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California Real Estate Headline Roundup

Posts Tagged ‘KB Home’

The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 12/21/11

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Today’s News Synopsis:

The NAHB reported an increase in confidence for homebuilding for the third month in a row.  However, mortgage rates are down to a new low according to the latest survey released by the Mortgage Bankers Association.  The number of existing homes increased again last month by 4% according to NAR, and shadow inventory is continuing to remain steady.

In The News:

Mortgage Bankers Association – “Mortgage Rates Drop to Another 2011 Low in Latest MBA Weekly Survey” (12-21-11)

“Mortgage applications decreased 2.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 16, 2011.  The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.”

Realty Times - “Builder Confidence Rises in December” (12-21-11)

“Builder confidence rose in December according to the National Association of Home Builders. This is the third straight month of improved confidence.  The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) indicates this is the highest level the market has seen since May 2010.”

Housing Wire – “Shadow inventory remains unchanged at 1.6 million” (12-21-11)

“National home prices continue to be pressured by a stream of distressed properties that threaten to push prices even lower, a CoreLogic (CLGX: 12.53 -1.88%) report said Wednesday.“

DS News - “Existing-Home Sales Rise in November” (12-21-11)

“Existing-home sales rose again last month, according to data released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).  That assessment, however, is coming off of lower sales numbers than previously thought, reflecting revisions to NAR’s data going back to 2007.”

Bloomberg - “KB Home Fourth-Quarter Profit Beats Analysts’ Estimates on Higher Revenue” (12-21-11)

“KB Home (KBH), the Los Angeles-based homebuilder that targets first-time buyers, reported a quarterly profit that beat analysts’ estimates as sales and orders rose.”

CNN Money - “Unemployment benefits extension: What’s at stake” (12-21-11)

“The long-term unemployed are running out of time.  In 11 days, a provision will expire that could cause millions of jobless Americans to lose a critical lifeline next year.  At issue is the extension of emergency federal unemployment benefits, which allow the jobless to collect benefits for up to 99 weeks. Also at stake are the extension of a payroll tax cut, and the “doc fix,” which would prevent a scheduled pay cut to Medicare physicians.”

San Francisco Chronicle - “Bernanke Money Policy Seen Successful as Savers Become Consumers” (12-21-11)

“Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke finally may be catching a break: His  easy-money policies are showing signs of speeding up the economic rebound three  years after he cut interest rates to zero.”

Housing Wire – “Fannie nixes ‘ability to pay’ wall to HARP refinancing” (12-21-11)

“Lenders are no longer required to determine a borrower’s ability to repay a loan when underwriting mortgages for inclusion in Fannie Mae’s HARP 2.0 refinancing channel.”

The Wall Street Journal - “Demand for Rentals Drives Big Rise in Home Building” (12-21-11)

“Residential construction surged in November, sparking cautious hope that the U.S. housing market is gaining traction.  Housing starts hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000 units, the highest level in 19 months, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.”

Hard Money Loan Closed

Riverside, California hard money loan closed by The Norris Group private lending. Real estate investor received loan for $70,000 on a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom home appraised for $117,000.

California Real Estate Investor Events:

The Norris Group posted a new event. Bruce Norris will be speaking at the Real Estate Rewind at IRCA Los Angeles on January 3, 2012.

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

Looking Back:

Modifications to foreclosures on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae mortgages increased more than twice as much in the third quarter of 2010, according to Housing Wire.  Shaun Donovan said he and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu were discussing plans of creating an energy scoring system for houses.  Standard and Poor’s reported levels of securities backed by mortgages were the slowest they had been since 2007, both for commercial and residential property.  NAHB stated that the driving force for the housing market were actually the smaller businesses.  CBIA announced that construction on new homes increased 21% in December 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 9/12/11

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Today’s News Synopsis:

According to Bloomberg, a big story in the news is the real estate property for several market chains, including Ruby Tuesday and Cracker Barrel, is actually worth more than the restaurants themselves.  In the next several years, Bank of America plans on cutting 30,000 jobs.  Housing Wire reported Standard & Poor’s parent company will no longer only be McGraw-Hill, but will be splitting into two smaller companies: McGraw-Hill Markets and McGraw-Hill Education.

In The News:

Housing Wire - “Standard & Poor’s parent company splits” (9-12-11)

“Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is moving under a smaller umbrella corporation.  Parent company McGraw-Hill is bifurcating operations, with each separate company renamed. The two companies will be called McGraw-Hill Markets and McGraw-Hill Education.”

DS News - “Distressed Real Estate Makes Its Way Into Obama’s Jobs Plan” (9-12-11)

“In addition to refinancing assistance for mortgage holders, President Barack Obama’s proposed American Jobs Act includes a handful of elements that relate to the distressed real estate market, all part of what the administration has labeled Project Rebuild.”

Mortgage Bankers Association - “Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Delinquencies Down in Second Quarter for Four of Five Major Investor Groups” (9-12-11)

“Commercial/multifamily mortgage delinquency rates among four out of five major investor groups decreased in the second quarter of 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Commercial/Multifamily Delinquency Report.”

O.C. Register - “BofA to cut 30,000 workers” (9-12-11)

“Bank of America plans a sweeping overall of its nationwide operations — cost-cutting endeavors that will trim is payrolls by 30,000 positions over the next several years.”

DS News - “Mortgage Fraud Declines: Report” (9-12-11)

“Mortgage fraud grew in the second quarter of the year but was still down from where it was a year earlier, according to the Second Quarter 2011 Mortgage Fraud Index, released Monday by MortgageDaily.com.”

Housing Wire - “Fitch downgrades homebuilders as housing market softens” (9-12-11)

“Fitch Ratings issued a negative outlook for several publicly traded homebuilders, including KB Home (KBH: 5.68 +0.18%) and said housing is expected to remain soft through at least 2012.”

Realtor Magazine - “12 Housing Markets Seeing the Biggest Turnarounds” (9-12-11)

“The National Association of Home Builders is debuting a new economic index that highlights metro areas that are seeing the most improvement in their housing markets. The First American Improving Markets Index reveals 12 metro areas that have seen a turnaround for at least six months in three core economic areas — housing permits, employment, and housing prices.”

Bloomberg - “Rush to Restaurant Real Estate Brings 53% Increase in Valuation: Real M&A” (9-12-11)

“The cheapest restaurants in America are luring activist investors who are betting companies from Ruby Tuesday Inc. (RT) to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. (CBRL) can make more money selling their own real estate than food.”

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 event 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 6/29/11

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Today’s News Synopsis:

Bloomberg reported an increase of 8.26% in pending sales for existing homes.  Bank of America and RMBS investors have reached a settlement in their recent suit regarding a loss of money for investors.  Mortgage applications saw a decrease of of 2.7%, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.  Ally Financial has been subpoenaed by Federal Regulators in hopes to obtain information connected to a current investigation by the Justice Department.

In The News:

Bloomberg - “Pending Sales for U.S. Existing Homes Rise 8.2%” (6-29-11)

“More Americans than forecast signed contracts in May to buy previously owned homes, signaling the residential real estate market may be rebounding from a slump earlier in the year.”

Housing Wire - “Bank of America settles with RMBS investors for $8.5 billion“ (6-29-11)

“Bank of America (BAC: 11.175 +3.28%) agreed to pay $8.5 billion to investors who lost money on soured residential mortgage-backed securities that were assumed by the banking giant after it acquired Countrywide Financial Corp.”

Realty Times - “Case-Shiller Index Indicates Home Value Boost” (6-29-11)

“According to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, April experienced a seasonal boost in home prices. Both the 10- and 20-City Composites were up 0.8% and 0.7% month over month, the first rise in eight months.”

Mortgage Bankers Association - “Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey” (6-29-11)

“Mortgage applications decreased 2.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending June 24, 2011.”

Los Angeles Times - “KB Home posts second-quarter loss” (6-29-11)

“Los Angeles home builder KB Home widened its loss in its second quarter as the housing market stalled and the company continued to suffer the fallout from the bankruptcy of a Las Vegas development.”

RisMedia - “Brokerage Veteran Louis Farina Joins Jordan Baris, Inc. Rentals” (6-29-11)

“Louis Farina has taken the reins and is running Jordan Baris, Inc. Rentals. Farina has an extensive background as the former owner of Signature Homes and Estates in Morris County, an award winning manager running a large office for a franchise and as a top producing Realtor.”

Housing Wire - “Early-stage mortgage delinquencies drop to 3-year low” (6-29-11)

“The amount of mortgages in the earliest stage of delinquency at the end of March dropped to the lowest level since the first quarter of 2008, federal banking regulators said.”

Realtor Magazine - “Fannie to Fine Lenders for Foreclosure Delays” (6-29-11)

“Mortgage servicers who have delayed the foreclosure process for delinquent borrowers may now get fined. Fannie Mae announced it will retroactively fine mortgage servicers for failing to process severely aged loans in foreclosure, HousingWire reports.”

DQ News - “Las Vegas Metro Area May Home Sales” (6-29-11)

“Las Vegas region home sales held at a five-year high last month, rising modestly from both April and a year earlier as sales of distressed properties continued to account for nearly 70 percent of the resale market.”

Housing Wire – “Regulators subpoena Ally Financial in mortgage probe” (6-29-11)

“Federal regulators subpoenaed Ally Financial Inc. this month, asking the lender for documents tied to mortgage deals and information related to a Justice Department investigation.”

Looking Back:

One year ago, Standard & Poor claimed U.S. home prices rose 0.8 percent in April 2010. According to the MBA, independent mortgage bankers and subsidiaries made an average profit of $1,135 on each loan they originated in 2009. Congress debated over legislation that would eliminate the HVCC in 90 days if passed. The House voted 409-5 to extend the closing deadline for the tax credit to Sept. 30 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 4/5/11

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Today’s News Synopsis:

Two Wall Street firms claim housing prices will continue to fall through the present quarter. REIS reports the national office vacancy rate fell to 17.5% in the first quarter. A Harris Poll shows 22% of U.S. homeowners are having difficulty making their mortgage payments. A new RealtyTrac feature allows users checking home listings to see how much equity each property has.

In The News:

NAHB - “Home Builders Applaud Congressional Passage of 1099 Repeal” (4-5-11)

“The Senate today approved legislation supported by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) to repeal a burdensome tax paperwork requirement that could cost small businesses thousands of dollars each year. The bill now goes to President Obama for his approval.”

Orange County Register – “59% of H.B. homes pending sale are distressed” (4-5-11)

“59% of homes in escrow are short sales, in foreclosure or bank owned. 42% of homes sold in March were distressed.”

Housing Wire – “Democrats’ homeownership assistance bills face fiscal resistance” (4-5-11)

“Senate Bill 690 and H.R. 1238 — would create a new executive position under the Treasury Department to advocate for homeowners and free up remaining TARP funds to help distressed homeowners with legal assistance.”

Housing Wire – “KBW says eight GSE reform bills barely dent mortgage market” (4-5-11)

“the proposed legislation addresses oversight issues, which means little structural change will manifest because of them, according to a report released by KBW Tuesday.”

CNBC - “No Spring Break in Housing: Prices Likely to Keep Falling” (4-4-11)

“Housing prices will not get a Spring bounce and will actually fall during the industry’s historically best season as buyers continue to wait for that elusive ‘housing bottom,’ according to surveys and analysis by two top Wall Street firms.”

Wall Street Journal – “Lenders Near Pacts With Regulators in Foreclosure Probe” (4-4-11)

“Fourteen U.S. lenders are on the verge of agreements with federal bank regulators to overhaul their handling of foreclosures and treatment of delinquent borrowers in response to allegations of abuses that emerged last fall.”

Bloomberg - “KB Home Reports Wider First-Quarter Loss as Revenue and Orders Plunged” (4-5-11)

“KB Home (KBH), the Los Angeles-based homebuilder that targets first-time buyers, fell the most in four months in New York trading after reporting a bigger-than- expected loss as orders plunged.”

Bloomberg - “Office Market in U.S. Begins Recovery as Vacancy Rate Declines” (4-5-11)

“The national vacancy rate fell to 17.5 percent in the first quarter from 17.6 percent in the previous three months, Reis Inc. said in a report today. The drop was the first since July through September of 2007.”

Orange County Register – “U.S.: World’s 7th worst housing market” (4-5-11)

“The United States had the 7th worst housing market in the world in the fourth quarter, according to year-to-year price changes tracked by the Knight Frank Global House Price Index.”

Orange County Register – “32 million people struggling to pay mortgage” (4-5-11)

“A new Harris Poll shows that 22% of U.S. homeowners with mortgages — 32 million people — are having a tough time making payments, including 7% — 11 million folks — who say they’re experiencing ‘a great deal of difficulty’.”

Orange County Register – “Irvine housing speeds up 17%” (4-5-11)

“Irvine’s housing market has 85 days worth of inventory of residences to sell vs. 96 days countywide. That’s according to the latest inventory math of Orange County broker Steve Thomas.”

Housing Wire – “New RealtyTrac feature lists property equity” (4-5-11)

“RealtyTrac unveiled a new feature on its website Tuesday that enables users going through the home listings to see how much equity each property has.”

Housing Wire – “Wells Fargo-Wachovia settles CDO claim with SEC for $11 million” (4-5-11)

“A Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into Wachovia Capital Markets’ sale of two collateralized debt obligations supported by residential mortgage-backed securities resulted in Wells Fargo Securities agreeing to pay $11 million in fines and penalties this week.”

Looking Back:

Pending home sales increased by 8.2 percent from January to February. A new rule will require all new lender applicants for FHA programs to possess a minimum net worth of $1 million. According to LPS, the average loan in foreclosure is 401 days delinquent.  A proposed bill, House Resolution 4935, will prohibit mortgage servicers from holding another mortgage on a property that also secures the serviced mortgage.

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 2/15/11

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Today’s News Synopsis:

Statistics from MDA Dataquick show 4,458 new and resale houses and condos sold in Southern California last month. The CAR reports California home sales rose 5% in January. CoreLogic claims national home sales fell 12% year over year. FHA intends to raise its mortgage premiums by 1/4 of a point.

In The News:

Bloomberg - “U.S. Homebuilder Confidence Stagnates in February on Slow Sales” (2-15-11)

“The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo sentiment index registered a reading of 16 for the fourth consecutive month, in line with the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, data from the Washington- based group showed today. Readings below 50 mean more respondents said conditions were poor.”

MDA DataQuick – “Southern California Home Sales, Median Sale Price Edge Lower” (2-15-11)

“Last month 14,458 new and resale houses and condos sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties. That was down 26.0 percent from 19,528 in December, and down 5.9 percent from 15,361 in January 2010, according to DataQuick Information Systems of San Diego.”

CAR - “January sales and price report” (2-15-11)

“Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 546,420 in January, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide, representing 90 percent of the market. January’s sales were up 5.1 percent from December’s revised pace of 520,080 and up 2.5 percent from the 532,870 sales pace recorded in January 2010.”

USA Today – “Builders offer MPG-like home efficiency labels” (2-15-11)

“KB Home, one of the nation’s largest builders, announced Monday its plans to have an EPG (Energy Performance Guide) on each of its U.S. homes by the end of this month, and other production builders plan to follow.”

Housing Wire - “Majority of Freddie Mac borrowers refinanced to fixed-rate loans in 4Q” (2-15-11)

“More than 95% of borrowers refinanced to a fixed-rate mortgage, with a strong trend toward shorter-term deals, according to the agency’s quarterly Product Transition Report. Of the borrowers who refinanced from a 30-year FRM, almost one-third chose a 15- or 20-year loan, the highest share since the first quarter of 2004.”

Housing Wire – “Home sales fell 12% in 2010: CoreLogic” (2-15-11)

“U.S. home sales totaled 3.6 million in 2010, a 12% drop from the year before that pulled prices down with it, according to data provider CoreLogic”

Housing Wire – “FHA to increase mortgage insurance premiums one quarter of one point” (2-15-11)

“The Federal Housing Administration is increasing its annual mortgage insurance premium one quarter of one point on all 15-year and 30-year mortgages backed by the agency.”

Housing Wire – “Even with bank-constricted pipeline, some foreclosures auctions rise” (2-15-11)

“Foreclosure auction sales grew as much as 50% in some states during January as foreclosure moratoriums came to an end, sending hundreds of distressed properties back to the auction block”

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 6/25/10

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Sources:

http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2010/06/may_strong_pace

http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?newsID=10966

http://www.car.org/newsstand/newsreleases/maysalesprice/

http://lansner.ocregister.com/2010/06/23/calif-s-first-time-buyer-tax-credit-almost-gone/69971/

http://www.ftb.ca.gov/aboutFTB/press/2010/Release_29.shtml

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-23/bank-of-america-hires-2-000-staff-to-handling-troubled-real-estate-loans.html?source=patrick.net

http://oversight.house.gov/images/stories/Hearings/Committee_on_Oversight/2010/062410_HAMP_II/TESTIMONY-Desoer.pdf

http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/print-version/press-release/15395/

http://www.calhfa.ca.gov/about/publications/press-releases/2010/pr2010-05.pdf

http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/print-version/press-release/15395/

http://www.calhfa.ca.gov/about/publications/press-releases/2010/pr2010-05.pdf

http://www.keepyourhomecalifornia.com/

http://www.dsnews.com/articles/audit-shows-prison-inmates-received-9m-in-homebuyer-tax-credits-2010-06-24

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703615104575328020013164184.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

Today’s News Synopsis:

The Commerce Department reports the economy increased by 2.7 percent in the first quarter. Fannie Mae is implementing new rules requiring servicers to verify income, liabilities, and monthly expenses for all borrowers prior to granting a permanent standard Fannie Mae mortgage modification. Also, Fannie Mae will hold strategic defaulters accountable for all associated costs of getting the house back on the market. California unemployment was 12.4 percent in May.

In The News:

Los Angeles Times – “House, Senate lawmakers reach a deal on financial reform” (6-25-10)

“Ending more than two weeks of often-contentious negotiations, House and Senate lawmakers reached agreement early Friday on the most far-reaching rewrite of financial rules since the Great Depression. The final details, including creation of an agency to protect consumers in the financial marketplace and new regulations to reduce risk-taking by large banks and limit their trading of complex derivatives, were hashed out in a marathon 20-hour session that began Thursday morning.”

San Francisco Chronicle – “Economy faces tough road ahead with slower growth” (6-25-10)

“The Commerce Department said Friday that the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.7 percent in the first quarter, offering its third and final estimate for the period. It was slower than initially thought because consumers spent less and imports rose faster that previously calculated.”

Housing Wire – “Unemployed Homeowner Provision Survives Reform Bill Compromise” (6-25-10)

“The provision provides $1bn to unemployed homeowners and is patterned after a program introduced by Fattah when he was a Pennsylvania state legislator. Pennsylvania’s Homeowner’s Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) has provided $236m to tens of thousands of unemployed workers to stave off the foreclosure, according to Fattah’s office. Fattah had originally sought $3bn for the federal reform bill provision.”

Housing Wire – “Fannie Mae Mortgage Modifications Now Require Proof of Financial Hardship” (6-25-10)

“After announcing this week that it intends to crack down on strategic defaulters, Fannie Mae (FNM: 0.3886 +2.26%) issued a servicing guide (download here) Friday implementing another new policy — requiring servicers to verify income, liabilities, and monthly expenses for all borrowers prior to granting a permanent standard Fannie Mae mortgage modification.”

Housing Wire – “Most Borrowers Would Benefit from Mortgage Refinance, But Can’t Qualify: Credit Suisse” (6-25-10)

“But even so, according to fixed income researchers at Credit Suisse (CS: 38.90 +1.33%), the majority of borrowers remain unable to take advantage of the exceptionally low rates that would reduce monthly payments. They find that only 38% of borrowers that could benefit from a refinance can actually do so due to a variety of barriers.”

Housing Wire – “KB Home Posts Q210 Loss, But Sees Deliveries Up” (6-25-10)

“KB Home (KBH: 11.195 -8.39%) reported a net loss of $30.7m, or $0.40 per share, for its fiscal year Q210 ending May 31, narrowed losses for the Los Angeles-based builder, which said it saw home deliveries increase for the first time in more than three years. The Q210 loss is 61% less than its Q110 loss of $78.4m, or $1.03 per share. At the end of its 2009 fiscal year, KB Home posted a $100m quarterly profit, the result of a nearly $192m tax return made possible by a temporary change to tax law.”

Bloomberg - “States of Crisis for 46 Governments Facing Greek-Style Deficits” (6-25-10)

“Californians don’t see much evidence that the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression is coming to an end. Unemployment was 12.4 percent in May, 2.7 percentage points higher than the national rate. Lawmakers gridlocked over how to close a $19 billion budget gap are weighing the termination of the main welfare program for 1.3 million poor families or borrowing more than $9 billion in the bond market. California, tied with Illinois for the lowest credit rating of any state, is diverting a rising portion of tax revenue to service debt, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its August issue.”

Housing Wire – “Fannie Mae to Charge Strategic Defaulters, for Everything” (6-25-10)

“Fannie Mae (FNM: 0.3871 +1.87%) is sifting through borrower data to determine who is strategically defaulting and who is not after announcing more efforts this week to crack down on those who walk away from their homes. And if the GSE determines someone strategically defaulted, then they say they will hold the borrower accountable for all associated costs of getting the house back on the market, in areas that lawfully allow deficiency judgments.”

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 1/28/10

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Today’s News Synopsis:

According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell by 0.01 percent from last week. Research from RealtyTrac shows that California and Florida account for 17 of the nation’s 20 worst housing markets. The Federal Reserve declared that the U.S. economy is now in recovery.

In The News:

Housing Wire – “Freddie Mac Mortgage Refinance Purchases Swell 41%” (1-28-10)

“The volume of refinance loans bought by mortgage giant Freddie Mac (FRE: 1.1799 -2.49%) continued to grow in December, swelling 41% from the previous month to $27.3bn.”

Housing Wire – “Capstead Writes Off $40m in Commercial Real Estate Liability” (1-28-10)

“According to analysts at Barclays Capital the worst performing commercial property sector is hotels. Last quarter, they note hotels saw a 177bp increase, to 11.4%, in the 30+ day delinquency rate, led by the $200m Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, located near the White House, and $130m Trinity Hotel Portfolio, a hotel investment consortium, both of which were transferred to a special servicer, likely for an orderly liquidation.”

Housing Wire – “Freddie Rates Dip, Say Below 5%” (1-28-10)

“Freddie Mac’s (FRE: 1.17 -3.31%) weekly survey put the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) at 4.98% with an average 0.6-origination point for the week ending January 28. That’s a slight dip from last week, when Freddie said the rate was 4.99%. A year ago, the average 30-year FRM rate was 5.10%.”

Bloomberg – “Lenders Pursue Mortgage Payoffs Long After Homeowners Default” (1-28-10)

“Amid a crisis that stripped $6.4 trillion, or 28 percent, from the value of U.S. residential real estate since the 2006 peak, lenders are exercising their rights to pursue unpaid mortgage balances. To get their money, they can seize wages, tap bank accounts and put liens on other assets held by debtors.”

Bloomberg – “Lennar Rallies as Homebuilders Diverge on Profits” (1-28-10)

“Lennar Corp. and KB Home this month reported their first quarterly profits since 2007 because of special tax refunds designed to help homebuilders struggling with declines in sales.”

Bloomberg – “Las Vegas, California Cities Top Foreclosure List in 2009″ (1-28-10)

“Las Vegas homeowners had the highest U.S. foreclosure rate last year, and California and Florida cities accounted for 17 of the nation’s 20 worst markets as unemployment extended the housing recession.”

Bloomberg – “Fed Lays Ground for End to Stimulus With Recovery Declaration” (1-28-10)

“The Federal Reserve panel in charge of interest rates declared for the first time the U.S. economy is in ‘recovery’ and took several steps to prepare investors for the removal of aggressive monetary stimulus.”

Orange County Register - “Irvine home tops most-viewed list” (1-28-10)

“The folks at Realtor.com compiled a list of the top 10 most popular homes for sale in Orange County from their Web site (reflecting last week).”

Realty Times – “Homebuyer Tax Credit Boosts Economy” (1-28-10)

“The vast majority of current homeowners say they would spend the expanded version of the homebuyer tax credit on repaying existing debts, home improvements, savings and investments and household expenses, according to a Coldwell Banker survey of 1,000 homeowners.”

Looking Back:

One year ago, the MBA reported that mortgage application volume decreased by 38 percent in one week. Zillow.com estimated that 14 percent of homeowners were underwater. The Federal Reserve chose to keep the interest rate at zero.

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

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Today’s News Synopsis:

The Federal Reserve made $46.1 billion last year. The MBA predicts that mortgage originations will decline by 39 percent in 2010. According to Integrated Asset Services, national home prices fell by 0.3 percent in November of 2009. FHA reports that foreclosure starts on mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac decreased by 15 percent from the second quarter to the third quarter of 2009.

In The News:

Los Angeles Times – “Fed’s reaction to crisis helps deliver record $46.1-billion profit” (1-12-10)

“The Federal Reserve today announced it made a record $46.1-billion profit last year, countering concerns that the central bank has put too much taxpayer money at risk in attempts to stabilize the financial industry.”

Housing Wire – “MBA Expects Mortgage Originations to Fall 40% in 2010″ (1-12-10)

“The mortgage finance industry will likely see a continued slow-down in 2010 as unemployment remains high and home sales slide, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said Tuesday at a media briefing over the state of the real estate industry. The MBA projected total mortgage origination on residential one- to four-family properties is likely to plummet to $1.28trn in all of 2010, from $2.11trn in all of 2009. The projection marks a 39% decline in total mortgage origination in 2010.”

Housing Wire – “MetLife to Provide Reverse Mortgage Program for ABA Banks” (1-12-10)

“The American Bankers Association (ABA) partnered with MetLife Home Loans to provide member banks a reverse mortgage program. Banks provide reverse mortgages to let homeowners convert their home into cash and can allow older borrowers to supplement social security, meet medical expenses and make home improvements.”

Housing Wire – “Tax Refund Gives KB Homes $100m Q4 Profit” (1-12-10)

“A tax return from profits earned during the housing bubble put KB Home (KBH: 15.72 -4.03%) in positive net profit territory in its fiscal year Q409 that ended Nov. 30. Excluding a $191.7m tax refund, KB Home would have lost $91m in the quarter, but instead posted a $100.7m, or $1.31 per share, net profit. With or without the tax refund, the quarter’s results are better than the $307.3m loss in Q408.”

Housing Wire – “IAS Price Index Dips on Declines in Northeast, Midwest” (1-12-10)

“The Integrated Asset Services (IAS) index of national house shows prices fell 0.3% in November, the collateral valuation and management services firm said. That’s better than the 0.5% decline in prices the index experienced in October and the 0.6% decrease in September.”

Housing Wire – “Sellers Cut Listing Prices on 21% of Homes: Trulia” (1-12-10)

“As of Jan. 1, 2010, sellers cut listing prices on 21% of homes currently on the US market, according to the real estate site, Trulia.com.”

Bloomberg - “U.S. Subpoenas 15 FHA Lenders With High Mortgage Defaults” (1-12-10)

“The U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department said it subpoenaed 15 mortgage companies today to seek out possible fraud in an effort to stem losses on loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration. HUD officials, who oversee the FHA mortgage insurance program, said they haven’t haven’t found any evidence of wrongdoing at the lenders, and were singling out those with the highest default rates.”

Bloomberg - “Life Insurers to Sidestep CMBS Losses, Barclays Says” (1-12-10)

“U.S. life insurers, a group led by MetLife Inc. and Prudential Financial Inc., will sidestep losses on investments tied to commercial mortgages, said Eric Berg, an analyst with Barclays Plc. ”

Bloomberg - “PMI Drops After Goldman Sachs Sell Recommendation” (1-12-10)

“PMI Group Inc., the third-largest U.S. mortgage insurer, fell the most in five months after a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst said he expects more losses as foreclosures increase.”

Inman - “More loans going bad, but more get help” (1-12-10)

“More homeowners fell behind on their payments during the third quarter of 2009, but fewer were funneled into the foreclosure process as loan servicers engaged in more loan workouts, modifications and short sales, according to a new report. Foreclosure starts on loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fell 15 percent from the second quarter to the third quarter, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said in its quarterly Foreclosure Prevention and Refinance Report.”

Orange County Register – “Housing market warming up in south coast?” (1-12-10)

“In a typically slow quarter for real estate, all three south coast cities saw their expected market time speed up a bit, according to a biweekly report by Steven Thomas of Altera Real Estate. Two weeks ago, it would have taken an expected 6.86 months to sell all of Dana Point’s active home stock, which has sped up slightly to an expected 5.16 months.”

Looking Back:

One year ago, some economists estimated that the Modesto, Stockton, Bakersfield, Riverside and Sacramento housing markets would take the longest to recover. President Bush requested the remaining $350 billion of the financial rescue, and handed his economic authority to Barack Obama. Distressed home sales in Orange County decreased by 7.2 percent.

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The Norris Group Real Estate News Roundup 1/7/10

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Today’s News Synopsis:

Home equity delinquencies increased to 4.3 percent of all accounts. Many construction companies reported an increase in profit during the 4th quarter of 2009. REIS Inc. reports that U.S. apartment vacancies rose to 8 percent last quarter. According to Freddie Mac, mortgage rates decreased to 5.09 percent from last week.

In The News:

Housing Wire – “Lennar Posts Quarterly Profit, Expects $320M Tax Refund” (1-7-09)

“Miami-based homebuilder Lennar (LEN: 15.70 +14.60%) reported net earnings of $35.6m, $0.19 per share, for its fiscal year fourth quarter that ended Nov. 30 and said it will receive a tax refund of $320m as a result of legislation that temporarily allowed companies to recoup losses from taxes paid in profitable years.”

Housing Wire – “Invesco Mortgage Capital Planning Another Share Sale” (1-7-09)

“Seeing a growing appetite for deals from investors, Invesco Mortgage Capital (IVR: 22.37 -2.10%), a real estate investment trust (REIT), plans to offer 7m shares of its common stock for sale in order to fund the acquisition of residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities (RMBS and CMBS) and leveraged mortgage loans.”

Housing Wire – “Delinquency Grows in Home Equity Loans, Lines of Credit: ABA” (1-7-09)

“Housing-related loans continued to show stress. Home equity loan delinquencies hit another record in the quarter, jumping 29 bps to 4.3% of all accounts. Home equity lines of credit rose 20 bps to 2.12% of all accounts. Mobile home delinquencies increased to 3.63% of all accounts, from 3.53% the previous quarter.”

Housing Wire – “Beazer to Offer 18m Shares, $50m in Convertible Debt” (1-7-09)

“Beazer Homes (BZH: 5.06 +6.08%) will issue new common stock and convertible subordinate debt, the Atlanta-based homebuilder said in a pair of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings. According to the filings, Beazer will issue 18m shares of common stock and $50m in convertible subordinate debt which will convert to stock shares in 2013.”

Bloomberg - “Job Growth Erodes as Housing Bust Pushes Mobility to Record Low” (1-7-09)

“Some households are staying put because they owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth; others have trouble selling houses in depressed areas, economists say. The S&P/Case-Shiller composite index of home prices in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas was down 29 percent in October from its July 2006 peak.”

Bloomberg - “Principal Cuts on Lender Menus as Foreclosures Rise” (1-7-09)

“While interest-rate reductions or extending loan terms reduce homeowners’ monthly payments, they don’t give much comfort to borrowers who owe more on their homes than their properties are worth. Borrowers who don’t have equity in their homes are more likely to hand over the keys when they run into trouble.”

Bloomberg - “Lennar Leads Builders Higher on Report of Unexpected Profit” (1-7-09)

“Lennar Corp. led U.S. homebuilders higher after the company reported an unexpected quarterly profit as it took advantage of a tax change in the way it accounts for land sales. A Standard & Poor’s measure of 12 home construction companies rose as much as 5.4 percent, the most since November. Lennar climbed as much as 13 percent. KB Home, M/I Homes Inc., Toll Brothers Inc. and D.R. Horton Inc. all gained.”

Bloomberg - “Mortgage Rates on 30-Year U.S. Loans Fall to 5.09%” (1-7-09)

“Mortgage rates in the U.S. fell for the first time in five weeks, lowering borrowing costs and offering a boost to potential buyers. The rate for 30-year fixed U.S. home loans fell to 5.09 percent for the week ended today from 5.14 percent, mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said. Rates hit a record low 4.71 percent the week of Dec. 3. This week’s average 15-year rate was 4.50 percent, Freddie Mac said in today’s statement. ”

Bloomberg - “Record U.S. Apartment Vacancies Force Landlords to Cut Rents” (1-7-09)

“U.S. apartment vacancies rose to a record 8 percent in the fourth quarter and rents fell the most in three decades as unemployment cut demand, according to Reis Inc.”

Looking Back:

One year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that mortgage applications were decreasing. Statistics from Default Research showed that foreclosures and defaults had significantly increased across California. Apartment rents fell and vacancy rates increased to a 4 year high. Freddie Mac reported that mortgage rates fell for the 9th week in a row.

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