Foreclosures Continue to Increase

Foreclosures Continue to Increase

According to this Diana Olick article on CNBC.com, Foreclosures Are Rising, foreclosures continue to increase (i.e. more properties are going to foreclosure auctions) due to the failure of the various loan modification programs (many borrowers do not end up qualifying for permanent modifications and many borrowers default on modifications even if they are granted) and the huge backlog of seriously delinquent loans (over 5 million), which are now making their way toward becoming foreclosures. Basically, foreclosures are going to remain extremely high for the next few years, and, as a result, seriously stress the banks' asset managers. Therefore, the banks are going to need to liquidate their excess non-performing assets via short sales.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert and Real Estate Investor.

Short Sales Will Increase

Short Sales Will Increase

According to this Diana Olick CNBC article, Let the Short Sales Begin, the Obama Administration's Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Plan (aka HAFA) (effective April 5, 2010), which is offering financial "incentives to borrowers, servicers, investors and second lien holders" to encourage short sales, plus the coming wave of foreclosures (shadow foreclosures, Option ARM and related foreclosures) will result in a substantial increase in the number of short sales. I absolutely agree. The question is whether the increase will be enough. The article goes on to state that the "Administration increased the incentives such as "doubling the amount of cash to $3000 offered as borrower "relocation expenses" and juicing the payoffs to the others as well. Of course they want to push short sales because of course they know that their modification program isn't working as planned." That is no surprise. Very few people I talk to are granted loan modifications and even the ones that are know that the loan modification it is a band-aid, not a solution.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert and Real Estate Investor.

How To Stop Foreclosure

How To Stop Foreclosure

Homeowners and real estate owners who are in foreclosure, or who have received a letter from their mortgage lender's attorney stating that the foreclosure process will begin, or have received a notice of default frequently ask me how they can stop the foreclosure. Therefore, I listed the best ways to stop a foreclosure action below depending on whether you want to keep your home or investment property.

Options if you want to keep your home or investment property:

• Mortgage Refinance - If you have not missed a payment yet you still may be able to refinance into a more affordable loan. You should investigate this option as soon as you know that there may be financial trouble as this option will only remain viable for a short period of time. If your home is worth substantially less than the mortgage(s) you need to refinance this option will not work.
• Loan Modification - Contact your mortgage lender as soon as you miss a mortgage payment and ask about their loan modification options. Don't expect much help, though, as most loan modification requests are not approved.
• Loan Forbearance - If you are denied for a loan modification due to your financial issue being temporary you may be able to get a loan forbearance agreement with your lender. Basically, forbearance is a temporary reduction in your mortgage payment (usually 3-6 months) where the part of the payments that you did not make (i.e. the difference between the normal payments and the reduced payments) is added to the final forbearance payment. Due to the large final payment, this option most likely only a temporary way to stop foreclosure. However, getting the foreclosure stopped is absolutely necessary so that you can review other options (see below).

Options if you do not want to (or or not able to) keep your home or investment property:

• Short Sale - A short sale is a sale of real estate where the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off the liens on the real estate (usually the mortgage(s), tax liens and unpaid HOA and condo fees). This is the best way to proceed in that you can frequently, but not always, get the mortgage debt(s) fully satisfied and get released from any future obligations. A short sale is also less damaging to your credit than the other options. If you decide that a short sale is your best option I highly recommend that you chose a REALTOR who specializes in short sales (i.e. not a traditional REALTOR, or neighborhood expert), or a short sale investor. In either case, you need someone who knows how to close short sales since they are very different than regular real estate sales.
• Bankruptcy - If you have a lot of unsecured debt (i.e. personal loans, credit cards, unpaid bills, collection accounts, etc.) and just need to buy time to evaluate other options a bankruptcy could work for you. Please know that bankruptcy will not save your home. It will only delay the foreclosure unless the lender wants to work with you. Due to the complex laws which regulate personal bankruptcy, you will need to contact a bankruptcy attorney.
• Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure - Basically, a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure is where you deed your home directly to your mortgage lender in exchange for them stopping the foreclosure. While this option is better than foreclosure, at least from a credit score standpoint, it will usually not get you released from the debt and probably will not work if you have other mortgages on the property.

Please note that all the options above will be slightly more difficult for real estate investors than they are for homeowners.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Homeowners and Property Owners in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Housing Headed For Trouble

Housing Headed For Trouble

As a short sale specialist, my listings usually sell very quickly. However, since March 2010 began my short sale listings are selling more slowly than they did previously. I attribute this to the first-time home buyer tax credit since those buyers were the primary buyer pool in my market Middle Tennessee. I think this is particularly true for most markets in the US where the tax credit had a substantial short term impact (particularly in lower priced markets where the $8,000 tax credit is a fairly substantial percentage of the sale prices). Now that the first time home buyer tax credit is nearing expiration, those tax credit buyers are, apparently, not willing to buy new short sale listings (they will still buy pre-approved short sales that can be closed in 30-45 days with a reasonable degree of certainty) since there is no guarantee that they will be able to close by 6/30/2010 (the expiration of the tax credit). Therefore, the only way to sell these short sale listings is to lower the price. These increasingly lower priced short sale and pre-foreclosure listings will put downward pressure on new construction and other retail priced listings.

The next phase of the great real estate meltdown is beginning to unfold as I predicted it would over 1 year ago (see my blog post from 11/2009 for a detailed breakdown of the drivers of the real estate market: Our Phony Real Estate Market). Unfortunately, the tax credit was nothing more than a temporary band-aid solution (really a gimmick) that will ultimately result in the tax credit buyers ending up in foreclosure at a very high rate since they are underwater the moment of closing (most put little to nothing down and have very little cash reserves) and will be even more so as the market declines. The buyers who purchased short sales and foreclosures as substantial discounts will likely be fine. That is why I only sell those types of properties. Unfortunately, home buyers who purchased new construction or other retail priced listings will be in trouble in the next few years. The main problem is that the entire US economy was built on debt. Consumer spending, which was 70%+/- of the entire US economy, was built largely on consumer debt (think credit cards, home equity loans, HELOC's, personal loans, etc.). Without this debt there can be little to no growth in consumer spending, and by extension, little to no growth in the US economy, until personal incomes increase at least enough to pay down current debt and still leave enough to spend more. Given that unemployment still hovers near 10% (the real number is about 16%) this will not happen anytime soon. It is just a matter of simple accounting. In addition to the end of the tax credit buyer ear there is the Option ARM foreclosure wave coming. As a result, there will lots of foreclosures and short sales over the next 5-10 years.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

White House Admits Housing Will Not Recover Anytime Soon

White House Admits Housing Will Not Recover Anytime Soon

I read this Economy Watch article about the March 2010 US Unemployment Rate in which the White House basically admits (at least in a round about way) that the US housing market cannot rebound to anywhere near peak 2005-2007 (depending on the market) price levels until at least 2017. The article doesn't actually say this, but it states "The White House does not expect the rate to return to its healthy-economy level of 5 percent until at least 2017." Based on the fact that a healthy (i.e. low) unemployment rate is required to drive housing (employment has long been one of the major drivers of housing), one can only logically conclude that housing prices cannot improve to peak levels until unemployment also does the same. Therefore, the White House's 2017 "healthy-economy" unemployment rate prediction is also basically a prediction for the housing market as well. Given that political predictions usually appear to be "spun" for political gain I a guessing that 2017 is an optimistic estimate.

There are those like myself that remain "bearish" on the economy for the next several years. However, despite this many people are still "bullish" on the US economy due to the "economy always having bounced back." Unfortunately, I believe that this time is different (in a bad way) due to the following:

• Absurdly high levels of private and public debt that is near peak levels.
• Ill advised government deficit spending that is only adding to the already enormous debt. Think healthcare (aka Obamacare), Cap and Trade (aka Cap and Tax), etc.
• The US's rapid movement toward socialism.
• Unlike previous recessions, US manufacturing is basically dead and not likely to come back.

The issues above (i.e. combination of the huge debt, accelerated deficit spending and movement to socialism) will result in the US government having to hike taxes significantly, which will in turn reduce the incentive and ability to earn a profit so businesses will hire less workers, fewer business will be started, fewer businesses will be expanded and more businesses will close or merge resulting in less jobs.

I think many people will be "surprised" and "shocked" when all of this ends badly. They will then be "uncertain" about the future, etc. However, my view is that the near future (unforseen natural disasters, etc. aside) is little more than a small extension of the past and present, and, as a result is already set to a large degree based on the events and actions in the past and recent past. Given that I am reasonably sure that the short term future is very dim for the US economy, housing and more. As a result there will be many more foreclosures and short sales over the next 5-10 years.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

7.2 Million Delinquent Mortgages As Of December 2009

7.2 Million Delinquent Mortgages
7.2 Million Mortgage Loans In Default With An Estimated 1.0 Million REO's

According to this LPS Mortgage Monitor (a mortgage industry performance report provided by LPS Applied Analytics), LPS Mortgage Monitor: January 2010 Mortgage Performance Observations: Data as of December 31, 2009 Month-end and the Executive Summary, in December 2009 mortgage loan delinquencies and defaults increased significantly and foreclosures (REO's or bank owned properties) reached the one million mark.  The Executive Summary noted the following:

• Delinquency rates have surpassed the 10% level; factoring in foreclosures, the total non-current rate sits at 13.3%.
• Industry extrapolations indicate that over 7.2 million loans are currently behind on payments with an estimated nearly 1 million properties in REO status.
• Average number of days delinquent for loans in foreclosure has increased 63 percent from January 2008 to December 2009, rising from 249 to 406 days delinquent.
• Prime loans have experienced a worse pace of deterioration on a relative basis than subprime, FHA and all loans as a whole. Within prime loans, those with current unpaid principal balances between $417,000 and $600,000 have performed the worst.
• The percent of “new” serious delinquencies (from the population of loans that were current as of year-end 2008) sits at 4.64%, higher than any other year analyzed for the same period. Extrapolated counts result in approximately 2.3 million “new” 60-day delinquent loans from December 2008 to year-end 2009.
• Roll rates show the largest percentage increase in loans improving since the same period in 2008.
• 2009 marks the only time during the last five years that the six-month deterioration ratio has dropped from September to December.
• Foreclosure starts increased slightly in December – still the second lowest month in 2009 based on volume. Foreclosure sales were stable month over month and remain at relatively low levels.
• 2009 vintage loans are performing better than loans from any of the prior five years and have been steadily improving as more origination months are added to the loan pool. However, more restrictive underwriting is driving this behavior rather than actual improved consumer behavior. Liquidity is still not available where it is needed most.

My opinion of the above information is as follows:

• Most of the information above shows that mortgage loan delinquencies, and therefore, foreclosures, are getting much worse.  For example, the total percentage of delinquencies at 13.3%, the average number of days per delinquent loan, the continued deterioration of prime loans and the new mortgage loans serious delinquent rate of 4.64% are reasons to believe that things are getting much worse.
• The information which shows a positive trend is, for the most part, artificially and temporarily skewed.  For example, the improved roll rates, the 6 month deterioration ratio showing improvement and the 2009 vintage loans performing better are all skewed by the fact that most of these new loans are made to buyers/borrowers who perceive that their home or real estate purchase was a "good deal".  Since most of these buyers/borrowers used FHA/VA/USDA Rural Housing loan programs (see my blog post Our Phony Real Estate Market) they have little to no initial equity.  Due to the continued housing market decline, huge numbers of these buyers/borrowers will soon be in negative equity positions, which will result in increasing mortgage loan default rates among these buyers/borrowers in the near future.  In addition to that the relatively low foreclosure starts in December 2009 were artificially held down by government mandated loan modification and foreclosure moratoria, which will go end soon with the result of foreclosures increasing again.

If you are a Middle TN homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN).  If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

FHA Loans More Difficult and Expensive

FHA Loans More Difficult and Expensive

According to this MSN Money article, Last chance for lowest-cost loans (Coming soon to FHA-backed loans: Higher FICO scores and more cash at closing. The changes are needed to help keep the agency afloat.), Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans are about to get more expensive and more difficult to obtain due to the financial problems that the FHA is experiencing that are a result of record FHA mortgage loan default rates. Simply put, the FHA is paying more out to cover loan losses than it collects in Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP) from FHA borrowers and, as a result, the FHA is going bankrupt. As usual, I am ahead of the curve and told you about this in my blog posts: FHA Will Tighten Underwriting and FHA in Deep Trouble: Default Rates Skyrocketing.  The debt hot potato game continues with private debt becoming public debt.  Rest assured that the end result will be more short sales and foreclosures.

According to the article, the Obama Administration announced that there will be 4 changes to the FHA loan process that are aimed at lowering the FHA default rate. Those changes are as follows:

• Increasing the minimum down payment required to obtain a FHA insured loan.
• Raising the minimum credit score needed to qualify for a FHA insured loan.
• Raising the cost of the FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) and possibly changing how FHA mortgage insurance premiums are collected.
• Reducing the amount of the buyer's closing costs that the seller will be allowed to pay (i.e. possibly reducing this amount from 6% to 3%).

If you are a Middle TN homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN).  If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

FHA Will Tighten Underwriting

FHA Will Tighten Underwriting

According to this Inman News article, FHA will tighten up in 2010, "The Obama administration is moving to tighten underwriting standards on FHA-backed loans by increasing the amount of upfront cash homebuyers must bring to the table, raising minimum FICO scores for new borrowers, and reducing maximum seller concessions from 6 percent to 3 percent." Many industry experts and insiders believe that this will result in the FHA raising the minimum down payment from 3.5% to 5.0%, raising the minimum credit score to around 620 and reducing (from 6% to 3%) the amount of closing costs that the seller can pay on behalf of buyers. The reason that the FHA is taking these measures is that the FHA is currently experiencing record default rates and is insolvent as a result of the FHA's role in becoming the de-facto replacement for the extinct subprime mortgage market. I covered this issue in my blog post FHA in Deep Trouble: Default Rates Skyrocketing.

If you are a Middle TN homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN).  If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Why Lenders Push Homeowners Around

Why Lenders Push Homeowners Around

According to this Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis article, Government and Lender Policies of Fear and Shame Help Keep Homeowners Debt Slaves, lenders offer loan modifications to financially distressed homeowners only if doing so financially benefits the lender (i.e. it as a business decision), while homeowners view walking away from their homes as a moral decision. The article concludes that the result of these differing view points is that homeowners are at a distinct disadvantage compared to mortgage lenders when trying to make sound financial decisions regarding their homes. Without going into all the details described in the article (if you would like all the details, I highly recommend that you read it), I would like to mention the following points made in the article.

• Homeowners heavily factor in personal responsibility and morality into their decision to keep paying their mortgages even though they are financially struggling and/or may owe more than their homes are worth (although this view is changing somewhat - see my blog post Underwater Homeowners Walking Away From Their Homes).
• Lenders are more responsible than homeowners for the real estate boom and bust due to lenders' superior real estate market knowledge including appraisals to determine property/collateral values, complex default models, deciding to require lower down payments even though the lenders knew that higher loan to value mortgage loans had higher default rates, etc.
• Due to lenders being more than 50% responsible for the housing bust, lenders should be willing to voluntarily write off some of the debt in order to reduce the amount that homeowners are underwater (i.e. negative equity), but they are not doing this since when lenders are trying to decide on how to best handle struggling homeowners, they do not factor in "responsibility" for the housing market crash.  Instead, lenders strictly desire an outcome that will maximize profits or minimize losses.
• Due to the difference in the way that homeowners and lenders view mortgage loan default (personal responsibility/morality versus business decision), mortgage lenders are able to manipulate homeowners to do things that are to the financial benefit of mortgage lenders, but to the financial detriment of homeowners.

The article states "First, lenders know that borrowers with high credit scores are unlikely to default even at high levels of negative equity. To modify loans for these homeowners would be to throw money away – and to encourage more homeowners to ask for modifications. Second, a significant number of homeowners who temporarily default on their mortgages "self-cure" without any help from their lender – though self cure rates have dropped precipitously in the last two years. Again, to modify the loans of individuals who would otherwise self cure would be to throw away money. Third, homeowners with poor credit, or who end up in arrears because of “triggering events” such as unemployment, divorce, or other financially devastating circumstances are likely to default on the modified loan as well. To modify loans for these individuals is to waste time and risk housing prices falling further before the lender eventually has to foreclosure and sell the property anyway. Given these economic incentives for the lender, a seriously underwater homeowner with good credit and solid mortgage payment history who responsibly calls his lender to work out a loan modification is likely to be told by his lender that it will not discuss a loan modification until the homeowner is 30 days or more delinquent on his mortgage payment. The lender is making a bet (and a good one) that the homeowner values his credit score too much to miss a payment and will just give up the idea of a loan modification. However, if the homeowner does what the lender suggests, misses a payment, and calls back to discuss a loan modification in 30 days, the homeowner is likely to be told to call back when he is 90 days delinquent. In the meantime, the lender will send the borrower a series of strongly-worded notices reminding him of his moral obligation to pay and threatening legal action, including foreclosure and a deficiency judgment, if the homeowner does not bring his mortgage payments current. The lender is again making a bet (and again a good one) that the homeowner will be shamed or frightened into paying their mortgage. If the homeowner calls the lender’s bluff and calls back when he is 90 days delinquent, there is a good possibility that he will be told that his credit score is now so low that he does not qualify for a loan modification. Most lenders will, in other words, take full advantage of the asymmetry of norms between lender and homeowner and will use the threat of damaging the borrower’s credit score to bring the homeowner into compliance. Additionally, many lenders will only bargain when the threat of damaging the homeowner’s credit has lost its force and it becomes clear to the lender that foreclosure is imminent absent some accommodation. On a fundamental level, the asymmetry of moral norms for borrowers and market norms for lenders gives lenders an unfair advantage in negotiations related to the enforcement of contractual rights and obligations."

The information above is why:

• Lenders take as long as they want to respond to homeowner loan modification requests.
• Lenders frequently reject loan modification requests.
• Financially struggling homeowners can frequently stay in their homes for many months despite not paying their mortgage loans (the lenders are frequently deciding to do nothing until foreclosure is absolutely imminent).
• Homeowners do sometimes walk away despite the personal responsibility - they get completely frustrated with the games lenders play.
• Walking away needs to be a viable option (albeit not the best one) for homeowners.
• Short sales and foreclosures will continue to increase.

If you are a Middle TN homeowner, property owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in and around Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN and Belle Meade TN).  If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Effects of a Loan Modification, Short Sale, Foreclosure, Bankruptcy and Walking Away/Doing Nothing on Credit Scores

Effects of a Loan Modification, Short Sale, Foreclosure, Bankruptcy and Walking Away/Doing Nothing on Your Credit Score

There seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there regarding the negative effects of a Loan Modification, Short Sale, Foreclosure, Bankruptcy and Walking Away/Doing Nothing on a person's credit score. I would like to try to clear some of that confusion up.

According to this Los Angeles Times article, Mortgage problems are walloping Americans' credit scores, loan modifications, short sales, foreclosures, bankruptcies and walking away/doing nothing effect your credit score differently. Below is a brief summary of the different options.

• Loan Modification Type 1 - This Loan Modification type rolls late payments and penalties into the principal debt owed. According to the LA Times article, this type of loan modification may modestly increase your credit score.
• Loan Modification Type 2 - This Loan Modification type is a refinancing of underwater (i.e. negative equity) mortgage(s). This is what is offered under the Obama administration's Making Home Affordable Program through government controlled Fannie and Freddie Mac. According to the LA Times article, this type of Loan Modification "may have little or no negative effect on scores, even though the homeowners might have been tottering on the edge of serious delinquency before refinancing."
• Short Sale - A short sale is a sale of a property where the net sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off the mortgage balance(s) and there is no party willing or able to make up the shortage. According to the LA Times article, a short sale may lower your credit score by 120-130 points. I have heard from other people that a short sale lowers a person's credit score by 80-100 points. For sake of simplicity, let's say that a short sale will drop your credit score by about 100 points on average (This does not include the negative effects of any missed mortgage payments. You do not need to miss any mortgage payments in order to successfully complete a short sale). While this seems bad (it certainly is not good), it is much better than foreclosure, or doing nothing. In fact, according Question 7, "If a borrower has completed a short sale and was never delinquent on that mortgage and is now attempting to purchase a new primary residence, will Fannie Mae purchase the loan?", in this this Fannie Mae publication, Announcement 08-16: Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, and Conversion of Principal Residence Policy Changes; and Revised Property Value Representation and Warranty Requirements, "If the borrower is purchasing a new property and the previous mortgage history complies with our excessive prior mortgage delinquency policy and does not have one or more 60-, 90-, 120-, or 150-day delinquencies reported within the 12 months prior to the credit report date, the loan is eligible for delivery to Fannie Mae, provided the lender or servicer who completed the short sale has not entered into any agreement that obligates the borrower to repay any amounts associated with the short sale, including a deficiency judgment." In other words, you can short sell your existing home and immediately buy another home as long you did not have a 60 day or more delinquency and your short sale lender did not require you to pay the shortage (normal loan underwriting criteria applies). This publication clarifies the previous Fannie Mae publication, Announcement 08-16.
• Foreclosure - Homeowners that allow their home to go to full foreclosure (i.e. be auctioned off by the lender and/or become a bank owned property) should expect their credit scores to decline by 140 to 150 points plus negative marks on their credit bureau files for as long as seven years. Having a foreclosure on your credit report will also make it much more difficult to buy a home. Fannie Mae requires foreclosed home buyers to wait at least 5 years before buying another home and even then Fannie Mae will require larger down payments. Freddie Mac generally requires a waiting period of 7 years. The FHA currently has a waiting period of 3 years, but is expected to increase that waiting requirement.
• Bankruptcy - The LA Times article states "People who file for bankruptcy protection covering all their debts (mortgage, credit cards, auto loans, etc.) will get hit with an average 355- to 365-point drop in their scores. Bankruptcies remain on borrowers' credit bureau files for 10 years." Having a bankruptcy on your credit report will make it very difficult to buy another home. Fannie Mae requires that people who file a non-Chapter 13 bankruptcy wait a minimum of 4 years from dismissal or discharge before obtaining a new home loan. For Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the waiting requirement is 2 years from discharge and 4 years from dismissal.
• Walking Away/Doing Nothing - according to the LA Times article the "strategic default" has become common in large foreclosure laden markets such as California (and Florida, Nevada and Arizona). Homeowners who choose this option should expect the same consequences as a Foreclosure (described above).

The LA Times article goes on to state that Americans overall credit scores have declined significantly over the last couple of years. The article refers to the Vantage credit score, the main competitor to the well known FICO credit score, which "rates borrowers on a scale range of 501 (subprime, the highest risk) to 990 (super-prime, the lowest risk). Unlike Fair Isaac Corp.'s FICO scoring system, whose scores can vary by 50 to 100 points based on which bureau supplied the underlying credit data, Vantage scores are about the same for each consumer."

Regarding the negative effects of this financial mess on people's credit scores, the article states "For example, roughly 36.6 million of the 213 million consumers tracked by the three national credit bureaus in the first quarter of 2008 had Vantage scores above 900 -- the super-prime credit rung. That select group represented 17.2% of the country's consumers.But by the end of the second quarter of this year, just 15.4% -- 33.3 million out of 216.9 million individuals' files -- were left among the elite. By credit industry standards, that's huge. More Americans' scores are slipping into the worst credit category as well. In the third quarter of 2006, 34.4 million consumers were in the lowest segment -- 16.6% of 206.9 million individuals. But by the second quarter of this year, 18.3% of all files were in that category -- 39.8 million consumers out of 216.9 million. Most of these changes -- fewer people with excellent credit, more people in the lowest brackets -- have been caused by late payments on home mortgages, serious delinquencies, short sales and foreclosures, according to VantageScore researchers."

The article does offer a glimmer of good news - the same information I have been saying for months. That is "the bottom-line good news about scores is that homeowners facing financial stress can experience minimal dings to their credit if they contact their loan servicer or lender early in the game -- when they first discover that they may have trouble making their monthly payments -- and take the first steps toward a loan modification or refinancing." In other words, doing nothing is the worst thing you can do. The article cautions financially distressed homeowners not to "wait and fall several payments behind before seeking a modification". The article quotes Barrett Burns, a former lender and now chief executive of VantageScore, as saying "Start that conversation early. You can lose 240 points on your score" and damage your ability to obtain credit for years.

Based on the above, if you are a home owner who is experiencing difficult financial times and cannot afford to pay your mortgage, you should try to get a loan modification first. If a loan modification is not approved, or you cannot pay your mortgage even after a loan modification, then a short sale is your next best option.

Due to the declines in people's credit scores as described above, the large number of homeowners in financial distress (due to a loss of income, unemployment, etc.), the large number of homeowners underwater (see my previous blog post, SCARY STUFF: About half of U.S. mortgages seen underwater by 2011), the relative attractiveness of short sales and the large numbers of homeowners who do nothing/walk away (this is a terrible decision) there will be a lot of short sales and foreclosures over the next several years.

If you are a homeowner who cannot pay your mortgage (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, etc.), or your home is already in foreclosure, or you owe more than your home is worth you should contact a real estate and/or bankruptcy attorney to discuss your legal options. You should also contact your mortgage company to inquire about a loan modification. If you a homeowner in Middle Tennessee and would like help and assistance with a loan modification please contact me for free no obligation assistance. If a loan modification will not work for you, or is not granted by your mortgage company, I can help you with a short sale of your property. I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I serve real estate owners, homeowners and investment property owners in Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN and Belle Meade TN. If you do need to short sell your home (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home), or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

FHA in Deep Trouble: Default Rates Skyrocketing

According to this Nashville Business Journal article, FHA reserves feeling the squeeze, and this CNBC article, FHA Cash Reserves to Fall Below Required Levels, high levels of FHA loan defaults have pushed FHA cash reserves below the mandated minimum levels.

Both articles state that the head of the FHA said that the agency will not need a tax payer bailout, that the FHA will hire a chief risk officer and that underwriting criteria will be tightened including higher minimum credit scores and stricter appraisal rules. The Nashville Business Journal article quotes the new release statements of FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens as saying "To be clear, the fund's reserves are sufficient to cover our future losses, so the FHA will not require taxpayer assistance or new Congressional action. That said, given the size and scope of the FHA and its importance to today's market, these risk management and credit policy changes are important steps in strengthening the FHA fund, by ensuring that lenders have proper and sufficient protections."

According to the Nashville Business Journal article, the FHA has become an increasing source of mortgages for first time homebuyers. The problem is that the article also quotes a statistic from the Mortgage Brokers Association, which shows that about 1 in 6 FHA borrowers were behind on their mortgage payments (i.e. in default). That is a 16.67% mortgage default rate.  In other words it is TERRIBLE!  This will ultimately lead to lots of FHA foreclosures and short sales.

While I would like to believe the FHA's statements about not needing a bailout, I cannot. Mark my words, the FHA will indeed need a bailout. You just cannot lend people 96.5% of the purchase price of their home in a declining market and not expect large numbers of foreclosures. Even if the market was flat the FHA buyers would have negative equity due to the cost of selling a home exceeding their down payment.

Due to the Middle Tennessee housing market having relatively lower housing prices and incomes than other areas of the country, there are a lot of FHA home purchases. As a result expect a lot of FHA foreclosures and short sales in Middle Tennessee.

SCARY STUFF: About half of U.S. mortgages seen underwater by 2011

According to this Reuters article, About half of U.S. mortgages seen underwater by 2011, a Deutsche Bank report states that "the percentage of U.S. homeowners who owe more than their house is worth will nearly double to 48 percent in 2011 from 26 percent at the end of March (2009)." According to the Deutsche Bank report, home price declines will affect "conforming" or "prime" borrowers (i.e. those that put 20% down, had documentable income and good credit" the most. The report goes on to state that 41% of prime conforming loans will be underwater by the first quarter of 2011, up from 16% at the end of the first quarter 2009 and 46% percent of prime jumbo loans will be underwater, up from 29%. The report goes on to state that 69% of subprime loans, will be greater than the underlying property value in 2011 (up from 50%) and 89% of option adjustable-rate mortgages (option ARM's), which artificially reduced payments by allowing payments to be lower than the interest due resulting in increasing principal balances, will be underwater in 2011, up from 77%.
In June 2009 Deutsche Bank covered 100 U.S. metropolitan areas and forecast home prices would fall 14% through the 1st quarter of 2011 for a total drop of 41.7%.

The Deutsche Bank reports stated that the regions suffering the worst negative equity are areas in California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and West Virginia. The report added that Las Vegas and parts of Florida and California will see 90% or more of their loans underwater by 2011.
The Deutsche Bank analysts stated that "For many, the home has morphed from piggy bank to albatross."
The Reuters article states that "the drop in home prices is fueling a vicious cycle of foreclosures as it eliminates homeowner equity and gives borrowers an incentive to walk away from their mortgages. The more severe the negative equity, the more likely are defaults, since many borrowers believe prices will not recover enough." (Translation: homeowners will walk away from their homes and give the keys back to the banks once they realize their homes will never be worth enough to pay off the debt.)

The above is more evidence that this housing market mess is far from over despite the nonsense you hear from the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) and the Obama Administration. There will be high numbers of foreclosures and short sales for years to come.

If you are a homeowner in Middle Tennessee who cannot pay your mortgage (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, etc.), or your home is already in foreclosure, or you owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including loan modifications or short sales. I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I serve real estate owners, homeowners and investment property owners in Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN and Belle Meade TN. If you do need to short sell your home (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home), or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Commercial Defaults Coming Fast and Furious

According to this Bloomberg.com article, Maguire to Surrender Buildings, No Bankruptcy Planned, Maguire Properties Inc., the largest office landlord in downtown Los Angeles, will give seven office buildings back to the lenders. The company has already given one of those buildings back to the lenders. They plan on giving the other six buildings back soon. According to the article the company told lenders "it will no longer continue to fund the cash shortfall" on the mortgages for the six buildings. Of the seven office buildings, two are already in default. The CEO of Maguire said that the company is not considering bankruptcy. According to the article, Maguire's decision is a sign that landlords in Southern California’s overleveraged office market can no longer make payments and may be forced to abandon properties.

In short, the real estate market is still in for a world of hurt in formerly fast growth areas such as CA, NV, AZ and FL. Rising commercial loan defaults will lead to large numbers of short sales and foreclosures. The coming ARM resets will cause even more problems. Together, they will wreak more havoc on the real estate markets across the US over the next 12-24 months. Only after these issues play out will we hit a true real estate bottom.

Great Blog Post: The Ridiculous Loan Modification Solution

According to this BrokerAgentSocial article, The Ridiculous Loan Modification Solution, Banks and Mortgage Lenders have no real incentive to offer struggling home owners a loan modification since a Barclay's study showed that "current loans receiving rate modifications will experience a 62% redefault rate and delinquent loans receiving rate modifications will experience an 83% redefault rate." The reasons that these loans will still go bad are simple:

1. The home owners were shaky from the beginning and so they are not the most financially responsible people to start with.
2. Their homes are worth far less than the their mortgage balances. Eventually these people realize that they will never "get even" and just give up by letting the go into foreclosure.

The result of all of this is that short sales are rely best solution for the lenders and the homeowners since it is statistically proven that loan modifications will not work. Regardless of what the all knowing Obama says, keeping people in their homes is not the answer to our real estate crisis. Letting the market hit bottom as soon as possible is.

Delinquencies on home-equity loans hit record

According to this Los Angeles Times article, Delinquencies on home-equity loans hit record, the number of delinquent home equity loans reached 3.52% in the 1st quarter of 2009. The article cites mounting job losses as the primary culprit. The article also mentions that credit card delinquencies reached a record of 6.06% during the same period.

Per my previous posts, it is "only going to get worse". If you cannot afford your home loan payments (mortgage(s) and/or home equity loan(s)), your best option is to request a loan modification in order get your monthly payments reduced. If that does not work and/or your home is worth less than the debt than a short sale is your next best solution. Simply defaulting is not a good answer. If you need assistance in stopping foreclosure proceedings feel free to contact HaltingForeclosures.com.

"Stress Tests a Sham"; Banks Have $2 Trillion Dollar Hole While Credit Card and Commercial Real Estate Loan Defaults Soar

According to this interview with William Black, a former bank regulator, author and current law and economics professor at the University of Missouri, the "Stress Tests" are a "sham"and US banks need $2 trillion dollars to remain solvent. Since he directly attributes this figure to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner I am guessing that the real number is much higher since according to Mr. Black the "stress tests" do not factor in bank reserves or asset quality (i.e. the increasing defaults on all types of loans including credit cards and commercial real estate loans). Additionally, Mr. Black states that commercial real estate is in for a "world of hurt". As I stated previously, there is going to be a surge in the number of foreclosures hitting the market as banks fail and are forced to finally liquidate the foreclosures they have artifically been holding back and most of the large banks in the US are already insolvent and will need to be nationalized soon.

Commercial Real Estate Loan Defaults Will Sink Big Banks

I have read many articles that are stating facts that the mainstream media is not covering.  The most important one is that commercial real estate loans are defaulting at an alarming rate.  While the mainstream media continues to debate whether or not the residential housing bust has reached it bottom they continue to ignore the greater problem of bad commercial real estate loans.  My prediction is that the commercial real estate loan defaults will finish the bank killing that the residential bubble bursting started.  I believe that most, if not all, of the major national banks (think Wachovia, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc.) will need to be nationalized within 12 months.

The expected massive bank failures will further curtail lending (including home mortgages) and result in further softening of home prices, particularly in over-built areas of the US.