Are Boise Home Values Increasing?

Are Boise home values increasing? Boise ranks in top 15 cities that listing prices are rebounding which is a good sign. As our market is starting to find traction the same problem is still there, does 10% increase in list prices equate to actual sold prices and does the 10%  really help the vast majority that are under water on their mortgage by much more? If you are experiencing hard ship for what ever reason and are in fear of foreclosure please don’t delay and call Idaho’s top Short Sale Agent Joshua Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or visit www.homeswithjosh.com or www.idshortsale.com

 

http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2011/09/23/15-cities-where-listing-prices-are-rebounding

Are Short Sales The New REO

I have been helping a lot of distressed home owners for the past couple of years and the link below explains what I have been experiencing. Banks are starting to realize that the Short Sale are most of the time the best route to take. A Short Sale here in Idaho will help stop the downward trend of home prices also keeping homes from becoming more distressed. (i.e. – a beat up home is a beat down home price)

If you or someone you know is needing help with their distressed home please contact Josh Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or www.homeswithjosh.com

http://kcmblog.com/2011/06/22/are-short-sales-getting-easier/

Waiting To Buy A Home

Buying a home is a personal decision that is usually the single largest investment of a lifetime.  This real estate downturn is now bigger than the great depression, fact.  Prices are soft but there are still a lot of reasons to be very serious about shopping for your future home.  If you are sitting on the fence waiting to time the market looking for the absolute bottom please continue to read.  The cost of your home loan is going to go up and that is going to affect you more than a sticker price on your home. Joshua Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

Interest Rates Are Increasing

Interest rates have increased almost 3/4 of a point in the last six months. Most experts expect rates to continue to increase through the year. Interest rates along with price determine the overall cost of a home. Even with prices softening, if interest rates rise, it may be less expensive to buy now rather than wait.
The 30-Year Mortgage May Disappear

There has been much debate regarding government’s role in providing support for homeownership. There are several experts who believe If Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s roles are eliminated, or even limited, it may be the end to the 30-year mortgage. This concern is addressed in MSN Real Estate’s Is it curtains for the 30-year mortgage?
QRM Requirements Could Be Much More Stringent

Here are proposed changes to the requirements for a ‘qualified residential mortgage’:

* Certain mortgage types would be eliminated
* You would need to put a minimum of 20% down
* You would need a minimum 690 FICO score
* The ratios of income to both the mortgage payment and overall debt would become much more conservative (28% and 36%)

There would be loans available to purchasers who don’t qualify under the new rules. However, they will probably be more expensive to the buyer (both in rate and costs).
Rents Are Expected to Increase

The supply of available rentals is decreasing and the demand is increasing. That will lead to an increase in rental costs throughout the year. The Wall Street Journal this week quoted a report by Reis, Inc:

“Expect vacancies to continue declining, and rents rising through the rest of 2011 at an even faster pace.”

Bottom Line

You may be waiting on the sidelines to see if prices will continue to depreciate before you purchase a home. The mortgage expense is a major piece in the overall financial picture of homeownership. Make sure you consider it when timing your decision.

HAMP Struggling With Cancellations Or Rejections

Below are numbers for Bank of America, JP Morgan, Citi Mortgage, Wells Fargo and how they have been doing with HAMP ( Home Made Affordable Program)- Is your lender trying to foreclose on you? Would you like to minimize the damage to your credit and avoid foreclosure?     FREE CONSULTATION AND FREE SERVICE Joshua Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

As of November 30, 2010, there were an estimated 1,420,048 borrowers eligible for HAMP who are 60 or more days delinquent.

The servicer performance report released Monday by Treasury revealed that as of the final day of 2010 there are a total of 521,630 active permanent modifications and 152,289 active trial modifications.

By contrast there have been 1,025,907 homeowners rejected for HAMP modifications by the eight largest servicers, and there have been 572,655 canceled trial modifications.

To date there have been 1,466,448 HAMP trials started.

The report details numbers reported for several servicers, including the Bank of America (BofA), Citi, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo. Though the “big four” banks are leading the pack in numbers of modifications, the numbers are quite low over all when contrasted with the 3 to 4 million homeowners HAMP projected to help by 2012.

On top of that, it seems the pace of modifications is slowing dramatically.

Bank of America has the highest number of modifications of all surveyed servicers. The company reported it currently has 45,753 active trial modifications and 90,243 active permanent modifications.

In June, BofA reported it had completed 72,323 permanent modifications so far. The servicer completed just 6,484 modifications nationwide from November to December 2010.

BofA also has 199,196 homeowners in canceled HAMP trial modifications, and 114,531 homeowners who were not accepted for HAMP trial modifications. Of those homeowners, 18,031 are currently in the process of alternative modifications, 18,572 are in the process of short sales or deeds in lieu, 35,872 are experiencing foreclosure starts and 12,549 have completed foreclosures.

CitiMortgage reported a total of 42,746 active permanent modifications at year-end, and 7,415 active trial modifications. Citi has 81,329 homeowners in canceled trial mods and 128,665 homeowners who were not accepted for HAMP trial modifications, with 34,369 in the process of alt mods, 3,370 going through a short sale or deed in lieu, 8,864 foreclosure starts and 4,527 foreclosure completions.

JP Morgan reported 66,441 active permanent modifications, 20,7999 active trial modifications, and 113,997 in canceled trial mods. The servicer has denied the most homeowners HAMP modifications, at 334,462. Of those homeowners, 101,136 are in the process of alternative modification, 9,892 are in the process of short sales or deeds in lieu, 35,676 are experiencing foreclosure starts and 8,994 are in the process of foreclosure completions.

Wells Fargo reported 70,135 active permanent modifications and 18,526 trial modifications, as well as 118,395 in canceled mods. Wells has 172,387 homeowners who were not accepted for a HAMP trial modification, of those, 47,818 are pursuing alternative modifications, 10,550 are in the process of short sales or deeds in lieu. There are 18,914 foreclosure starts and 11,340 completed foreclosures.

The performance report says the most common causes of trial cancellations are insufficient documentation, trial plan payment default, and borrower ineligibility. Most common causes of trials not accepted are insufficient documentation, borrower ineligibility, or mortgage ineligibility.

Interestingly, Citi and JP Morgan experienced a decline in active permanent modifications from November to December.

Cumulative permanent mods recorded for Citi and JPMorgan in November 2010, were 52,856 and 67,722, respectively.



Expectations Of Your Short Sale

There is a good chance if your a homeowner that you have little to NO Equity in your home.  Recent reports show nearly 14 Million Homeowners underwater…and 1 in 4 homeowner’s are in some stage of the foreclosure process.

With the Robo Signing fiasco, banks have been on high alert not to exacerbate the already “questionable” processing of foreclosures.  What that means is that banks are much more willing to work with sellers that want to short sale the home.

We’ve been listing and selling short sales for more than 3 years.  Banks used to fight tooth and nail to hold onto the property and threaten foreclosure if the seller did not pay up.  Now…we see banks sitting on their hands because so many homeowner’s have decided to take them up on that foreclosure offer!  Needless to say, “Houston…we have a problem”.

Homeowners are in a state of confusion, the kind of confusion that makes you so paralyzed it’s difficult to make important decisions.

It’s unfortunate, but true, there is a lot of “bad” information being given by so called short sale specialists and attorneys.  We always suggest that our clients speak to an attorney prior to selling their home on short sale, I wish we could say that our clients always get solid “knowledge” from the attorney they consult.

With that said, all banks are different in their terms of settlement when accepting a short sale.  The fact that you have a second lien on the property also adds another element to the approval conditions because both lien holders have to approve and agree on the settlement terms.

****Something to keep in mind, a foreclosure in most cases is your primary loan taking action to regain possession of the property.  If you have taken out a second lien, a home equity line of credit, or any other liens on the home these loans will remain collectible against you and are going to be actively pursued by the debtor/s.  Walking away does not relieve you of the home mortgage debt.

Here are some key elements that you should be aware of when you decide to short sale your home.

1. If you have more than one loan on the property your real estate agent must negotiate with all lien holders to get approval to sell the property.
2. Depending on the investor of your loan/s you may be asked to contribute to the release of these liens.  If you have the means it may be requested that funds be brought to close of escrow.  In most cases, 2nd lien holders have been known to request on average 10% of the balance due them.
3. In most cases your real estate agent can negotiate terms to pay this small balance back to the lender over 5 plus years with no interest.  This is referred to as a promissory note.  Keep in mind, you are going to be resolving your debt for pennies on the dollar.  Example-you borrowed $200,000 on a second.  They want you to pay $20,000 to release you from $180,000 debt…no recourse.
4. HAFA is a Government program that you can apply for if you meet the guidelines of the program.

If you or someone you know is considering a short sale, please contact us for a confidential consultation.  One thing that we want to make sure you are aware of is that the real estate commissions are paid by your lender.  There is no charge to you for our services. Josh 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

Total Delinquent and Foreclosure Rates Increasing (now)

There are 7 million noncurrent loans but that is down from 8.1 million at the beginning of the year.

New Problem Loans

Unfortunately, things have gotten worse since July-August, just about when home prices stopped rising.

Average Days Delinquent for Homes in Foreclosure

That chart highlights the desperate need to speed up, not halt the foreclosure process.

Facts to consider:

* Economic Conditions Deteriorating

* Adding to the housing misery, over 2 million unemployed workers will lose benefits starting November 30 unless Congress acts to extend benefits in the lame-duck session. Not going to happen.

* Furthermore, gallup surveys point to a flat Christmas season at best, so seasonal hiring may not be as good as expected.

* Finally, stimulus money is spent and there is no driver for jobs with inventory replenishment nearing the end.

These factors will put still more pressure on delinquent loans and foreclosures, which in turn will further pressure prices.

If you are experiencing problems with your house payment and are seeking Loan Modification or Short Sale Service please call or email

208-53-74131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

Source: Harris Real Estate University

Rules For FHA Principle Reducing Refi’s

Look for qualification under mortgage letter link- Josh Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com and www.homeswithjosh.com

Nearly a quarter of U.S. homeowners with a mortgage owe more on the loan than their home is worth, and home prices are threatening to fall further and push even more borrowers underwater. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), though, is throwing out a lifeline.

Starting September 7, the federal agency will offer new FHA-insured mortgages to certain underwater, non-FHA borrowers who are current on their mortgage payments and whose lenders agree to write off at least 10 percent of the unpaid principal balance.

This last part could prove to be the caveat that leads the new FHA refi program down the same road as the federal government’s other housing programs – a road of below par results and public criticism.

Lenders are fantastically reluctant to write down mortgage principals. It would mean either they or their mortgage investors would have to eat the amount of debt that’s forgiven, and it could set a precedent that a loan contract is not a contract at all if the terms spelled out in black and white can be changed based on market nuances, such as a slump in real estate values.

The FHA refi program for underwater borrowers was originally announced in March as part of the administra-

tion’s expanded foreclosure prevention strategy. On Friday, FHA and HUD published a mortgagee letter explaining to lenders the details of the new negative equity refinancing program.

To be eligible for a new loan, the homeowner must owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth, be current on their existing mortgage, and occupy the property as their primary residence. The homeowner must qualify for the new loan under standard FHA underwriting requirements and have a credit score equal of at least 500.

Participation in the program is voluntary and requires the consent of all lien holders. The borrower’s existing first lien holder must agree to write off at least 10 percent of their unpaid principal balance to bring the borrower’s combined loan-to-value ratio to no more than 115 percent.

In addition, the existing loan to be refinanced must not be an FHA-insured loan, and the refinanced FHA-insured first mortgage must have a loan-to-value ratio of no more than 97.75 percent.

To facilitate the refinancing of new FHA-insured loans under this program, the Treasury will provide incentives to existing second lien holders who agree to full or partial extinguishment of the liens.

Servicers planning to take part in the new program must execute a Servicer Participation Agreement (SPA) with Fannie Mae by October 3, 2010.

HUD says interested homeowners should contact their lenders to determine if they are eligible and whether the lender agrees to write down a portion of the unpaid principal.

FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens, said, “This is another tool to help overcome the negative equity problem facing many responsible homeowners who are looking to refinance into a safer, more secure mortgage product.”

Source: DS News

Another Home Buyer Tax Credit

That’s right rumor on the street is there may be another tax credit for Home Buyer’s- Could consist of money for First Time Home Buyer’s, Move Up Home Buyer’s and the new twist could be incentive to purchase REO (Bank Owned) and Short Sale properties. If this happens we will be combining low, low, low I mean lowest interest rates on record with homes being sold crazy low prices. Idaho has long been ranked high for best places to live and work and I expect that the Boise Valley will rank high again when this economy turns around. Let’s see what happens but maybe the 3rd time is the charm! Josh Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com and www.homeswithjosh.com

Owning Your Idaho Home

Everyday we here more bad news about the housing fallout and while that cannot be ignored there are some major benefits of home ownership. A lot of the times home ownership are more than the financial dividends.  The best things about owning a home have a lot more to do with personal comfort and satisfaction. I was golfing with a retired professor from Notre Dame. He followed his wife and kids over to Idaho and told me if it weren’t for his job at the University of Notre Dame he would have been here years ago.  He had been coming to Boise, Idaho since the late 1960′s telling me that he always knew that he would end up owning a home here. In closing “I love Idaho” and good game :)

Here are five of them:

· Be your own landlord. The bank can only kick you out if you don’t pay; a landlord can be much less dependable – deciding to sell the property or choosing to live there themselves.
· Paying the principal is forced savings. Yes, it’s possible that home prices will fall further. It is also possible that your 401k will go down, but in the end both should provide you with an upside.
· Fixed-rate mortgages never rise – and eventually you pay them off. With mortgage rates at record lows, people who buy now are locking in real bargains.
· Good schools. Family-sized rentals are harder to come by in areas with excellent public schools.
· Spacious properties in pleasant neighborhoods. Sizable homes in attractive communities are almost always owned – not rented.

Source New York Times: Ron Lieber

Faster Short Sale Approvals after B of A Insurance Scam

Ever feel like your mortgage servicer or company is just toying with you and your HAMP program- It should be black or white, completely transparent and well let’s admit it– Can I get a loan mod and does it even make any sense if my home is totally upside down (bought at 300k now worth 175k)- Here in Idaho job unemployment rate is still above 9% and not looking to drop drastically anytime soon.  If your loan company is jerking you around please don’t hesitate to call or email Josh with your questions. Idaho’s Best Short Sale Specialist! Read below what the big boys in banking are doing it might make you shake your head–

Bank of America gets caught with their hand in the jar and blames Countrywide.

But doesn’t Bank of America own Countrywide?  Yes!

When Bank of America took over Countrywide in 2008 during the worst housing crash since the Great Depression, according to Bloomberg, BofA absorbed Balboa Insurance.  Essentially, Balboa Insurance…now owned and operated by BofA, is insuring their own bad debt.

What does this mean?  Bank of America’s “Countrywide Loans” that have been defaulted against by homeowners are insured, meaning Bank of America is feeling no pain and actually is gaining from this type of bad debt. Meaning that BofA is in no hurry to sell bad debt.  That’s why there is “Shadow Inventory” and Short Sales are taking so long to approve for sale. There’s no hurry when your making money.

Why Bank of America is gaining on a defaulted loan?  It seems that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) uncovered ”scamming” on behalf of  “Countrywide” last month.  Remember, Bank of America bought/took over, what ever you want to call it, Countrywide at the Federal Governments request.

What was the scamming?

Countrywide had established Balboa Insurance to cover their home loans gone bad.  In an effort to help defray these losses on bad loans, Balboa Insurance and Countrywide would over charge the now defaulted homeowner for any related services to the default…like mowing the lawns, maintenance of the home, painting, etc…yes, Countrywide in it’s need to make money, charged up to 2 times the amount back to the homeowner for these services.  This is in clear violation to FTC guidelines as it pertains to loan servicing.

So what?

Well, Millions and millions of dollars have been scammed from the clients that they hold a fiduciary responsibility. Kinda like Bernie Madoff screwing his own clients out of their money.   Well, it’s now 2 years later, and Bank of America “Countrywide” division has been caught red handed.  However, no one is being held responsible.  Why?

BofA was helping out the Feds by taking over the Countrywide catastrophe and with that comes immunity.  Above the law stuff…”you do us a favor, no one will suffer.”

Know that BofA has been caught, the new CEO, Brian Moynihan stated earlier this month that they have a “desire” to sell Balboa Insurance.  Desire?  What does that mean?

C’mon…let’s be real.  BofA makes tons of money on bad loans.  That’s why it takes so freakin’ long to get a BofA short sale approved!  That’s why there is “shadow Inventory”!

So what happens next?

As soon as CEO Moynihans “desire” is fulfilled and Bolboa is sold…it should open the flood gates to short sales and release of “shadow inventory”.

It’s good news…however, no one person is held responsible. No one goes to jail.

Do the Feds a “solid” and your protected!