind,” says Kathy Marlowe. “We should have been collecting data two years ago.”

Marlowe doubts the project will help as much as its planners intend. “How can you help people avoid foreclosure when they owe $300,000 on a mortgage on a home that’s worth only $175,000? Why would they even want to stay in that house?”

A spokeswoman for the Florida Association of Realtors, Marla Martin, says the study will provide more information than standard foreclosure and bankruptcy numbers services provide.

“They don’t tell you a lot about who’s going through it,” she told the paper.

“It seems like it’s better to have all the information you can gather out of the problem itself if you want to find a workable solution or at least some answers.”

Increased Foreclosure Awareness

The project has received a $97,000 grant from the National Association of Realtors to assist with foreclosure prevention and promote foreclosure prevention awareness.

The organization has furthered the initiative by purchasing statewide radio spots to inform the public of their project.

Another area realtor, Greg Owens, feels that the project will have a positive impact if the information obtained is used to lobby legislators.

“I feel that to give this a human face may change public policy in the future in order to avoid this situation again. I believe we could have avoided these massive failures and kept a lot of these people in their homes.

And frankly, that is going to take a lot of changes to avoid this happening in the future.”

Source: Bradenton Herald

Did you know: That Chapter 13 bankruptcy was designed to stop foreclosure? Find out if filing bankruptcy could help you.

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Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

The $60 Million Lie? Former MLB Star Lenny Dykstra Filing Bankruptcy

Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Lenny Dykstra has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal court, according to Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

When filing bankruptcy in California, Dykstra, who is 46, claimed less than $50,000 in assets and between $10 million and $50 million in debts.

In an e-mail to the Inquirer, Dykstra, currently a resident of Lake Sherwood, California, said that “sometimes the difficult decisions in life are the most necessary.”

His bankruptcy attorney, Walter Hackett, issued a statement indicating that the filing would:

“shield (Dykstra’s] from a host of meritless claims. This action will provide Mr. Dykstra time to reorganize his estate and successfully challenge the multitude of meritless claims that have been made against him.”

Not the 'Player' He Wanted to Be

One troublesome asset-turned-debt appears to be The Players Club, a glossy magazine that Dykstra launched in 2008.

The publication targeted professional athletes and advertised many of the creature comforts reserved for the ultra-rich, including private jet services.

Dykstra has been accused of not paying for services rendered to the magazine, with at least one staff member, Kevin Coughlin, a former photo editor, filing a lawsuit to recover unpaid wages.

Coughlin wrote an article detailing his experience working for The Players Club for GQ magazine, titled, “You Think Your Job Sucks? Try Working for Lenny Dykstra.”

The $60 Million Dollar Lie?

When contacted by the Philadelphia Inquirer regarding the claims that he was in dire financial shape, Dykstra told a reporter that he was taking the call while driving his Rolls Royce, implying that he was doing well financially.

Dykstra’s bankruptcy filing reports that the former slugger earned $36.5 million during his twelve year MLB career, which ended with his retirement in 1996. Eight of those years were spent in Philadelphia.

Dykstra has also reported having made millions of dollars via Wall Street investment opportunities.

He has also invested in numerous entrepreneurial opportunities, according to the LA Times, including the above mentioned magazine, a chain of car washes and even a column for investment site TheStreet.com.

As recently as April, Dykstra told ESPN that he was worth $60 million. The same article reported that Dykstra has been the subject of two dozen legal actions in the past two years, with litigation pending or in progress from coast-to-coast.

Dykstra In Foreclosure?

His filing lists credit-card companies, banks, attorneys, printers and auction houses among his creditors.

He owes JPMorgan Chase & Co. $12.9 million and $229,000 to his literary agent.

The three-time all-star owns a mansion in California worth $18 million, but this property is reported to be in foreclosure.

Even family members are piling on—Dykstra’s brother, Kevin, is also suing the former player and claiming that he was not paid his stake when Dykstra sold a chain of car washes the two co-owned for $50 million.

The fate of his Rolls Royce remains unclear.

Sources: The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Los Angeles Times

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