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California Real Estate Headline Roundup

Posts Tagged ‘Office of Thrift Supervision’

By Bruce Norris .

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 5/26/11

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Today’s News Synopsis:

An survey from Move shows 53.5% of investors expect home prices to remain the same over the next year. Freddie Mac said mortgage rates have dropped to 4.6%. According to RealtyTrac, foreclosures represent 45% of sales in California. The national Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.8% in the first quarter.

In The News:

NAHB - “Builders Urge Congress to Maintain Ongoing Federal Role to Ensure a Healthy Mortgage Market” (5-26-11)

“Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, NAHB First Vice Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., said that absent a federal role to help reassure mortgage market investors, the cost and availability of mortgage credit would be subject to unpredictable volatility.”

Housing Wire – “Investors ready to heat up the housing market: Move Inc.” (5-26-11)

“The firm’s real estate investor survey found 22% of investors are bullish about home prices going up in the next six to 12 months, a slight uptick from prior periods. About 53.5% expect home prices to remain relatively the same.”

Housing Wire – “Jobless claims rose 2.3% last week” (5-26-11)

“The Labor Department said the seasonally adjusted figure of actual initial claims for the week ended May 21 increased to 424,000 from 414,000 the previous week, which was revised upward by 5,000 claims.”

Office of Thrift Supervision - “OTS 11-012 – Thrift Industry Reports Seventh Consecutive Quarterly Profit” (5-26-11)

“The U.S. thrift industry posted a profit of $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2011, the industry’s seventh consecutive quarter of profitability, the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) reported today.”

Los Angeles Times – “Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates still falling” (5-26-11)

“Mortgage rates fell for the sixth straight week, according to a widely watched survey of lenders, with the 30-year fixed loan at an even 4.60%, its lowest level since fall.”

CNN - “Foreclosures for sale: Big supply, low prices” (5-26-11)

“Foreclosures represent 45% of sales in California and Arizona, and 28% of all existing home sales during the first three months of 2011.”

Housing Wire – “Revised estimate for 1Q GDP growth remains 1.8%” (5-26-11)

“Real gross domestic product in the United States increased at an annual rate of 1.8% in the first quarter, based on the revised estimate released by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis Wednesday.”

Housing Wire – “Spring home sales largely flat: Radar Logic” (5-26-11)

“In March, the seasonal uptick in home sales was smaller than usual, with the RPX composite transaction count rising 11.5%, compared to the average 16.5% growth-spurt experienced in the month of March during the course of the past decade.”

Looking Back:

One year ago, the Commerce Department reported sales of new single-family homes rose 14.8 percent in April. Mortgage application volume increased 11.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous week. The NAR predicted commercial vacancy rates would increase from 16.9 percent in the first quarter of 2010 to 17.6 percent in the first quarter of 2011. According to Freddie Mac, home prices declined 1.1% in quarter 1 of 2010 compared to the same quarter in 2009.

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 3/31/11

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Today’s News Synopsis:

The Office of Thrift Supervision reports serious delinquencies decreases in the 4th quarter of 2010. Riverside was pronounced to be the most likely city to experience further economic trouble. Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations increased 88% in the last few months of 2010. Fannie Mae’s mortgage portfolio decreased by 15% in February.

In The News:

CNN - “JPMorgan’s Dimon: No mortgage writedowns” (3-31-11)

“The head of JPMorgan Chase said Wednesday that banks would not consider writing down mortgages for homeowners who can make payments, an idea at the center of talks aimed at fixing the mortgage mess.”

Housing Wire - “Chief risk officer Bob Ryan to head up FHA” (3-31-11)

“The Department of Housing and Urban Development tapped Bob Ryan, formerly the chief risk officer at the Federal Housing Administration as its acting commissioner, replacing David Stevens. Stevens departs the FHA Thursday and will run the Mortgage Bankers Association.”

Housing Wire – “Fannie Mae’s gross mortgage portfolio drops 15.2%” (3-31-11)

“Fannie Mae said its gross mortgage portfolio fell at a compound annualized rate of 15.2% in February, while the government-sponsored enterprise’s entire book of business fell 0.7%.”

Housing Wire - “Jobless claims drop slightly for a third consecutive week” (3-31-11)

“The number of initial jobless claims filed by unemployed Americans fell to 388,000 in the week ending March 26, down from last week’s upwardly revised figure of 394,000, the Labor Department said Thursday.”

Office of Thrift Supervision – “Mortgage Performance Slightly Better in Fourth Quarter of 2010; Serious Delinquencies Drop for the Fourth Consecutive Quarter” (3-31-11)

“The quarterly report by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift Supervision showed that 87.6 percent of the 32.9 million loans in the portfolio were current and performing at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010.”

Mortgage Orb – “Legislation Dismantles GSEs Piecemeal-Style” (3-30-11)

“Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee have introduced eight targeted bills that, taken together, aim to reduce the government’s involvement in housing and spark a resurgence among private capital.”

Yahoo - “Cities Where Things are Getting Worse” (3-29-11)

“Six California cities claim spots on our list of Cities Where The Economy May Get Worse. Riverside took the number one spot, thanks to a high unemployment rate (13.9%) coupled with weak job growth, a hefty number of mortgage loans 90 days or more delinquent (8.21% of all loans) and a projected migration pattern that finds 4,000 residents expected to leave the area this year.”

Housing Wire – “Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations up 88%” (3-31-11)

“Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations grew 88% in the fourth quarter of 2010 when compared to 4Q 2009, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in its Fourth Quarter Commercial Real Estate-Multifamily Finance Quarterly Report.”

Housing Wire – “Barney Frank says mortgage interest tax deduction is safe” (3-31-11)

“Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said at a House subcommittee hearing Thursday that the mortgage interest tax deduction would be safe. Currently, interest on a mortgage taken out to buy or improve a home can be fully deducted if the amount of the loan is less than $1 million for married couples and $500,000 for singles. Home equity loans taken out for anything else is limited to $100,000 for couples and $50,000 for singles.”

Housing Wire – “Freddie Mac mortgage interest rates inch up this week” (3-31-11)

“The government-sponsored enterprise said its primary mortgage market survey showed the average rate for a 30-year, fixed mortgage rose to 4.86% for the week ending Thursday from 4.81% a week earlier. The average rate for a 15-year, fixed mortgage increased to 4.09% from 4.04 the prior week, according to the Freddie Mac survey.”

Housing Wire – “Judge dismisses securities fraud case against Freddie” (3-31-11)

“A federal district court judge in New York dismissed a lawsuit filed by Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund and National Elevator Industry Pension Plan — two Freddie investors, who allege Freddie mislead a class of investors after experiencing a $2 billion loss for the third quarter of 2007 by ‘materially misrepresenting Freddie’s exposure to risky mortgage products.’”

Looking Back:

One year ago, Mortgage loan application volume increased by 1.3 percent from the previous week. Vacation home sales increased by 7.9 percent in 2009.  Fannie Mae reported the percentage of seriously delinquent loans increased to 5.52% in January. FHA allowed mortgages to borrowers who sold their residence under short-sale provisions and then purchase a new home without the standard 3 year wait.

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 3/2/11

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

Today’s News Synopsis:

The MBA reports mortgage applications fell 6.5% last week. HUD said mortgage delinquencies declined in January. Wells Fargo predicts California economic growth will remain slow this year.

In The News:

Mortgage Bankers Association – “Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey” (3-2-11)

“Mortgage applications decreased 6.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 25, 2011.”

Sign On San Diego – “San Diego, Orange counties lead state growth” (3-2-11)

“Job growth in San Diego and Orange counties will help lead California into economic recovery, but the statewide growth rate will remain ‘painfully slow,’ according to a study released Tuesday by the economics group at Wells Fargo Securities.”

Inman - “HUD ramps up grants to fair housing groups” (3-2-11)

“Federal housing regulators are boosting grant funding by 48 percent to fair housing groups and nonprofit agencies that educate the public about housing and lending discrimination laws and help catch violators.”

Bloomberg - “BofA, Citigroup Say Mortgage Database Draws Scrutiny in Foreclosure Probe” (3-2-11)

“Earnings at Bank of America, the largest U.S. lender, may suffer materially if using Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems or MERS is found to be invalid, according to a regulatory filing last week. Citigroup and PNC said fines or other penalties may result from investigations into MERS and allegations of faulty foreclosure practices.”

Office of Thrift Supervision – “Thrift Industry Reports First Annual Profit Since Financial Crisis Began” (3-1-11)

“The U.S. thrift industry posted a profit of $6.6 billion in 2010, the first profitable year for the industry since 2006, the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) reported today.”

Housing Wire – “CMBS delinquency slows most since financial crisis, still hits record high” (3-2-11)

“The delinquency rate on commercial mortgage-backed securities increased 5 basis points to 9.39% in February, the smallest monthly gain since the financial crisis in 2008, according to analytics firm Trepp.”

Housing Wire – “Obama administration sees unsettled home prices keeping market down” (3-2-11)

“In its latest housing scorecard released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Treasury Department, the administration said mortgage delinquencies in January continued to decline from record levels seen at the beginning of 2010.”

Housing Wire – “Fed’s Beige Book shows muted results in housing, finance” (3-2-11)

“Overall economic activity continued to expand at a modest to moderate pace in January and early February, although the housing and financial markets outlook was muted, according to the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book.”

Bloomberg - “Treasury Lobbies Congress to Save Housing Assistance Programs” (3-2-11)

“Congress is weighing whether to eliminate programs that have helped fewer homeowners than promised. About 1.5 million households have begun trial mortgage modifications through HAMP, down from initial projections of 3 million to 4 million.”

Looking Back:

One year ago, 68 percent of U.S. citizens supported the government’s involvement in the housing market. Fannie Mae announced plans to buy 150,000 to 200,000 delinquent loans from MBS trusts. Economist Jan Hatzius believed we would not see an interest rate increase any time in the near future. Realtors advised that staging is a critical component of selling a home.

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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