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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/25/12

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Today’s News Synopsis:

Bloomberg reported the sales of pending homes decreased 3.5% last month, and at the same time contracts for existing home sales are at the highest in 19 months.  In his latest State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama announced that he intends start a new refinance program allowing homeowners to refinance at low interest rates and therefore save almost $3,000.

In The News:

Bloomberg - “Contracts to Purchase Existing U.S. Homes Hold Near 19-Month High: Economy” (1-25-12)

“The number of Americans signing contracts to buy previously owned homes in December held near a 19-month high, showing the stabilization in the market that began in late 2011 will extend into the new year.”

DS News – “Obama Announces New Refi Program in State of the Union Address” (1-25-12)

“Despite rumors earlier in the week that President Barack Obama would announce a settlement between the state attorneys general and the nation’s top servicers in his State of the Union address, the president made no such announcement Tuesday night.  However, he did announce his intention to save millions of homeowners approximately $3,000 annually on their mortgages by allowing them to refinance at today’s low interest rates”

Housing Wire – “Wells Fargo launches pilot programs to clear LA, Atlanta housing inventory” (1-25-12)

“Wells Fargo (WFC: 30.32 -0.72%) will launch two multibillion-dollar programs this February to clear housing inventory in Los Angeles and Atlanta.”

Bloomberg – “Fed: Benchmark Rate Will Stay Low Until Late 2014″ (1-25-12)

“Federal Reserve officials said their benchmark interest rate will stay low until at least late 2014 and anticipate that unemployment will remain high and inflation ‘subdued’.”

DS News - “ISGN Enters Into $20M Line of Credit from JPMorgan” (1-25-12)

“ISGN Corporation has obtained a $20 million secured line of credit from JPMorgan Chase., the company announced Wednesday.”

NAHB - “Builders Commend White House Focus on Helping Home Owners, Seek Additional Steps to Spur Housing” (1-25-12)

“The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) commends President Obama for offering proposals in last night’s State of the Union address to help families stay in their homes and stanch foreclosures, and is urging policymakers to take additional actions to mend the housing market and boost the economy.”

Housing Wire - “FHFA home prices fall 1.8% in November” (1-25-12)

“Home prices declined 1.8% in November from a year earlier in the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency price index.  The seasonally adjusted index rose 1% from October, when prices fell a revised 0.7% on a monthly basis.”

Inman - “10 metros with biggest 1-year rise in real estate list prices” (1-25-12)

“No metro areas west of El Paso, Texas, earned a spot among the top 10 U.S. hot spots with the highest year-over-year hikes in median list price during 2011. Another Texas metro, San Antonio, ranked fifth on the list, based on data provided by online real estate portal Realtor.com.”

Los Angeles Times - “Eric Schneiderman promises aggressive financial fraud probe” (1-25-12)

“New York Atty. Gen. Eric Schneiderman, who was tapped by President Obama to lead a new Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, promised Wednesday to move aggressively to coordinate state and local investigations into the causes of the subprime mortgage market meltdown.”

Housing Wire - “Fitch downgrades RMBS bond ratings on default risk” (1-25-12)

“The default risk on 489 bonds backed by residential mortgage-backed securities prompted Fitch Ratings to slash the bonds’ ratings this week.  The bonds are part of 291 different residential mortgage-securities deals.”

DS News – “Pending Home Sales Decline Monthly, Rise Annually” (1-25-12)

“After reaching a 19-month high in November, pending home sales declined 3.5 percent in December, according to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Los Angeles, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $165,000 on a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home appraised for $244,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Investors Workshops and will be interviewing Shawn Watkins today.

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Advanced Investing Skills and Strategies 2.5 on February 4, 2012.

Looking Back:

69,799 Notices of Default were recorded during the 4th quarter of 2010, according to MDA DataQuick. The Case-Schiller Index showed home prices decreased 1% during November 2010 in the nation’s top 20 metropolitan areas. University of the Pacific estimated unemployment would remain above 10% in California for 3 more years. IEmergent expected mortgage loan origination to fall below $1 trillion in 2011.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/23/12

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Today’s News Synopsis:

CNN Money reported the neighborhoods hit hardest by foreclosures are those in cul-de-sacs and tree lined streets as well as neighborhoods with modern homes.  Moody’s Investor Services reported a decrease in loan modifications.   Banks and other companies are beginning to move away from using FICO scores to determine a borrower’s credit worthiness and are instead moving toward using mathematical algorithms.

In The News:

Bloomberg – “Programmers Size Up Bank Borrowers With Algorithms Rather Than FICO Scores” (1-22-12)

“For more than 40 years, banks have counted on FICO scores to determine the credit worthiness of American consumers. Now a handful of entrepreneurs in California say it’s time for a smarter way to size up borrowers.  Los Angeles-based ZestCash Inc., along with San Francisco startups BillFloat Inc. and LendingClub Corp., are hiring computer programmers to write software that can better identify candidates for loans — including people with low credit scores. The companies, backed by venture money, also aim to provide lower fees and interest rates than banks.”

Housing Wire - “FHFA: Principal reduction would cost Fannie, Freddie $100 billion” (1-23-12)

“A massive principal reduction program applied to underwater loans held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would cost the mortgage giants more than $100 billion, according to an analysis released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Monday.”

DS News – “Loan Modifications Are on the Decline: Moody’s” (1-23-12)

“As robo-signing reviews reach completion, servicers are beginning to work through some of their foreclosure backlogs, according to a third-quarter report from Moody’s Investors Service.”

Realty Times - “Real Estate Outlook: Housing at Forefront of Concerns” (1-23-12)

“As the race for the 2012 Presidential Election gets rolling, a new survey from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows what is on voters’ minds.  Topping the list of concerns for voters is the importance of homeownership and the ease of obtaining it.”

Housing Wire - “Investors buying with cash pressure home prices” (1-23-12)

“Investors are gobbling up residential real estate with cash, pushing national home prices lower, according to the latest Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey.”

FINS - “Wall Street Chiefs See Bonuses Lowered” (1-23-12)

“Wall Street’s pay crunch is squeezing some wallets harder than others.  J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. disclosed Friday that Chief Executive James Dimon received a 2011 stock bonus valued by the company at $17 million. That is the same as his 2010 award, despite a record profit last year at the New York financial-services company.”

Inman - “Open-house robbery puts focus on agent safety” (1-23-12)

“A recent gunpoint robbery of a homebuyer and a Realtor at an open house in Los Angeles County, Calif., compelled the Pacific West Association of Realtors (PWAR) to issue a warning to their members to be careful at open houses.”

Bloomberg – “BofA Targets Up to $3 Billion in Additional Cuts” (1-23-12)

“Bank of America Corp., the second-biggest U.S. lender by assets, may reduce annual costs by as much as an additional $3 billion in the next stage of Chief Executive Officer Brian T. Moynihan’s efficiency plan.”

Housing Wire - “Chase, Wells slash foreclosure timelines but REO lingers” (1-23-12)

“JPMorgan Chase (JPM: 37.66 +0.80%) and Wells Fargo (WFC: 30.92 +1.24%) cut their foreclosure timelines by as much as 100 days for some of the worst mortgages handled in the third quarter, according to a report from Moody’s Investors Service.”

DS News - “State AGs Reviewing Settlement Draft” (1-23-12)

“After HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan last week announced that the state attorneys general settlement with the nation’s largest banks is just weeks away – with a spokesperson for Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller’s office corroborating the claim – news today is a settlement draft is now in the hands of the state attorneys general for review.”

CNN Money - “Foreclosures: America’s hardest hit neighborhoods” (1-23-12)

“The housing collapse has dramatically changed the nation’s foreclosure landscape.  Neighborhoods boasting modern homes, cul-de-sacs and tree-lined streets in and around Western cities now dominate the list of the top 100 U.S. zip codes hit hardest by foreclosures and claim and comprise all of the top 10 spots, according to data generated for CNNMoney by RealtyTrac.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Wilmington, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $190,000 on a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home appraised for $315,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Investors Workshops and will be interviewing Shawn Watkins on January 25, 2012.

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Advanced Investing Skills and Strategies 2.5 on February 4, 2012.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/20/12

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Sources:
30-year, fixed-rate mortgage hits new low
Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Builder Confidence Rises Fourth Consecutive Time in January
California December Home Sales
Vacant Foreclosures Saddle Local Communities With High Costs
Vacant Properties: Growing Number Increases Communities’ Costs and Challenges
Judge refuses to toss CalPERS suit against Moody’s, S&P
Fannie, Freddie Face Pay Cuts
Lower Pay Coming for Fannie, Freddie CEOs
Democrats push to subpoena FHFA over principal reductions
One million homeowners may get mortgage writedowns: U.S.

Today’s News Synopsis:

In this week’s video, Aaron Norris gives the news of the week in the world of real estate and other big news of the week.  In one big news story,  home sales increased in December 5% accroding to the National Association of Realtors.  In other news, the Lender Processing Services reported yesterday that both the rates of foreclosure and delinquencies are down from last year.  For mortgage-backed securities, the delinquncy rate remained above 9% for the whole of 2011.

In The News:

DS News – “Delinquency and Foreclosure Rates Down From a Year Ago: LPS” (1-19-12)

“Lender Processing Services (LPS) has provided the media with a sneak peek at the results of its mortgage performance data through 2011.”

Bloomberg - “U.S. Home Sales Rise 5% in December” (1-20-12)

“Sales (ETSLTOTL) of previously owned U.S. homes rose for a third month in December to the highest level since January 2011, a sign the housing market ended last year with momentumltors.”

Housing Wire – “Fitch Ratings downgrades 154 classes of Alt-A, subprime” (1-20-12)

“Fitch Ratings downgraded the ratings of 154 loan classes packaged within 52 U.S. Alt-A and subprime residential mortgage-backed securities deals.”

San Francisco Chronicle – “California ill-served by redevelopment agencies” (1-20-12)

“California’s real estate market  is in bad shape. New construction costs are high; development is slow and the  permitting process endless.  All too often, urban planners think that fresh government subsidies can  stimulate the development that heavy regulation throttles. But empty state and  local treasuries have killed off that easy out.”

Realty Times - “30-year Fixed-rate Mortgage Averages 3.88 Percent” (1-20-12)

“In Freddie Mac’s results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® the average mortgage rates changing little amid mixed economic data. Regardless, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage edged down slightly to 3.88 percent to a new all-time record low marking the seventh consecutive week below 4.00 percent.”

Housing Wire – “Sterne Agee lowers estimates for BofA earnings on legacy mortgage issues” (1-20-12)

“Sterne Agee lowered estimates for Bank of America’s (BAC: 6.915 -0.65%) 2012 earnings by 25%, as legal costs continue to mount for the banking giant amid increasing uncertainty in capital markets.”

Wall Street Journal - “Homeowners Stop Waiting to Spruce Up” (1-20-12)

“Americans are stepping up spending on home improvements for the first time in years, giving a small lift to the beleaguered construction sector.  Economists forecast that spending by homeowners and landlords on everything from minor sprucing up to full-scale remodeling rose modestly in 2011.”

Housing Wire – “Moody’s: CMBS delinquency rate higher than 9% through 2011″ (1-20-12)

“The delinquency rate of loans in commercial mortgage-backed securities bounced higher in December and remained above 9% all year.”

Inman - “Tug of war over mortgage rates” (1-20-12)

“The Federal Reserve may again exercise its power to drive down  mortgage rates in order to stimulate the economy, but any savings for  homebuyers may be at least partially offset by a new law that raises  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s guarantee fees and diverts that money to  the Treasury.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Chino, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $240,000 on a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home appraised for $380,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Investors Workshops and will be interviewing Shawn Watkins on January 25, 2012.

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Advanced Investing Skills and Strategies 2.5 on February 4, 2012.

Looking Back:

The Commerce Department reported housing starts decreased in December 2010. However, Fannie Mae expected housing starts to triple by 2013, and the nation’s largest home builders announced plans to increase activity by 10%. RealtyTrac claimed foreclosure starts in California decreased 33% in 2010.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/19/12

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Today’s News Synopsis:

Freddie Mac announced 30-year fixed mortgage rates decreased to 3.88, setting a new record low.  Housing starts over 4% decreased last month according to the Commerce Department.  The Lender Processing Services also reported that teh loan-delinquency rate also decreased 7.7% from a year ago, and the rate is now at 8.15%.

In The News:

Los Angeles Times - “California home sales rise in December; median price falls again” (1-18-12)

“Home sales in the Golden State rose slightly in December, boosted by a pickup in the Bay Area and investor activity in Southern California. But with foreclosures and other low-cost homes dominating the market, the median home price for the state ticked down.”

DS News – “Firms Launch $450M Program to Convert REOs Into Rentals” (1-18-12)

“Government officials are in the process of reviewing 4,000-plus recommendations for turning repossessed homes into rental properties in order to trim the REO inventory held by federal housing agencies.”

Housing Wire – “30-year, fixed-rate mortgage hits new low” (1-19-12)

“The 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.88% this past week, hitting a new low and marking its seventh consecutive week below 4%, Freddie Mac said Thursday.”

San Francisco Chronicle - “BofA Swings to Quarterlly Profit as Lender Builds Capital” (1-19-12)

“Bank of America Corp., the second- largest U.S. lender, swung to a fourth-quarter profit as the company sold assets and built capital faster than expected.”

Inman - “Spy some real estate savings: spyRealty” (1-19-12)

“A new discount-brokerage firm, spyRealty, has launched in New York and Massachusetts, offering homebuyers a 2 percent refund off of the purchase price of a home.”

Housing Wire – “Fitch: Principal reductions meaningfully reduce mortgage delinquencies” (1-19-12)

“Principal reductions on mortgage loans meaningfully reduce delinquencies and foreclosures, much more than current proposals, according to Fitch Ratings.”

Bloomberg - “U.S. Housing Starts Drop 4.1%” (1-19-12)

“Builders began work on fewer houses than forecast in December, capping the worst year on record for single-family home construction and signaling recovery in the industry will take time.”

FINS – “BofA Plans More Job Cuts Under ‘New BAC’” (1-19-12)

“Bank of America plans to continue cutting jobs after reporting in its year-end earnings  statement that employment fell by 5,874 in the fourth quarter and 3,836 over the year in 2011.”

CNN Money - “CPI: Inflation remains in check” (1-19-12)

“Inflation overall held steady last month, as declining gas prices balanced out higher prices for other items.  The government’s key measure of inflation, the Consumer Price Index, showed prices were virtually unchanged from November to December. It marked the second month in a row CPI has barely moved.”

Housing Wire – “U.S. loan delinquency rate down 7.7% from last year” (1-19-12)

“The delinquency rate on U.S. mortgages monitored by Lender Processing Services (LPS: 15.00 +3.52%) fell 7.7% year-over-year in December as the delinquency rate hit 8.15%.”

Mortgage Bankers Association - “CampusMBA Extends Partnership with Insurance Advisors to Offer New Live Online Workshops for Commercial/Multifamily Professionals” (1-19-12)

“CampusMBA, the award-winning education division of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), today announced it has extended its partnership with Stamford, Connecticut-based Insurance Advisors LLC. Under the agreement CampusMBA, in conjunction with Insurance Advisors, will continue to offer live online workshops addressing a variety of insurance issues for commercial/multifamily real estate loans.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Riverside, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $105,000 on a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home appraised for $168,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Investors Workshops and will be interviewing Shawn Watkins on January 25, 2012.

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Advanced Investing Skills and Strategies 2.5 on February 4, 2012.

Looking Back:

The Commerce Department reported housing starts decreased in December 2010. However, Fannie Mae expected housing starts to triple by 2013, and the nation’s largest home builders announced plans to increase activity by 10%.  RealtyTrac claimed foreclosure starts in California decreased 33% in 2010.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/18/12

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Today’s News Synopsis:

According to the most recent Mortgage Bankers Association Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey, mortgage applications increased 23.1% from last week.  NAHB reported builder confidence increased this month for the fourth month in a row, having increased 4 points to 25.  The FHFA is expected to be subpoenad regarding how principle reductions would effect Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In The News:

Housing Wire – “Democrats push to subpoena FHFA over principal reductions” (1-18-12)

“Democrats on the House oversight committee are pushing to subpoena the Federal Housing Finance Agency to obtain an analysis looking at what effects principal reductions would have on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”

NAHB - “Builder Confidence Rises Fourth Consecutive Time in January” (1-18-12)

“Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes continued to climb for a fourth consecutive month in January, rising four points to 25 on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. This is the highest level the index has attained since June of 2007.”

Bloomberg - “Fannie Fees Fail to Offset Record Low Lending Rates: Mortgage” (1-18-12)

“Ben S. Bernanke’s success in pushing mortgage rates to record lows is enabling Congress to fund last month’s payroll tax cut extension by siphoning money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (FMCC), while homebuyers still benefit from the cheapest borrowing costs in history.”

Housing Wire - “Longer Forbearance Option Helps Temporarily Struggling Homeowners” (1-18-12)

“The BuildFax residential remodeling index in November rose for the 25th straight month from a year earlier, exceeding levels reached during the home-equity withdrawal boom of 2004 to 2006, analysts said.”

FINS - “Goldman Cut 2,400 Jobs, Plans More” (1-18-12)

“Even the most sought-after and prestigious investment bank in the business sometimes has to retool its strategy to stay profitable.  Goldman Sachs, which had originally planned to eliminate 1,000 positions in 2011, ended up shedding 2,400, according to its fourth quarter earnings statement.”

Mortgage Bankers Association - “Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey” (1-18-12)

“Mortgage applications increased 23.1 percent from one week earlier (last week’s results included an adjustment for New Years Day), according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 13, 2012.”

Housing Wire – “Home prices dip again in FNC index” (1-18-12)

“U.S. home prices fell 0.4% in November from October, the fourth-straight monthly decline according to FNC’s residential price index.”

DS News - “Clayton Holdins Closes Green River Capital Acquisition” (1-18-12)

“Clayton Holdings LLC announced Wednesday it has completed its acquisition of Green River Capital. No financial details were disclosed.”

Housing Wire - “Economic standstill stalls housing recovery: IHS report” (1-18-12)

“Wage stagnation and weak consumer confidence among young adults are two factors delaying a housing recovery, according to a new report from IHS Global Insight.”

CNN Money - “Foreclosure nightmares: 3 families fight for their homes” (1-18-12)

“With more than 200,000 households receiving foreclosure notices each month, there are bound to be a few mistakes. But for some unlucky homeowners, these blunders carry some serious consequences.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Burbank, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $375,000 on a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home appraised for $617,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be speaking at the Women’s Council of Realtors today.

Bruce Norris of The Norris Group will be at the Investors Workshops and will be interviewing Shawn Watkins on January 25, 2012.

Looking Back:

19,528 new and resale houses and condos sold in Southern California the previous month, according to MDA DataQuick. LPS reported the average foreclosure in California and Nevada had been delinquent 461 days. December’s default rates for first and second mortgages were 2.93% and 1.74%.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/17/12

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Today’s News Synopsis:

According to Housing Wire, Wells Fargo reported the highest recorded income of $4.1 billion in the fourth quarter.  At the same time, Citigroup reported the lowest earnings for the fourth quarter.  The new executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are expected to be facing significant pay cuts.  Home sales increased in December 14%, according to DataQuick.

In The News:

CNN Money – “S&P downgrades Europe bailout fund” (1-16-12)

“Markets across the nation are showing signs of movement and improvement. The latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that mortgage applications were up for the last week, this after a slow two week end to 2011.”

Realty Times - “Real Estate Outlook: More Markets Show Measurable Improvement “ (1-16-12)

“Markets across the nation are showing signs of movement and improvement. The latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that mortgage applications were up for the last week, this after a slow two week end to 2011.”

DS News - “Vacant Foreclosures Saddle Local Communities With High Costs” (1-16-12)

“A recent study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that non-seasonal vacant properties across the United States rose 51 percent over the span of a decade, from nearly 7 million in 2000 to 10 million in April 2010.”

Housing Wire - “Wells Fargo earns record $4.1 billion in 4Q” (1-17-12)

“Wells Fargo (WFC: 29.95 +1.15%), the largest mortgage lender in the U.S., reported record income of $4.1 billion, or 73 cents a  share, for the fourth quarter, up 20% from one year ago.”

Bloomberg - “Private-Equity Firms to Increase Hotel Investments in Smaller U.S. Cities” (1-17-12)

“Private-equity firms will help drive an increase in hotel transactions this year in smaller U.S. cities, where investment returns tend to be higher than in large markets, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.”

San Francisco Chronicle - “U.S. Stock Futures Rise as Commodity Shares Gain on China Bets” (1-17-12)

“U.S. stock futures rose, following a two-week rally in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, as China’s economic slowdown fueled speculation monetary policy will ease.”

Wall Street Journal - “Fannie, Freddie Face Pay Cuts” (1-17-12)

“Government regulators will cut sharply the pay of the executives they hire to succeed the departing heads of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said regulators, which may make it difficult for the struggling mortgage-finance giants to attract and keep qualified chief executives.”

Housing Wire – “FDIC may force banks to disclose proposed stress test results” (1-17-12)

“The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. proposed new annual stress test requirements Tuesday for the 23 largest banks holding more than $10 billion in assets.”

CNN Money - “Citigroup reports dismal earnings, stock falls 6%” (1-17-12)

“Citigroup reported quarterly profit and revenue that fell short of forecasts, driven by ongoing weakness in trading and the unwinding of Citi Holdings, which includes Citi’s mortgage servicing business.”

FINS - “Citigroup Hikes Expense Cuts After Laying Off 5,000″ (1-17-12)

“After cutting 5,000 jobs last year, Citigroup plans to increase annual expense reductions to between $2.5 billion and $3 billion this year, executives said while reporting earnings for the year and fourth quarter.”

CNN Money - “Obama council repeats job-creating ideas” (1-17-12)

“President Obama’s jobs council on Tuesday released its latest round of recommendations detailing how the United States can be more competitive.”

Housing Wire - “Investors push Southern California home sales higher” (1-17-12)

“Investors pushed home sales in Southern California higher in December, lifting 14% from November, DataQuick said Tuesday.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Perris, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $115,000 on a 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom home appraised for $201,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

Bruce Norris will be speaking today at the Apartment Owners Association-Discover Wealth Strategies for 2012 in Buena Park.

The Norris Group will be at the Women’s Council of Realtors on January 18, 2012.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/13/12

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Sources:

Loan Mods and Delinquencies Rise in November: HOPE NOW
Foreclosures fall to lowest level since 2007
Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
Zillow: Home values in November back at 2003 levels
Fed governor calls for new housing regulatory regime
The fight over Bernanke REO rental plan shows political divide
FED FOCUS-Fed treads new path with US housing push
Fannie Mae CEO Williams Resigns

Today’s News Synopsis:

In this week’s video, Aaron Norris gives the news of the week in the world of real estate and other big events.  Consumer sentiment is at its highest level in 8 months, which is now at 74.  According to DS News, Michigan is really going after people who committ mortgage fraud by passing a law that makes it a felony to committ.  Mortgage rages continue to be at their lowest on record.

In The News:

Housing Wire - “Foreclosure starts drop across the West Coast” (1-13-12)

“Foreclosure starts across the West Coast plummeted in December as California, Nevada and Washington reported double-digit declines in new mortgages entering the process, according to ForeclosureRadar.”

Bloomberg - “Housing Recovery to Give U.S. Economy Modest Push in ’12, Fannie Mae Says” (1-13-12)

“Home sales and construction will improve this year, contributing “modestly” to economic expansion after acting as a drag on growth since 2006, according to a Fannie Mae (FNMA) forecast released today.”

Realty Times - “Mortgage Rates Continue Trend of Record-Breaking Lows” (1-13-12)

“In Freddie Mac’s results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, it showed mortgage rates easing to new all-time record lows for all products covered in the survey helping to keep homebuyer affordability high.“

San Francisco Chronicle - “Billionaire Paulson Persists With Rebounding Property:Mortgages” (1-13-12)

“Mortgage securities are drawing buyers after tumbling last year and handing  billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson his first loss in the bond market.”

Housing Wire - “Jobs growth points to potential recovery in housing” (1-13-12)

“The housing market remains in the trenches, but underlying fundamentals show a recovery is possible as long as employment continues to tick up, Capital Economics said Friday.”

FINS - “JP Morgan to Hire in 2012″ (1-13-12)

“Despite a weak second half and continued market volatility last year, JPMorgan added 20,300 employees and intends to keep hiring in certain areas in 2012.”

San Francisco Chronicle - “RealtyTrac: Home seizures may jump 25% this year” (1-13-12)

“Banks may seize more than 1 million U.S. homes this year after legal scrutiny of  their foreclosure practices slowed actions against delinquent property owners in  2011, RealtyTrac said.”

CNN Money - “Europe braces for S&P downgrades” (1-13-12)

“European officials and investors were on alert Friday following reports that several eurozone countries were about to be downgraded by rating agency Standard & Poor’s.”

Housing Wire - “Consumer sentiment hits 8-month high” (1-13-12)

“A preliminary January reading of consumer sentiment rose to 74, the highest level of the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index since May.”

Bloomberg - “Attorneys General Discuss Mortgage Probes as Bank Talks Drag On” (1-13-12)

“About a dozen state attorneys general met this week to discuss their mortgage investigations and how they might work together as settlement talks with banks over foreclosures drag on, three people familiar with the matter said.”

DS News - “New Michigan Laws Make Mortgage Fraud a Felony” (1-13-12)

“Michigan is taking a strong stand on mortgage fraud. New state laws that went into effect at the start of the year have redefined mortgage fraud in the eyes of the law and are defining strict consequences for perpetrators.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Lancaster, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $67,000 on a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home appraised for $111,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

The Norris Group will be at the Women’s Council of Realtors on January 18, 2012.

The Norris Group will be at the Investors Workshops with Shawn Watkins on January 25, 2012.

Looking Back:

Top News Stories: Several sources reported that the number of foreclosures were expected to increase in 2011.  Bloomberg expected them to rise almost 20%.  In other news, mortgage rates declined for the second week in a row according to Freddie Mac. Corelogic reported that home prices continued to decline.  On a positive note, however, John Burns said this did not stop consumers from wanting to purchase homes.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/12/12

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Today’s News Synopsis:

In a big news story, foreclosures are at their lowest level since 2007, according to RealtyTrac.  Another thing at a record low right now is 30-year fixed mortgage rates, which are now at almost 4%.  Realty Times reported that Freddie Mac extended the forbearance for mortgage servicers.

In The News:

Bloomberg – “Home Seizures May Jump 25% This Year” (1-11-12)

“Banks may seize more than 1 million U.S. homes this year after legal scrutiny of their foreclosure practices slowed actions against delinquent property owners in 2011, RealtyTrac Inc. said.”

CNN Money - “Foreclosures fall to lowest level since 2007″ (1-12-12)

“Foreclosure filings and repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007 last year.  Total filings, including default notices and bank repossessions were down 33% for the year to 2.7 million, according to RealtyTrac, the online marketer of foreclosed properties.”

Realty Times - “Longer Forbearance Option Helps Temporarily Struggling Homeowners” (1-12-12)

“If you are struggling to pay your mortgage, but can see a light at the end of the tunnel, don’t overlook the forbearance option.  Freddie Mac recently gave mortgage servicers of its loans authority to provide you with up to a year of forbearance – as much as four times the previous term.”

Bloomberg - “Mortgage Rates for 30-Year Fixed U.S. Loans Decline to Record Low of 3.89%” (1-12-12)

“Rates for 30-year U.S. mortgages fell to the lowest level on record after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke urged lawmakers to do more to revive housing.”

Housing Wire – “FICO warns mortgage, student loan delinquencies may rise” (1-12-12)

“Bank risk professionals believe Americans who are over leveraged on mortgage, student loan and credit card debt remain a risk to the broader economy, according to a FICO report.”

Inman - “Trulia offers agents insights into consumer behavior” (1-12-12)

“Trulia today launched a new subscription-based lead-generation service that provides real estate professionals with insight into the search preferences of visitors to the popular listing portal.”

Bloomberg - “Fed Detection of Housing Weakness in August 2006 Triggered Rate-Rise Pause” (1-12-12)

“Federal Reserve officials detected growing weakness in the U.S. housing market in August 2006, deciding to pause after a two-year campaign raising the benchmark interest rate.”

Housing Wire – “NeighborWorks invests $1.3 billion into rental homes” (1-12-12)

“NeighborWorks America, which finances community development around the country, invested more than $1.3 billion in rental housing over its fiscal year ending Sept. 30.”

DS News - “Foreclosures in Most of Top 20 Metros Decline From Past Two Years” (1-12-12)

“With Atlanta as the exception, all of the metro areas on RealtyTrac’s top 20 list for foreclosure rates in 2011 demonstrated declines in foreclosures from both of the previous two years.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Riverside, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $92,000 on a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home appraised for $153,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

The Norris Group posted a new event. Bruce Norris will be speaking at the Apartment Owners Association-Discover Wealth Strategies for 2012 Los Angeles on January 12, 2012.

The Norris Group will be at the Women’s Council of Realtors on January 18, 2012.

Looking Back:

According to CoreLogic, in November 2010 the price of homes fell once again for the fourth month in a row.  Moody’s Investor Services reported a 79% increase in delinquncies for commercial mortgage-backed securities.  The Mortgage Banker’s Association also reported that applications for mortgage refinancing increased that week 2.2%.  Mortgage News Daily gave an update that the conventional 30-year fixed mortgage increased again to 4.875%.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/11/12

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Today’s News Synopsis:

In an updated news story, Michael J. Willimas, the Chief Executive for Fannie Mae, resigned yesterday and will step down as soon as a sucessor is found.  The latest report from the Lender Processing Services showed a decrease in home values of only 8%, and an overall slowdown in decreasing values.  The latest survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association showed an increase in mortgage applications.

In The News:

Housing Wire - “LPS index shows home value declines slowing down” (1-11-12)

“The latest home price index from Lender Processing Services (LPS: 15.3001 -0.52%) shows a slight 0.8% decline in home prices in October. Early data also suggest home price declines stabilized even more in November with a slight dip of 0.5% nationally.”

Mortgage Bankers Association - “Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey” (1-11-12)

“Mortgage applications increased 4.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 6, 2012.  The results include an adjustment to account for the New Year’s Day holiday.”

Housing Wire – “The fight over Bernanke REO rental plan shows political divide” (1-11-12)

“Chairman Ben Bernanke’s plan to fix housing is feeding an ongoing national debate about the appropriate role of the Federal Reserve in America’s housing recovery.”

Realty Times - “Mortgage Rates Remaining Low While European Troubles Persist” (1-11-12)

“It may be a New Year, but European troubles continue to persist which is helping mortgage rates to remain low. Markets remain quiet as investors await fourth quarter earnings which will begin to be released..”

Bloomberg - “Lennar Rises After Reportign New-Home Orders Climbed 20% from Year Earlier” (1-11-12)

“Lennar Corp. (LEN), the third-largest U.S. homebuilder by revenue, rose in New York trading after reporting a 20 percent jump in new orders for the fourth quarter from a year earlier.”

Housing Wire - “FHFA disputes claims of inadequate FHLB oversight” (1-11-12)

“The Office of the Inspector General released a report Wednesday contending Federal Housing Finance Agency supervision of troubled Federal Home Loan Banks is unclear and inconsistent.”

San Francisco Chronicle – “Fed Says U.S. Economic Growth Improves While Hiring Limited” (1-11-12)

“The U.S. economic expansion improved last month across most of the country while  hiring was limited and housing remained stagnant, the central bank said.”

Bloomberg - “U.S. Property Deals May Climb to $300 Billion This Year, Real Capital Says” (1-11-12)

“U.S. commercial property deals are likely to climb 50 percent to $300 billion this year as loan maturities force asset sales and the economy grows, Real Capital Analytics Inc. said in its annual list of market predictions.”

NAHB – “Voters Place High Value on Homeownership, Oppose Policies That Make It More Difficult to Own a Home” (1-11-12)

“By an overwhelming margin, American voters strongly value homeownership and would oppose efforts to weaken or eliminate the mortgage interest deduction or diminish a federal role to help qualified home buyers obtain affordable 30-year mortgages, according to a new nationwide survey gauging likely voters’ attitudes towards homeownership and housing policy issues.”

Housing Wire – “FHFA considers paycut for new Fannie, Freddie CEOs” (1-11-12)

“The Federal Housing Finance Agency is taking into consideration what government employees are paid when determining the future compensation for the CEOs at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”

San Francisco Chronicle - “Bernanke Doubles Down on Fed Bet Defied by Recession: Mortgages” (1-11-12)

“Ben S. Bernanke is signaling his willingness to double down on a three-year bet  that’s failed to revive housing, showing the extent of the Federal Reserve  chairman’s effort to wrest a recovery from the deepest recession.”

FINS - “Fannie Mae CEO Michael Williams Out” (1-11-12)

“Fannie Mae Chief Executive Michael J. Williams resigned Tuesday, saying he will depart as soon as the mortgage-finance giant’s board names a successor.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Hesperia, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $48,000 on a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home appraised for $80,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

The Norris Group posted a new event.  Bruce Norris will be speaking at the Apartment Owners Association-Discover Wealth Strategies for 2012 Los Angeles on January 12, 2012.

The Norris Group will be at the Women’s Council of Realtors on January 18, 2012.

Looking Back:

The Charles Schwab Corp. was required to pay $119 million dollars to settle claims that they were deceptive in their YieldPlus fund.  Following the release of their earnings for 2010, Goldman Sachs made several changes to the divisions in their business, according to Housing Wire.  DSNews reported that four major banks had been asked by New York City Comptroller John C. Liu to evaluate their recent mortgage and foreclosure processes following the then recent robo-signing scandal.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/10/12

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Today’s News Synopsis:

In a big news story, the president and CEO of Fannie Mae, Michael Williams, is expected to resign.  According to the latest Zillow report, the values of homes in the United States decreased almost 5% year-over-year and are now at the level they were at in 2003.  HOPE NOW said a lot fewer loans were modified than last year, but on a positive note the number of loan modifications did increase in November from October.

In The News:

CNN Money - “Turning foreclosures into rentals” (1-9-12)

“Federal officials hope to launch a pilot program in early 2012 to convert government-owned foreclosures into rental properties.  The program, which was cited by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke last week as one way to address the housing crisis, would sell foreclosed homes now owned by Fannie Mae (FNMA, Fortune 500) and Freddie Mac (FMCC, Fortune 500) to investors in bulk. The properties would then be converted into rentals.”

DS News – “Suspected Mortgage Fraud Continues to Rise, But at Slower Pace” (1-10-12)

“Suspicious activity reports (SARs) involving fraud in the financial industry rose from 1.32 million in fiscal 2010 to 1.45 million in fiscal 2011, according to the latest annual report from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), based in Vienna, Virginia.”

Housing Wire – “Zillow: Home values in November back at 2003 levels” (1-10-12)

“Home values in the United States in November remained flat with the prior month but declined 4.6% from last year, according to the latest real estate markets report from Zillow Inc. (Z: 24.19 +5.04%).”

Bloomberg - “Manhattan’s Office Leasing Reaches 11-Year High, Cushman & Wakefield Says” (1-10-12)

“Manhattan office leasing climbed 16 percent last year as tenants agreed to occupy the most space in more than a decade, Cushman & Wakefield Inc. said.”

Realty Times - “New California Law Protects Tenants’ Political Signs” (1-10-12)

“Any discrimination that prevents freedom of expression, based on whether or not you own property is a denial of rights that belong to all people.”  That’s what California State Senator Christine Kehoe said in advocating her bill, Senate Bill 337, during the recent session of the California Legislature.  The aim of SB 337 was to prevent landlords from forbidding their tenants to post political signs on the property that they rent.”

DS News – “Fannie Mae CEO to Resign” (1-10-12)

“Michael Williams has decided to step down from his position as CEO and president of Fannie Mae, the GSE announced today.”

NAHB - “Home Builders, Former NFL Players Strengthen Communities with Touchdown for Homes” (1-10-12)

“Up until now, one of the few things home builders had in common with football players was that builders constructed the houses where millions of families watched their favorite NFL teams compete each week. But with Touchdown for Homes, a charitable outreach program of the National Association of Home Builders and the NFL Players Association, home builders and former NFL players are teaming up around the country to build or renovate homes for children or families in need and veterans.”

Housing Wire - “2011 mortgage modifications fall short of previous year” (1-10-12)

“Mortgage servicers are on track to modify far fewer loans in 2011 than the previous year, according to the most recent data provided by the Hope Now alliance formed by these firms and others in the industry.”

DS News - “Loan Mods and Delinquencies Rise in November: HOPE NOW” (1-10-12)

“The number of mortgage modifications completed during the month of November rose 5 percent from October, bringing the year-to-date total to about 969,000, according to HOPE NOW, a voluntary private sector alliance of mortgage industry participants.”

CNN Money - “Federal Reserve pays $77 billion to Treasury” (1-10-12)

“Ben Bernanke is about to hand Timothy Geithner a very large check.  The Federal Reserve announced Tuesday that it plans to pay the Treasury $76.9 billion, the bulk of the Fed’s 2011 income after accounting for its own operating expenses.”

San Francisco Chronicle - “Encumberances And Nonpossessory Interests In Real Property” (1-10-12)

“Property  is a legal concept that grants and protects a person’s exclusive right to own,  possess, use and dispose of a thing. The term property does not suggest a  physical item, but describes a legal relationship of a person to a thing.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Lancaster, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $50,000 on a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home appraised for $106,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

The Norris Group posted a new event. The Norris Group will be at the Real Estate Investor Rewind at CVREIA on January 10, 2011.

Bruce Norris will be speaking at the Apartment Owners Association-Discover Wealth Strategies for 2012 Los Angeles on January 12, 2012.

Looking Back:

According to the Federal Reserve Board, the amount of net income reserve banks took in was 34% higher than the previous year.  The Federal Reserve Board, in turn, made a profit of $78.4 the previous year, the largest profit it had made in several years.  The then recent ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Court was not expected to change foreclosure practices drastically but rather opens the door to allow trustees to hold mortgages.

For more information about The Norris Group’s California hard money loans or our California Trust Deed investments, visit the website or call our office at 951-780-5856 for more information. For upcoming California real estate investor training and events, visit The Norris Group website and our California investor calendar. You’ll also find our award-winning real estate radio show on KTIE 590am at 6pm on Saturdays or you can listen to over 170 podcasts in our free investor radio archive.

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