According to the Realty Times, pending home sales decreased 4.6% last September from the prior month.  CoreLogic reported home prices decreased  1.1% in September for the second month in a row.  Over the past 6 months, foreclosure starts have been increasing steadily for private-label residential mortgage-backed securities.

In The News:

Housing Wire - “CoreLogic home price index down 1.1% for September” (11-7-11)

“Housing prices dipped for the second straight month in September, falling 1.1% from the prior month, according to the CoreLogic (CLGX: 13.88 -1.28%) home price index.”

DS News - “Regulators Seize Lenders in Nebraska and Utah” (11-7-11)

“State and federal regulators have closed the doors on two more community-based lenders in Nebraska and Utah, bringing this year’s tally of failed banks to 87. Mid City Bank, Inc. in Omaha has been closed. It operated five branch locations, with $105.5 million in deposits and assets totaling $106.1 million ”

Realty Times - “Real Estate Outlook: Pending Sales Decline” (11-7-11)

“Pending homes sale declined in September, down 4.6 percent from the month prior. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the housing market is being excessively constrained. “A combination of weak consumer confidence and continuing tight lending criteria held back home buyers, even though the private sector added nearly 2 million net new jobs in the past 12 months,” he said.”

NAHB - “Improving Markets Index Expands to 30 Metros in November” (11-7-11)

“The number of improving housing markets continued to expand for a third consecutive month in November, rising from 23 to 30 on the latest National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), released today.  The list dropped two metros and added nine new ones – Cheyenne, Wyo.; Corpus Christi, Tex.; Davenport, Iowa.; Fort Collins, Colo.; Hinesville, Ga.; Lima, Ohio; Monroe, La.; Tyler, Tex.; and Williamsport, Pa”

Housing Wire – “October bank failures tied to CRE exposure, further risks remain” (11-7-11)

“The 11 U.S. banks that failed in October cratered under the weight of commercial real estate exposure, Trepp LLC said Monday.”

DS News - “Foreclosure Starts Rise as Servicers Process Backlog of Delinquent Loans” (11-7-11)

“Foreclosure starts among private-label residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) have been rising toward historic averages over the past six months, which will lead to an influx of distressed properties bringing downward pressure to the housing market, according to recent RMBS Performance Metrics from Fitch Ratings.”

Housing Wire – “White House, agencies cut red-tape for some multifamily housing developers” (11-7-11)

“Government agencies are peeling back a few regulatory requirements in several states to make it easier for developers of federally subsidized multifamily housing to develop properties without having to pay for redundant inspections
and other repetitive guidelines.”

Realtor Magazine - “Hedge Funds Eye Troubled Home Loans” (11-7-11)

“As U.S. banks increase efforts to shed troubled residential mortgage assets, more hedge funds are considering opportunities to buy pools of whole home loans at discount prices.”

Los Angeles Times - “Use of ‘target-date’ funds grows in 401(k) plans” (11-7-11)

“According to a new study, Americans are increasing their use of so-called target-date mutual funds in 401(k) plans, and most people report being satisfied with them.  Among active and knowledgeable investors, use of target funds has nearly doubled to 41% today from 22% in 2005, according to the survey of more than 1,000 people by investment firm AllianceBernstein.”

The Washington Post - “Census data show wealt of older Americans is 47 times that of young adults, widest gap ever” (11-7-11)

“The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults and saddled them with housing and college debt.”

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.

In a big news story, 14 mortgage servicers are undergoing reviews of their foreclosure processes as reuired by consent orders they signed.  Pending home sales fell another 4.6% last week according to the Realty Times.  Allied Home Mortgage Capital is facing a lawsuit by federal officials for claims of fraud.  The Commerce Department reported a slight increase on construction and manufacturing.

In The News:

Housing Wire - “Foreclosure reviews of largest servicers begins” (11-1-11)

“Independent third-party reviews of foreclosure cases at the 14 largest mortgage servicers began Tuesday.  The reviews are a requirement under consent orders signed between regulators and the servicers
such as Bank of America (BAC: 6.53 -4.39%), JPMorgan Chase (JPM: 33.14 -4.66%), Wells Fargo (WFC: 25.30 -2.35%) and Citigroup (C: 29.39 -6.96%).”

DS News - “Moody’s Cites “Strong Servicing Practices” at GMAC, Ocwen, Wells” (11-1-11)

“Mortgage servicing practices have a major impact on the performance of a portfolio, and according to Moody’s Investors Service, risk composition is diverging based on how individual servicers are dealing with borrowers.”

Realty Times - “Pending Home Sales Decline” (11-1-11)

“Housing took another hit last week with the National Association of Realtors® latest Pending Homes Sales Index report showing that contract signings fells 4.6 percent in September.”

Bloomberg - “Mortgage Bond Prices Show Refinancing Limits: Credit Markets” (11-1-11)

“The mortgage-bond market is signaling changes to refinancing rules will aid fewer homeowners who owe more than their properties’ value than was initially anticipated.  Fannie Mae’s 30-year, 5.5 percent securities have risen to the highest since Oct. 3, erasing a decline later in the month sparked by a plan to expand the Home Affordable Refinance Program.”

Los Angeles Times - “Construction spending and manufacturing growing–slightly” (11-1-11)

“Construction spending and manufacturing activity are both growing, though not by much, according to two reports Tuesday.  Builders in the U.S. spent at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $787.2 billion in September, up 0.2% from August in the second-straight monthly increase, according to the Commerce Department.”

Housing Wire – “US files $834 million lawsuit against Allied Home Mortgage” (11-1-11)

“Federal officials filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Allied Home Mortgage Capital and two of its senior officials, seeking to recover $834 million in damages stemming from allegedly fraudulent mortgage insurance claims.”

Bloomberg - “Bernanke: Housing Hinges on Refinancing” (11-1-11)

“Fed policy makers, who start a two-day meeting today, are considering buying mortgage-backed securities to push down borrowing costs and help homeowners refinance their debt.  That would reduce monthly payments, freeing up cash for other purchases that could spur the economy and reduce unemployment, Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo said Oct. 20″

Housing Wire - “Sharga: Several more years with nearly 1M foreclosures per year” (11-1-11)

“The housing market faces several more years with 800,000 to 1 million new foreclosed properties per year, according to Rick Sharga, an executive vice president with Carrington Mortgage Services.”

Looking Back:

Credit Suisse estimated Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would have cumulative losses of $321 billion. Private mortgage servicers modified 119,585 loans in September 2010, over 4 times as many modifications performed through HAMP. Statistics from the Federal Reserve showed home equity accounted for 16.2% of net worth in the 2nd quarter of 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 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.

Inman News reported a 20% increase in foreclosure starts on a month-by-month basis from July to August.  CoreLogic released a new report forecasting that mortgage frauds will decrease 40% in the coming year.  In other news, the National Association of Realtors reported a 1.2% decrease in pending home sales for the month of August.

In The News:

Bloomberg – “BofA’s Countrywide May Face Fraud Claim After Housing Audit” (10-4-11)

“Bank of America Corp. (BAC), the biggest U.S. lender by assets, should face fraud claims after the firm’s Countrywide unit submitted incorrect data on borrowers for government-insured loans, a federal watchdog said.”

DS News – “Credit Union Coalition Develops Foreclosure Intervention Toolkit” (10-4-11)

“The New York-based National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions has completed a new “Credit Union Foreclosure Intervention Toolkit” to help credit unions combat the foreclosure crisis in their communities.”

Housing Wire – “FHA and the Short Refi left behind” (10-4-11)

“The $8 billion Federal Housing Administration Short Refi program, launched last September to refinance underwater mortgages helped 301 borrowers in 11 months, according to Department of Housing and Urban Development data analyzed by HousingWire.”

Realty Times – “Pending Home Sales Decline “ (10-4-11)

“The latest National Association of REALTORS found that sales dropped 1.2 percent in August.  Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the decline reflects an uneven market.”

Inman - “Foreclosure starts leap in August” (10-4-11)

“Foreclosure starts jumped 20 percent from July to August, with first-time foreclosure starts hitting a 2011 high, data aggregator Lending Processing Services Inc. reportss.”

O.C. Register - “Mortgage fraud down 40% this year” (10-4-11)

“Santa Ana-based data firm CoreLogic estimated that the total value of U.S. mortgages tainted by fraud will drop 40% this year to $7.4 billion.  That compares $12 billion worth of fraudulent loans issued in 2010, the firm reported.  The decrease is due mainly to a decline in the overall number of home loans being issued”

San Francisco Chronicle - “Mortgage REITs Tumble to Worst Two-Day Loss Since December 2008″ (10-4-11)

“Real estate investment trusts that buy U.S. mortgage debt tumbled to the steepest losses since December 2008, on concern that their main source of financing will be roiled by European bank woes.”

CNN Money – “Fannie Mae ignored foreclosure abuses” (10-4-11)

“Fannie Mae (FNMA, Fortune 500), the government-controlled mortgage giant, ignored indications that attorneys it hired to handle defaults were abusing the foreclosure process, according to a report from the inspector general for the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the agency that oversees Fannie.”

USA Today – “Shadow inventory keeps home prices depressed” (10-4-11)

“Stagnant home prices have become part of the new normal nationwide, and one of the big reasons is the nation’s giant shadow inventory — the hundreds of thousands of homes like those on McGregor’s route that are either in foreclosure or repossessed by banks, but not yet on the market.”

Housing Wire - “Consumer advocates urge Fed to reject Capital One-ING merger” (10-4-11)

“Consumer advocates Tuesday focused their criticism of the proposed Capital One Financial Corp. (COF: 38.80 +2.78%) acquisition of ING Direct USA (ING: 6.80 +5.43%) on what they described as Capital One’s predatory lending practices and inadequate commitment to reinvest in local communities.”

Looking Back:

GMAC Mortgage, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America were reconsidering past evictions due to poor foreclosure processing procedures. According to the NAR, pending home sales rose 4.3% in August 2010. CAR expected 2010 home sales to be 10% lower than the total number of sales in 2009. 10.2% of all mortgages in the nation’s top-100 most populated areas were over 90 days delinquent.

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.

Lots of numbers in the news today.  The prices of homes decreased in almost 40 out of the 50 states.  Pending home sales also dropped 1.3% for the whole year ending in July according to Realty Times.  However, the good news is home prices did incease .8% month over month in July for the fourth straight month.  Also, Fannie Mae is getting ready to sell one of their large servicing portfolios worth $485 million.

In The News:

Mortgage Bankers Association – “MBA Study Shows Second Quarter 2011 Improvements in Production Profits Among Independents and Subsidiaries, Driven By Heavier Purchase Activity” (8-31-11)

“Independent mortgage banks and subsidiaries made an average profit of $575 on each loan they originated in the second quarter of 2011, up from $346 per loan in the first quarter of 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s
(MBA) Second Quarter 2011 Mortgage Bankers Performance Report released today.”

Bloomberg - “S&P Rates Subprime Mortgages Higher than U.S.” (8-31-11)

“Standard & Poor’s is giving a higher rating to securities backed by subprime home loans, the same type of investments that led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, than it assigns the U.S. government.”

Housing Wire – “Another Fannie Mae servicing portfolio goes up for sale” (8-31-11)

“MountainView Servicing Group will help sell a $485 million servicing portfolio of Fannie Mae mortgages.  Nearly all of the loans in the portfolio are fixed rate and primarily located in Illinois. The average delinquency rate on the portfolio is 2.21%. Interest rates average 4.67%, and the average FICO score is 761. The portfolio also carries an average 30-basis-point servicing fee”

DS News - “Home Prices Post Slight Gain for July But Still Below Year-Ago Levels” (8-31-11)

“Home prices rose 0.8 percent during the month of July, marking the fourth consecutive month of increase, according to CoreLogic’s July home price index, released Wednesday.”

Realty Times - “Pending Home Sales Decline” (8-31-11)

“The latest pending home sales numbers reveal that housing is still struggling to recover after a ripple effect of the subprime crisis and the deep recession of 2009. Last month’s decline in pending home sales is more evidence that housing will not recover until access to credit and jobs return and financial markets stabilize.”

Inman - “Unemployment rate drops in nearly 7 of 10 U.S. metros” (8-31-11)

“Jobless rates fell in most U.S. metro areas in July compared to the same month a year ago, according to the latest figures released today from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

Los Angeles Times - “BofA to sell or close another mortgage arm, putting jobs at risk” (8-31-11)

“Bank of America Corp. has put another giant piece of the Countrywide mortgage empire on the auction block — the correspondent lending arm, which buys closed home loans from mortgage bankers, commercial banks and other loan originators.”

O.C. Register - “Home prices decline in 40 states” (8-31-11)

“Homeownership’s a losing proposition in much of America.  Home prices fell in 40 of the 50 states (plus D.C.) in the year ended in July, says real estate tracker CoreLogic from Santa Ana.”

Housing Wire - “Appraisal industry readies for confusing GSE UAD deadline” (8-31-11)

“Appraisers are somewhat confused about the looming Sept. 1 deadline for ensuring appraisal forms prepared for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are compliant with certain GSE standards.”

Mortgage Bankers Association - “Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey” (8-31-11)

“Mortgage applications decreased 9.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending August 26, 2011.”

Housing Wire – “More borrowers refinance to shorter FRMs with higher monthly payments: CoreLogic” (8-31-11)

“An increasing number people are choosing to pay off their mortgage loans in a shorter time period, according to data provided by CoreLogic. The data shows at 26% of all loans, or 252,600 loans, were refinanced to a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM), up from 18.5% in 2009 and 16.3% in 2008. In 2007, only 9.4% of loans were refinanced to a 15-year FRM.”

Housing Wire – “Consumer confidence rises in August, but conditions weaken” (8-31-11)

“An improved short-term outlook boosted consumer confidence for the first time in two months in August but the average American’s take on current economic conditions continued to weaken during the month, according to the private research firm The Conference Board. The board’s consumer confidence index for August was 53.5, topping the consensus analysts’ estimate of 50.5, according to Thomson Reuters, and up from a revised July figure of 51.”

Looking Back

According to Capital Economics, business investment rose 17% during the second quarter of 2010. Multiple forecasters suspected the housing market and the economy were in a double dip. Zillow reported that 18.2% of all O.C. homes sold for a loss. The Case-Shiller 20-city home price index showed prices increased 1% from May to June 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 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.

Sources:
July sales and price report
Mortgage Rates in U.S. Tumble to Lowest in More than 50 Years
Jobless claims up to 408,000 last week
Realtor.com, Yahoo Real Estate trading places in Web rankings
Mortgage servicers bypass foreclosure delays with more short sales
Case against MERS reaches Supreme Court
Fed to Keep Interest Rates Low until 2013
NAHB Study Finds Loan Limit Declines a Discouraging Prospect for Recovering Housing Market

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. Despite home sales dropping, it was reported they are actually in better shape this year as sales are up from a year ago.  Two Multiple Listing Services in California, CRMLS and SoCalMLS, will be merging to form the largest firm in the United States.

In The News:

Housing Wire – “Delinquencies on commercial real estate loans fall again in July” (8-19-11)

“Delinquencies for securities backed by commercial real estate loans fell in July for the third consecutive month, according to Fitch Ratings.”

San Francisco Chronicle - “Inflation May Embolden Opponents of Fed’s Moves to Spur Growth” (8-19-11)

“Signs that consumer prices are rising even as the U.S. economy slows maydelay additional moves by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke to spur growth.”

DS News - “Zillow: Price-to-Income Ratios Still High in Some Markets” (8-19-11)

“While an August report from Capital Economics states that housing values overall are undervalued by 20 percent, Zillow reports that many metro price-to-income ratios are still above their historic averages.”

Rismedia - “Home Sales Down in July but Up Strongly from a Year Ago” (8-19-11)

“Existing-home sales declined in July from an upwardly revised June pace but are notably higher than a year ago, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Monthly gains in the Northeast and Midwest were offset by declines in the West and South.”

Housing Wire - “Ocwen, Altisource extend ties to keep costs down” (8-19-11)

“Two years after the spin-off, Ocwen Financial Corp. (OCN: 12.57 -1.95%) will extend certain services to Altisource (ASPS: 32.30 -3.29%) for an additional 12 months to minimize costs, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”

Mortgage Bankers Association - “MBA Increases Origination Forecast in 2011, Predicts Greater Drop in Origination Volume in 2012″ (8-19-11)

“The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Economic and Mortgage Finance Forecasts released today project $1.1 trillion in residential mortgage origination volume in 2011, roughly $100 billion more than earlier forecasts, as low mortgage rates have brought in higher than expected refinance volume, while purchase volume has been less than anticipated.

Realtor Magazine - “Housing Affordability at Highest in 20 Years” (8-19-11)

“Housing affordability continued to be near record highs in the second quarter, hovering near its highest level in the 20-plus years it has been recorded, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index.”

Inman - “2 California MLSs merge to become largest in nation” (8-19-11)

“Visions of a statewide multiple listing service in California are a stepcloser to reality today, with the California Regional Multiple Listing Service Inc. (CRMLS) announcing a merger that will double its size and make it the nation’s largest, with 68,000 participants and subscribers.”

Orange County Register - “August home sales show signs of improvement” (8-19-11)

“For the 22 business days ending August 5 – DataQuick’s latest homebuying report — Orange County saw 2,663 O.C. residences sold — up 4.3% from a year-ago! If the trend continues for the full month of August, this could break O.C.’s 13-month losing streak.”

RisMedia - “Builder Confidence Unchanged in August” (8-19-11)

“Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes held unchanged at a low level of 15 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for August, released recently.”

Looking Back:

Energy efficiency loans hit the skids as many banks saw the risk outweighing the rewards. A White House-created commission looked at possibly increasing the age for retirement benefits with the backing of AARP. California rates were one of the country’s hottest real estate markets for price increases while a PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. report listed 7 California areas (both northern and southern) that would most likely witness price declines 2011 and 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.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released new data today showing the confidence in building new homes has remained at 15 for the second month in a row.  The sale of homes in Southern California decreased 4.5% year over year last month due to buyers being more cautious about purchasing.  Delinquencies are at their lowest since the end of the recession two years ago.

In The News:

CNN Money - “Household debt falls slightly” (8-15-11)

“Consumer borrowing fell slightly in the second quarter, as Americans shed more of their debt.  A new report released Monday by the New York Federal Reserve — which looks at mortgages, home equity lines, credit cards, auto loans and student debt held by consumers nationwide — found that total consumer debt fell to $11.4 trillion in the second quarter of this year.”

NAHB - “Builder Confidence Unchanged in August” (8-15-11)

“Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes held unchanged at a low level of 15 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for August, released today.”

Realty Times - “Real Estate Outlook: Median Prices Declined Second Quarter” (8-15-11)

“Amidst debt talks, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) has released their latest median existing-home price figures. According to the NAR, prices fell slightly in the second quarter of 2011. Partially to blame, according to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, were foreclosures which ‘can artificially depress median prices’.”

DS News - “National Delinquencies Register Greatest Drop Since Recession End” (8-15-11)

“TransUnion recorded the largest percentage drop in delinquencies since the end of the recession two years ago. According to TransUnion, mortgage delinquencies improved 5.98 percent during the quarter.”

Housing Wire – “Mortgage broker pleads guilty; Cincinnati RE agent indicted” (8-15-11)

“A Minneapolis mortgage broker pleaded guilty for his role in a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme and a Cincinnati real estate agent was indicted in an unrelated mortgage fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in each state.”

Bloomberg – “Southern California Home Sales Drop 4.5% as Buyers Hold Off on Purchases” (8-15-11)

“Home sales in Southern California fell 4.5 percent last month from a year earlier as mortgages were hard to obtain and the U.S. debt crisis rattled some high- end buyers, according to DataQuick.” 

Rismedia - “Market Concerns Produce New Record Low Mortgage Rates” (8-15-11)

“Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing mortgage rates continuing to decline with the 30-year fixed averaging 4.32 percent marking a new low for 2011, and the 15-year fixed, 5-year ARM, and 1-year ARM averaging new all-time record lows this week.”

Housing Wire - “Two REITs still on track for new RMBS issuance in 2011″ (8-15-11)

“Two real estate investment trusts are weathering recent economic challenges and remain on track to issue three new residential mortgage-backed securities deals in the back half of 2011.  Redwood Trust (RWT: 12.60 +2.86%), the only private investor to issue an RMBS deal since credit markets locked up in 2008, said two new deals announced months ago are still on track to get to market this year”

DS News - “Capital Shortfall Could Impede New Business for PMI Mortgage” (8-15-11)

“PMI Group Inc. says its primary subsidiary PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. could be forced to stop issuing new mortgage insurance policies.  The company alerted investors of the possibility that its business could come to a halt last week, at the same time it reported a company-wide net loss of $134.8 million for the second quarter. That follows a net loss of $126.8 million the previous quarter”

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.

A top story in the news is mortgage rates for 30-year mortgages are at the lowest they have been in 9 months.  Housing Wire reported that foreclosures are also at a new low, the lowest they have been in almost 4 years.  The California Association of Realtors released data showing that more people, 51%, have been able to afford single-family homes in California with the decrease in prices. 

In The News:

Housing Wire - “Foreclosure activity falls to 44-month low“ (8-11-11)

“Foreclosure activity fell 35% in July compared to last year, hitting a 44-month low, according to foreclosure data firm RealtyTrac.  The number of foreclosure filings – which includes default notices, auctions and bank repossessions – hit 212,764 in July, down 4% from June.”

DS News - “Integrated Asset Services Shows 2% Price Increase in Second Quarter” (8-11-11)

“Housing prices increased 2 percent over the second quarter of 2011, according to the IAS360 House Price Index compiled by Integrated Asset Servicers, LLC (IAS).  In contrast to the previous quarter, prices rose in all four of the U.S. Census regions.”

Realty Times - “J.D. Power: Satisfaction Comparable Among Real Estate Companies” (8-11-11)

“Both home buyers and home sellers rated RE/MAX highest in J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction report, but not by much, thanks to stiff buyers’ market competition.  Small margins separate the top real estate companies from the many runners up in both the home buyer satisfaction and home seller satisfaction segments of J.D. Power s “2011 Home Buyer/Seller Study”.”

NAHB - “55+ Builders More Optimistic About Multifamily Rentals than New Home Sales” (8-11-11)

“Builders in the 55+ housing market are significantly more optimistic about production and demand for multifamily rental units than they are for sales of single-family homes or multifamily condos, according to the latest 55+ Housing Market Indices that are compiled quarterly by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).”

Housing Wire – “Jobless claims hover around 400,000 for third week” (8-11-11)

“Initial jobless last week remained essentially flat with the prior week, hovering around 400,000 for the third week in a row.  The Labor Department said the seasonally adjusted figure of actual initial claims for the week ended Aug. 6 decreased by 7,000 to 395,000 from a slightly revised 402,000 the previous week.”

Bloomberg - “30-Year Mortgage Rates Fall to 9-Month Low” (8-11-11)

“Mortgage rates for 30-year loans in the U.S. declined to a nine-month low as concern grew that the nation’s economy is slowing.  The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan dropped to 4.32 percent in the week ended today from 4.39 percent, according to Freddie Mac. The average 15-year fixed-loan rate fell to 3.5 percent, the lowest on record, from 3.54 percent, the McLean, Virginia-based mortgage-finance company said in a statement.”

Los Angeles Times - “Housing affordability up in California with home price decline” (8-11-11)

“Housing affordability increased in California in the second quarter as prices dropped from the same period a year earlier, a real estate group said Thursday.  Fifty-one percent of California households could afford a single-family home priced at the median, according to the California Assn. of Realtors.”

Rismedia - “Second Quarter Metro Area Prices Mixed with Little Change, State Sales Down” (8-11-11)

“Median existing-home prices declined modestly in the second quarter with 27 percent of metropolitan areas experiencing price gains from a year ago, while state home sales declined from the second quarter of 2010, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of REALTORS.”

DS News - “BofA Sells Pool of Servicing Rights to Fannie Mae” (8-11-11)

“Bank of America has sold the servicing rights of 400,000 home loans to Fannie Mae, according to the Wall Street Journal.  According to the Journal, the unpaid principal balance on the loans is $73 billion.   The loans were sold at a price of $500 million.”

San Francisco Chronicle - “S.F. apartment rent rises as vacancy rates fall” (8-11-11)

“Apartment hunting in San Francisco has turned into a competitive sport with hopeful renters swarming open houses and experiencing more rejections than contestants on ‘Survivor’.”

Looking Back:

The MBA’s weekly survey showed mortgage application volume increased by 0.6 percent. The Obama Administration provided the Treasury Department and HUD with $3 billion for aiding homeowners. The NAR reported that most U.S. metro areas experienced a decrease in home prices during the second quarter, and distressed homes accounted for 32 percent of second quarter sales 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.

In the wake of the U.S. credit rating being dropped, stocks decreased and the Dow is now below 11,000, the lowest it has been since November.  Bloomberg reported Bank of America was sued by AIG in regards to false information regarding mortgage-bond investments.  Inman reported rentals are increasing while homeownership is decreasing.   

In The News:

CNN Money - “Stocks Plunge Following S&P Downgrade” (8-8-11)

“U.S. stocks plunged deep into the red on Monday as fearful investors faced the news that the United States had lost its coveted “AAA” credit rating.”

Mortgage Bankers Association - “MBA Hires Brian Hartman to be Associate Vice President of Marketing” (8-8-11)

“David H. Stevens, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), today announced the appointment of Brian Hartman as Associate Vice President of Marketing. In this role, he will help develop, execute and manage MBA’s direct marketing programs.’“

Bloomberg - “AIG Plans to Sue Bank of America Over Losses Tied to Mortgage Underwriting” (8-8-11)

“American International Group Inc. (AIG), the bailed-out insurer, sued Bank of America Corp. over $10 billion in losses on mortgage-bond investments. The bank dropped 16.5 percent in New York trading.”

DS News - “Servicers’ Policies on Foreclosures in Bankruptcy Courts Being Examined” (8-8-11)

“Eleven mortgage servicers recently received letters from two senators inquiring about their policies regarding foreclosures in bankruptcy courts.”

Inman - “Demand for real estate rentals rises, homeownership rate drops” (8-8-11)

“In the teeter-tottering relationship between rental housing and homeownership, demand for rentals stayed up in the second quarter of 2011 while homeownership remained static, according to residential vacancy and homeownership data released by the U.S. Census Bureau at the end of July.”

Housing Wire – “Freddie Mac narrows loss in 2Q” (8-8-11)

“Freddie Mac swung to a $2.1 billion loss in the second quarter following a profit in the first quarter.  But Freddie narrowed its loss from the $4.7 billion loss it recorded in the year-ago period.”

Realty Times - “Real Estate Outlook: Market Continues to Struggle” (8-8-11)

“Will a change to the mortgage interest deduction threaten a housing market recovery? This is the message from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). “As the leading advocate for housing and homeownership, NAR firmly believes that the mortgage interest deduction is vital to the stability of the American housing market and economy,” says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “The MID facilitates home ownership by reducing the carrying costs of owning a home, and it makes a real difference to hard-working middle-class families”.”

Bloomberg - “Bulk Buying Would Ease Home Crisis, Morgan Stanley Analysts Say” (8-8-11)

“Encouraging investors to buy foreclosed homes in bulk would help shrink the U.S. housing surplus, stabilize property prices and provide affordable rentals, Morgan Stanley (MS) housing analysts said in a report today.”

Rismedia - “June Prices Still in Red; Northeast Booms” (8-8-11)

“National average home prices in June were still 7.9 percent below a year ago, which was the height of the boomlet spawned by the tax credit. However, prices are still up 4.1 percent over the first quarter.”

Housing Wire – “Mortgage credit growth drops 4% over last year” (8-8-11)

“Credit conditions across the United States remained mixed in July, with growth in new mortgage credit slipping 4% in July compared to year-ago levels, according to a new report from CreditForecast.”

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.

The Wall Street Journal reported that more foreclosed homes will be featured on reality television shows.  In other news, the Reality Times reported that the sale of existing homes fell last month, the Northeast being the lowest.  According to Housing Wire, some of the big banks showed improvement in the second quarter with increased loans and bigger pre-provision earnings. 

In The News:

DS News - “Home Prices May Not Have Hit Bottom Yet: Survey” (7-25-11)

“Home prices, which have been sputtering along for much of the year, are likely to dip further by the end of 2011, according to the results of a nationwide industry survey of real estate agents.”

Inman – “Real estate exec jailed on drug trafficking charge” (7-25-11)

“Robert Lord Morris, president-elect of the Realtors Association of Lake and Sumter Counties in central Florida, is in jail after claiming a package filled with crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $30,000 hidden inside a bag of Meow Mix cat food, the Orlando Sentinel reported Thursday.”

Bloomberg - “JPMorgan Cuts Commercial -Mortgage Bound Forecast as Volatility Hurts Profit” (7-25-11)

“JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) cut its 2011 forecast for sales of bonds tied to commercial mortgages by as much as $15 billion as volatile prices curb profitability for Wall Street banks, impeding a recovery in the property market.”

Housing Wire - “Lack of financing may derail growing housing investments” (7-25-11)

“Investors are a driving force in the housing market, but their enthusiasm is constrained by limited financing options with more investors forced to pay cash for their homes as debt-driven financing remains restricted.”

Realty Times – “Real Estate Outlook: Existing-Home Sales” (7-25-11)

“Existing-home sales fell in June amidst contract cancellations, according to the National Association of Realtors.”

The Wall Street Journal - “TV Home Shows Flip Scripts” (7-25-11)

“Where are the hundreds of thousands of foreclosed homes in the U.S. ending up? On reality television.  This summer and fall, several TV networks are unveiling reality shows about buying foreclosed houses as a way to reinvent the popular “house flipping” formula, which proliferated in cable programming alongside the real-estate boom.”

Housing Wire - “Banks’ second-quarter earnings show some loan growth” (7-25-11)

“Second-quarter earnings from the nation’s big banks show the firms experiencing modest loan growth and higher pre-provision earnings during the period, FBR Capital Markets said in a new report.”

DS News – “Regulators Shut Down Florida and Colorado Lenders” (7-25-11)

“Regulators closed the doors on three lending institutions over the weekend – two in Florida and one in Colorado. This latest round of closings brings the number of names on the FDIC’s failed-bank list to 58 for the year.”

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.

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.