Mortgages - FORECLOSURE FRAUD

Tag Archive | "Mortgages"

Bank of America Breaks With Fannie Mae

Bank of America Breaks With Fannie Mae


Yeah, I think they finally figured out the loans are all no good. BofA will soon be DOA.

NYT-

Bank of America said Thursday that it would no longer sell new mortgages to Fannie Mae, underscoring tensions in a fight between giants of the home loan market over billions in losses in the housing bubble.

The latest move represents a major escalation in a protracted legal battle over how many defaulted mortgages Bank of America will have to buy back from Fannie because the original loans had not conformed to proper underwriting standards, market experts said.

“In mortgage circles, it’s pretty big,” said Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance, a trade publication. “It would be fairly extreme for a small or midsized lender to do this, but for a major lender, it’s very extreme.”

[NEW YORK TIMES]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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Assured Guaranty files new claims against JPMorgan

Assured Guaranty files new claims against JPMorgan


This will never end and the fraud will go on forever with no end in sight.

 

REUTERS-

Bond insurer Assured Guaranty Ltd filed new claims against JPMorgan Chase & Co over a mortgage-backed security sold by Bear Stearns, saying more than 35 witnesses have come forward to testify about how loans in the $337 million transaction were misrepresented.

The lawsuit contends Bear Stearns and its EMC mortgage arm, acquired by JPMorgan after their collapse in 2008, knew the pool of more than 6,000 home-equity lines of credit that served as collateral for the investment was filled with defective loans.

[REUTERS]

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FDIC has to face $10 billion WaMu-related lawsuit

FDIC has to face $10 billion WaMu-related lawsuit


REUTERS-

A federal judge ruled that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp has to face a $10 billion lawsuit tied to the failure of Washington Mutual Bank.

The judge refused the FDIC’s request to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co over bad mortgages that were securitized by Washington Mutual.

Washington Mutual, or WaMu, was seized by the Office of Thrift Supervision in September 2008 in the biggest bank failure in U.S. history.

The FDIC was appointed receiver and immediately sold the bank to JPMorgan Chase & Co for $1.9 billion.

[REUTERS]

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U.S. Senators Push for Gross-Backed Bill to Ease Refinancing

U.S. Senators Push for Gross-Backed Bill to Ease Refinancing


H/T to a subscriber

This is about S 170 and HR 363.  Refi at LV, not FMV, and  appraisals are prohibited… Mortagee would presumably stay w/current servicer and lose existing rights, if any, re origination.  New securities are rebundled for sale (PIMCO, Penny Mac, et al).

If this happens, it will happen under the radar via Super Committee, not transparent law-making.

No one is looking at this.

(Bloomberg) —

U.S. Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer said she found a Republican colleague to help push a bill requiring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to let homeowners refinance properties worth less than their existing mortgage.

Senator Johnny Isakson, of Georgia, agreed to back the proposal that is also supported by Bill Gross, who runs the world’s biggest bond fund at Pacific Investment Management Co., Boxer told reporters today on a conference call.

[BLOOMBERG]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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Home Ownership Rate Drops to 1998 Level

Home Ownership Rate Drops to 1998 Level


Recovery? What recovery.

Imagine all the shadow foreclosures, inventory…


Wall Street Journal-

The housing market’s woes continue forcing people into rentals, further depressing the home ownership rate in a nation that now has fewer homeowners than were created during the housing boom.

In the first quarter, 66.5% of Americans owned homes, down from 67.2% a year earlier, the Census Bureau reported. The rate last hit this level in 1998.

During the boom, when easy credit made mortgages available with less regard for income or ability to pay, the ownership rate surged to a record 69.2% in 2004?s second and fourth quarters and stayed near that level until the recession deepened.

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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READ ORDER | JPMorgan loses court ruling over ‘loan putbacks’ Syncora Guarantee Inc v. EMC Mortgage Corp

READ ORDER | JPMorgan loses court ruling over ‘loan putbacks’ Syncora Guarantee Inc v. EMC Mortgage Corp


You can read about this from REUTERS

* Syncora can pursue claims based on entire loan pool

* Insurer need not show breaches of individual loans

NEW YORK, March 28 (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) could be forced to repurchase thousands of home equity loans, after a judge ruled in favor of a bond insurer that argued it could build its case based on a sampling of loans.

The ruling against EMC Mortgage Corp, once a unit of Bear Stearns Cos, comes amid many lawsuits seeking to force banks to buy back tens of billions of dollars of mortgage and other home loans that went sour. JPMorgan bought Bear Stearns in 2008.

You may read the court Order below:

SYNCORA GUARANTEE INC., f/k/a XL Capital Assurance Inc.,
v.
EMC MORTGAGE CORP.,

No. 09 Civ. 3106 (PAC).

USDC, S.D. New York.

March 25, 2011.

OPINION & ORDER


HONORABLE PAUL A. CROTTY, United States District Judge.

This breach of contract lawsuit arises out of a securitization transaction (“Transaction”), involving 9,871 Home Equity Line of Credit (“HELOC”) residential mortgage loans, which were purchased and used as collateral for the issuance of $666 million in publicly offered securities (“Notes”). (Mem. in Supp. Mot. to Am. 3). Defendant EMC Mortgage Corp. (“EMC”) aggregated the HELOCs, sold the loan pool to the entity that issued the Notes, and contracted with Plaintiff Syncora Guarantee Inc., formerly known as XL Capital Assurance Inc., (“Syncora”) to provide a financial-guaranty insurance policy protecting the investors in the Note. (Id.) Syncora claims that EMC breached its representations regarding 85% of the loan pool. It now moves for partial summary judgment or, alternatively, a ruling in limine, that it was not required to comply with a repurchase protocol as the exclusive remedy for all such claims. The Court GRANTS the motion for partial summary judgment on the grounds that, in light of the broad rights and remedies for which Syncora contracted, any such remedial limitation would have to be expressly stated.

Continue below…

[ipaper docId=51773005 access_key=key-omatq6c8r86r535pfvu height=600 width=600 /]

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WaPO | SEC moves to charge Fannie, Freddie execs

WaPO | SEC moves to charge Fannie, Freddie execs


The Securities and Exchange Commission is moving toward charging former and current Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives with violations related to the financial crisis, setting up a clash with the housing regulator that oversees the companies, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The SEC, responsible for enforcing securities laws, is alleging that at least four senior executives failed to provide necessary information to investors about the companies’ mortgage holdings as the U.S. housing market collapsed.

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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Bank Of America Settles With Fannie, Freddie For $3 Billion Over Bad Counrtywide Loans

Bank Of America Settles With Fannie, Freddie For $3 Billion Over Bad Counrtywide Loans


Bank of America in $3 billion mortgage settlement

By Aaron Smith, staff writerJanuary 3, 2011: 9:02 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Bank of America has reached a $3 billion agreement with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to resolve a faulty mortgage loan dispute involving Countrywide Financial Corp.

Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) said that it paid nearly $1.3 billion to Freddie Mac and more than $1.3 billion to Fannie Mae on Dec. 31.

The purpose of this agreement is to settle an issue of bad mortgages sold by Countrywide to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac related to the housing crisis of 2008.

[ipaper docId=46261259 access_key=key-292o0775xjsnndu6sbq5 height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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Countrywide, Bank Of America Agreement and Plan Merger 2008

Countrywide, Bank Of America Agreement and Plan Merger 2008


Note this is incomplete but the basics:

Table Of Contents:

  • Pg. 2. 2nd Supp. Note Deed Poll, Dated 11/072008, To The Note Deed Poll Dated 4/29/05
  • Pg. 10. Bank of America Corporation on 1st July 2008 – Effective date of merger
  • Pg. 15. Countrywide and Bank Of America Agreement And Plan Of Merger
  • Pg. 116. Bank of America Corporation on 7th November 2008 – Debt Assumption
  • Pg. 127. 6th Supp Trust Deed Dated 11/07/08, 11/07/08, Modifying The Prov. Of Trust Deed 5/01/98
  • Pg. 138 3rd Supp. Trust Deed 11/07/08, To The Trust Deed Dated 8/15/05
  • Pg. 148 UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
  • Pg. 163. Countrywide Financial Corporation on 30th June 2008 – Consolidated Balance Sheet for
  • Pg. 282. First Supplemental Deed Poll Guarantee and Indemnity

[ipaper docId=44612785 access_key=key-1r5gobfvmuza3pv9k102 height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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DJSP Enterprises, Inc. Announces Further Staff Reductions

DJSP Enterprises, Inc. Announces Further Staff Reductions


PLANTATION, Fla., Oct. 22, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DJSP Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: DJSP) (Nasdaq:DJSPW) (Nasdaq:DJSPU) today announced that it has instituted further staff reductions as a result of continued reduced file volumes. DJSP has reduced its staffing levels by an additional 198 employees, bringing the total number of layoffs to approximately 300 since the reduction in staff was initiated.

About DJSP Enterprises, Inc.

DJSP is the largest provider of processing services for the mortgage and real estate industries in Florida and one of the largest in the United States. We provide a wide range of processing services in connection with mortgages, mortgage defaults, title searches and abstracts, REO (bank-owned) properties, loan modifications, title insurance, loss mitigation, bankruptcy, related litigation and other services. Our principal customer is The Law Offices of David J. Stern, P.A. (“DJSPA”). We are headquartered in Plantation, Florida, with additional operations in Louisville, Kentucky and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our U.S. operations are supported by a scalable, low-cost back office operation in Manila, the Philippines, that provides data entry and document preparation support for our U.S. operations.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements about us within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”), including but not limited to management’s expectations about the impact of our expense reduction efforts and recent developments in the residential mortgage foreclosure industry. Additionally, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect” and “intend” and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: business conditions, changing interpretations of generally accepted accounting principles; outcomes of government or other regulatory reviews, particularly those relating to the regulation of the practice of law; the impact of inquiries, investigations, litigation or other legal proceedings involving us or our affiliates, which, because of the nature of our business, have happened in the past to us and DJSPA; the impact and cost of continued compliance with government or state bar regulations or requirements; legislation or other changes in the regulatory environment, particularly those impacting the mortgage default industry; unexpected changes adversely affecting the businesses in which we are engaged; fluctuations in customer demand; our ability to manage growth and integrate acquisitions; intensity of competition from other providers in the industry; general economic conditions, including improvements in the economic environment that slows or reverses the growth in the number of mortgage defaults, particularly in the State of Florida; the ability to efficiently expand our operations to other states or to provide services we do not currently provide; the impact and cost of complying with applicable U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules and regulations; geopolitical events and changes, as well as other relevant risks detailed in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual report on Form 20-F for the period ended December 31, 2009, which are available at the SEC’s internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of the press release, and we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements or the reasons why actual results could differ.

CONTACT: DJSP Enterprises, Inc. Chris Simmons, Director of Investor Relations 954-233-8000 ext. 1744 Cell: 954-294-9095 900 South Pine Island Rd. Plantation, FL 33324
© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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Wells Fargo to Forgive $772 Million in Risky Home Loans

Wells Fargo to Forgive $772 Million in Risky Home Loans


By DANNY KING Posted 6:00 PM 10/06/10

Homeowners struggling to repay adjustable-rate mortgages from Wachovia and World Savings Bank, subsidiaries of Wells Fargo (WFC), got some good news Wednesday. The company has agreed to pay $24 million to settle allegations of deceptive marketing about the risky loans from eight states and also to forgive more than $772 million in outstanding loan balances owed by more than 8,700 borrowers.The states’ probe was spurred by Wachovia’s so-called “Pick-A-Payment” adjustable-rate mortgages. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, who led the investigation, said in a statement that Wachovia — which Wells Fargo acquired after the loans were granted — failed to sufficiently inform borrowers of the risks involved in such loan programs. Wells Fargo said it had already forgiven $3.4 billion in loans as of August.
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See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/cD47FQ
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© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in mortgage, Real Estate, rmbs, securitization, servicers, settlement, wachovia, wells fargoComments (1)

Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act (URPERA)

Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act (URPERA)


DinSFLA Here: Now if we just put these time frames such as ‘1999’ with all that is happening today we arrive to some answers…Don’t we?

Electronic communications make it possible to conduct old transactions in new forms.  Some of the oldest kinds of transactions governed by law are transactions in real estate:  for example, sales, leases and mortgages.  In the Middle Ages transactions in real estate were conducted symbolically, without paper or signatures.  Writing, printing and more universal literacy brought paper deeds, mortgages and leases, memorialized by words on paper with manual signatures.   These were filed in public records to establish who had rightful title to any piece of land.  Several centuries have gone by since that initial migration to the then-new technology of paper documents and manual signatures.  A new technology of computers, software to run them, and electronic communications has come to replace paper.  The law of real property must now make a transition to accommodate the new technology.  The efficiency of real estate markets makes this imminently necessary.

This long dependence on paper, however, casts up certain barriers to using electronic communications to carry on real estate transactions.  The law of the states of the United States has many “statute of fraud” requirements that inhibit the use of electronic communications.  Statute of fraud requirements put total and express reliance upon paper documents and manual signatures to make transactions enforceable.  No paper, no enforcement.  These same requirements have also made it more difficult to develop electronic analogues to transactions in paper that are equally enforceable.

The first step to remedy the problem took place in 1999 when the Uniform Law Commissioners promulgated the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA).  This act adjusted statute of fraud provisions to include electronic “records” and “signatures” for the memorialization of all kinds of transactions, including basic transactions in real estate.  It is possible to have sale contracts, mortgage instruments (in whatever form a jurisdiction uses) and promissory notes memorialized in electronic form with electronic signatures that will now be treated the equal of the same paper documents with manual signatures.  This is the result of the widespread enactment of UETA and of the subsequent enactment of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign) by Congress.

Real estate documents must be recorded on public records to be effective.  Recording takes place in most states in a county office devoted to keeping these records.  Recording protects current interests in real estate by clarifying who holds those interests.  The chain of title leading to the current title-holder, meaning the historic record of documents relating to transactions for a specific piece of real estate, establishes the marketability of that piece of real estate by the current owner of interests in it.  The real estate records establish this chain of title.  State law governs these local recording offices, and there are requirements in the law of every state relating to the originality and authenticity of paper documents that are presented for recording.  UETA included optional provisions dealing with governmental authority, including that of local governments, to accept and utilize electronic records.  However, not all states adopted these optional provisions, and confusion still persisted whether these provisions, coupled with the rest of UETA, authorized recordation of electronic records.

The Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act (URPERA) removes any doubt with regard to the ability of a local recording office to accept and otherwise process electronic documents and signatures for recording.  Further, there must be an orderly conversion of every recording office in the United States for electronic recording to become accepted universally.  That will be a complex process, but it needs a starting point in the law.  URPERA, promulgated by the Uniform Law Commissioners in 2004, provides that essential start.

The act does three fairly simple things that will have monumental effect.  First, it establishes that any requirement for originality, for a paper document or for a writing manually signed before it may be recorded, is satisfied by an electronic document and signature.  This is essentially an express extension of the principles of UETA and E-Sign to the specific requirements for recording documents relating to real estate transactions in any state.  Second, it establishes what standards a recording office must follow and what it must do to make electronic recording effective.  For example, the office must comply with standards set by the board established in a state to set them.  It must set up a system for searching and retrieving electronic documents.  There are a minimum group of requirements established in URPERA.  Third, URPERA establishes the board that sets statewide standards and requires it to set uniform standards that must be implemented in every recording office.

These may be simple steps in the law, but the entire process of implementing electronic recording of electronic real estate documents will be complex from state to state.  Inserting URPERA in the law of a state requires careful scrutiny of its real estate law.  If paper documents are effective, for example, when they are time-stamped when delivered to a recording office, when should electronic documents that may be delivered electronically when an office is closed be considered effective?  Answers to questions like this one will take some work and some complex decisions as URPERA is considered for enactment in any state.

Notwithstanding this need for careful effort, it is important to make the start on electronic recording of real estate documents.  Real estate transactions involve billions of dollars in the United States.  The efficiency of real estate markets depends upon the adoption of technology to make them faster and more competitive.  After UETA and E-Sign, the key is URPERA.  Every state needs to consider it as soon as possible.

More info…ElectronicRecording.org

RELATED ARTICLE:

Electronic Property Document Recording (ERDS)

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in deed of trust, heloc, mortgage, note, Real EstateComments (1)

Goldman to pay record $550 million to settle CDO-related charges

Goldman to pay record $550 million to settle CDO-related charges


Firm Acknowledges CDO Marketing Materials Were Incomplete and Should Have Revealed Paulson’s Role

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2010-123

View  high-resolution photo of Robert Khuzami, Director, SEC Enforcement

“This settlement is a stark lesson to Wall Street firms that no product is too complex, and no investor too sophisticated, to avoid a heavy price if a firm violates the fundamental principles of honest treatment and fair dealing.”

Robert Khuzami
Director
SEC Enforcement

Washington, D.C., July 15, 2010 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Goldman, Sachs & Co. will pay $550 million and reform its business practices to settle SEC charges that Goldman misled investors in a subprime mortgage product just as the U.S. housing market was starting to collapse.

In agreeing to the SEC’s largest-ever penalty paid by a Wall Street firm, Goldman also acknowledged that its marketing materials for the subprime product contained incomplete information.

In its April 16 complaint, the SEC alleged that Goldman misstated and omitted key facts regarding a synthetic collateralized debt obligation (CDO) it marketed that hinged on the performance of subprime residential mortgage-backed securities. Goldman failed to disclose to investors vital information about the CDO, known as ABACUS 2007-AC1, particularly the role that hedge fund Paulson & Co. Inc. played in the portfolio selection process and the fact that Paulson had taken a short position against the CDO.

In settlement papers submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Goldman made the following acknowledgement:

Goldman acknowledges that the marketing materials for the ABACUS 2007-AC1 transaction contained incomplete information. In particular, it was a mistake for the Goldman marketing materials to state that the reference portfolio was “selected by” ACA Management LLC without disclosing the role of Paulson & Co. Inc. in the portfolio selection process and that Paulson’s economic interests were adverse to CDO investors. Goldman regrets that the marketing materials did not contain that disclosure.

“Half a billion dollars is the largest penalty ever assessed against a financial services firm in the history of the SEC,” said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “This settlement is a stark lesson to Wall Street firms that no product is too complex, and no investor too sophisticated, to avoid a heavy price if a firm violates the fundamental principles of honest treatment and fair dealing.”

Lorin L. Reisner, Deputy Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, added, “The unmistakable message of this lawsuit and today’s settlement is that half-truths and deception cannot be tolerated and that the integrity of the securities markets depends on all market participants acting with uncompromising adherence to the requirements of truthfulness and honesty.”

Goldman agreed to settle the SEC’s charges without admitting or denying the allegations by consenting to the entry of a final judgment that provides for a permanent injunction from violations of the antifraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933. Of the $550 million to be paid by Goldman in the settlement, $250 million would be returned to harmed investors through a Fair Fund distribution and $300 million would be paid to the U.S. Treasury.

The landmark settlement also requires remedial action by Goldman in its review and approval of offerings of certain mortgage securities. This includes the role and responsibilities of internal legal counsel, compliance personnel, and outside counsel in the review of written marketing materials for such offerings. The settlement also requires additional education and training of Goldman employees in this area of the firm’s business. In the settlement, Goldman acknowledged that it is presently conducting a comprehensive, firm-wide review of its business standards, which the SEC has taken into account in connection with the settlement of this matter.

The settlement is subject to approval by the Honorable Barbara S. Jones, United Sates District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

Today’s settlement, if approved by Judge Jones, resolves the SEC’s enforcement action against Goldman related to the ABACUS 2007-AC1 CDO. It does not settle any other past, current or future SEC investigations against the firm. Meanwhile, the SEC’s litigation continues against Fabrice Tourre, a vice president at Goldman.

The SEC investigation that led to the filing and settlement of this enforcement action was conducted by the Enforcement Division’s Structured and New Products Unit, led by Kenneth Lench and Reid Muoio, and including Jason Anthony, N. Creola Kelly, Melissa Lamb, and Jeffrey Leasure. Additionally, together with Deputy Director Reisner, Richard Simpson, David Gottesman, and Jeffrey Tao have been handling the litigation.

# # #

For more information about this enforcement action, contact:

Robert S. Khuzami
Director, SEC Enforcement Division
(202) 551-4500

Lorin L. Reisner
Deputy Director, SEC Enforcement Division
(202) 551-4787

Kenneth R. Lench
Chief of Structured and New Products Unit, SEC Enforcement Division
(202) 551-4938

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2010/2010-123.htm

[ipaper docId=34392476 access_key=key-17ciw5w4gbw6m59368vt height=600 width=600 /]


© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in goldman sachs, S.E.C., settlementComments (1)

Biggest Defaulters on Mortgages Are the Rich

Biggest Defaulters on Mortgages Are the Rich


We are all now officially…how do you say this delicately?… Dead Beats now! OMG WTF!

Earthlings, this is not a rich, poor, black, white, hispanic, asian, gay, straight, sick soul issue etc. It’s simply because of a WALL STREET FRAUD THING! Banks are going to go bust and it’s going to hit them in their face!

Oh no I hope the GOP don’t read this one and get all shit faced like the last article because the word on the street is that they are selling these time bombs of things called notes to 3rd party collection agencies who can now come after you for a period of 20 years…Pro Se, Attorney’s make sure you name every single person in court and especially in Federal Bankruptcy Court or you will regret this later! It’s only common sense.

By DAVID STREITFELD Published: July 8, 2010

LOS ALTOS, Calif. — No need for tears, but the well-off are losing their master suites and saying goodbye to their wine cellars.

The housing bust that began among the working class in remote subdivisions and quickly progressed to the suburban middle class is striking the upper class in privileged enclaves like this one in Silicon Valley.

Whether it is their residence, a second home or a house bought as an investment, the rich have stopped paying the mortgage at a rate that greatly exceeds the rest of the population.

More than one in seven homeowners with loans in excess of a million dollars are seriously delinquent, according to data compiled for The New York Times by the real estate analytics firm CoreLogic.

By contrast, homeowners with less lavish housing are much more likely to keep writing checks to their lender. About one in 12 mortgages below the million-dollar mark is delinquent.

Though it is hard to prove, the CoreLogic data suggest that many of the well-to-do are purposely dumping their financially draining properties, just as they would any sour investment.

“The rich are different: they are more ruthless,” said Sam Khater, CoreLogic’s senior economist.

Five properties here in Los Altos were scheduled for foreclosure auctions in a recent issue of The Los Altos Town Crier, the weekly newspaper where local legal notices are posted. Four have unpaid mortgage debt of more than $1 million, with the highest amount $2.8 million.

Not so long ago, said Chris Redden, the paper’s advertising services director, “it was a surprise if we had one foreclosure a month.”

The sheriff in Cook County, Ill., is increasingly in demand to evict foreclosed owners in the upscale suburbs to the north and west of Chicago — like Wilmette, La Grange and Glencoe. The occupants are always gone by the time a deputy gets there, a spokesman said, but just barely.

In Las Vegas, Ken Lowman, a longtime agent for luxury properties, said four of the 11 sales he brokered in June were distressed properties.

“I’ve never seen the wealthy hit like this before,” Mr. Lowman said. “They made their plans based on the best of all possible scenarios — that their incomes would continue to grow, that real estate would never drop. Not many had a plan B.”

The defaulting owners, he said, often remain as long as they can. “They’re in denial,” he said.

Here in Los Altos, where the median home price of $1.5 million makes it one of the most exclusive towns in the country, several houses scheduled for auction were still occupied this week. The people who answered the door were reluctant to explain their circumstances in any detail.

At one house, where the lender was owed $1.3 million, there was a couch out front wrapped in plastic. A woman said she and her husband had lost their jobs and were moving in with relatives. At another house, the family said they were renters. A third family, whose mortgage is $1.6 million, said they would be moving this weekend.

At a vacant house with a pool, where the lender was seeking $1.27 million, a raft and a water gun lay abandoned on the entryway floor.

Lenders are fearful that many of the 11 million or so homeowners who owe more than their house is worth will walk away from them, especially if the real estate market begins to weaken again. The so-called strategic defaults have become a matter of intense debate in recent months.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two quasi-governmental mortgage finance companies that own most of the mortgages in America with a value of less than $500,000, are alternately pleading with distressed homeowners not to be bad citizens and brandishing a stick at them.

In a recent column on Freddie Mac’s Web site, the company’s executive vice president, Don Bisenius, acknowledged that walking away “might well be a good decision for certain borrowers” but argues that those who do it are trashing their communities.

Carol Pogash contributed reporting.

Continue reading atWSJ

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in deficiency judgment, foreclosure, foreclosures, mortgage, STOP FORECLOSURE FRAUD, walk awayComments (7)

FRANKENSTEIN Real Estate | TRILLIONS in DEBT

FRANKENSTEIN Real Estate | TRILLIONS in DEBT


Frankenstein real estate market – $3.5 trillion in commercial real estate debt and $10.3 trillion in residential real estate debt. Will we reach a 50 percent underwater market where 25 million Americans sit in homes worth less than their mortgage?

The real estate market has morphed into a beast that is largely sinking the overall economy into the ground.  If we combine the commercial real estate market ($3.5 trillion in debt) with residential outstanding mortgages ($10.3 trillion) we arrive at a figure that nears the annual GDP of our country.  What makes the figure even more troubling is the amount of leverage found in the real estate market.  Many of these loans will default yet banks are maintaining the notion that at some point par value will be reached; for many the par value scenario is the worst case they have mapped out, and this is highly optimistic.  We have created a real estate Frankenstein that now has a mind of its own and will do everything it can to stay afloat going forward, even at the expense of the real economy.  In fact, the real estate monster thinks it is the economy.

There is a flip side to housing values falling which seems to be ignored since most of the mainstream rhetoric is guided by the FIRE (finance, insurance, and real estate) experts.  The most obvious benefit is those looking to buy their first home don’t need to put themselves into so much debt that they risk their entire financial future for a home.  The next subtle change is the amount of money diverted from housing related spending to other sectors of the economy.  This last change will take time to sink into the overall economy but there is definitely a benefit of moving away from an economy highly dependent on Wall Street finance and real estate.

If we look at the current nationwide situation, the amount of distressed loans is stunning:

I think that the above disaster in distressed mortgages is causing very little reaction because we have somehow adapted to the current shocking situation.  Over 10 percent of all U.S. mortgages are at least one payment behind and another 4 percent are already in the process of foreclosure.  This figure is incredible given the entire mortgage market is made up of over 51 million active mortgages.  In 2007 if you were to tell someone that prices in California would fall by 50 percent (even 10 percent) many would have ignored you.  Now, it is standard practice for the market.

As a country we are much too reliant on real estate.  Commercial real estate is the next tragic saga in the RE bubble bursting with prices already falling by 42 percent.  At one point, CRE values in the U.S. were up to $6.5 trillion (now this was a rough generous estimate at the time).  Today, CRE values are down closer to $3 to $3.5 trillion; this is roughly the same amount of CRE loans outstanding.  This has pushed defaults through the roof:

The exponential rise is cause for serious concern.  There is little energy or political will to bailout the enormous CRE market.  This probably won’t stop the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury to game the system yet again and put taxpayers on the hook.  They created this massive monster and now want the public to fight it off with pitchforks.  The above chart is disturbing and the amount of bank failures we are seeing is directly related to the above trend.  Many smaller banks are deep in the trenches with CRE debt and much of this is now going bad.  How many strip malls do we really need?  Maybe having 20 Taco Bells in a one mile radius probably isn’t such a good idea.  Many of the commercial projects were built in the anticipation of sky high residential prices to justify their absurd underwriting expectations.  The above results have no excuse and are largely a reflection of massive delusional speculation in all things real estate.

Now that expectations are coming more into line and the fantasy world of Alt-A, subprime, and option ARM loans are behind us, most people have to qualify to get a loan with actual real income which many are now finding less of.  Banks lending virtually all government money, are now beholden to stricter (aka basic due diligence) in order to give out loans.  Yet if we look at the negative equity situation, the real estate monster grows scarier:

Over 20 million mortgage holders are underwater.  It is amazing that a few years ago, Deutsche Bank estimated that at the ultimate trough of the housing market, nearly half of all mortgages would be underwater.  This “doomsday” scenario seemed extremely farfetched.  Today, another 10 percent nationwide price decline would put us there.  Even without prices declining further, having 20 million Americans underwater is not a good sign going forward.  You figure over 7 million people are one payment behind or in foreclosure.  But what about the other 13 million?  This enormous group is basically a large cohort of renters but in a worse financial situation.  They are stuck.

Continue reading…DoctorHousingBubble

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in Bank Owned, foreclosure, foreclosures, Real Estate, shadow foreclosuresComments (0)

Graphed: U.S. Foreclosures and Home Repossessions, 2005 to 2010

Graphed: U.S. Foreclosures and Home Repossessions, 2005 to 2010


by Choire posted TheAWL

It’s hard to get a sense of what’s going on in America with foreclosure filings, the number of homes being foreclosed on and the actual number of houses being taken back by banks. The newspapers are confusing! Are they “down”? Are they “up”? So we dug up the actual numbers for each year since 2005, up to the projected numbers for 2010. A “foreclosure filing” can be a number of things, including notice of default, auction or seizure—which is why the actual number of houses receiving these notices is a useful number to know.

Foreclosures

Respectfully,

DinSFLA

stopforeclosurefraud.com

Posted in foreclosure, foreclosure fraud, foreclosures, STOP FORECLOSURE FRAUDComments (0)


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