Upside Down Mortgage

Archive for November, 2009

Predatory Lending Attorney San Diego

There is a great quote regarding history that goes – those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it.  However, it seems that even as we are watching history play out, we are seeing people repeating it again and again.  A huge portion of our current economic crisis was caused by subprime mortgages and predatory lending practices.  Unfortunately, some companies are going back to the subprime concepts.

Toll Brothers Inc. is using a subprime tactic to lure new home buyers, offering a 3.75% interest rate for seven years on conforming loans. Many companies are expected to copy the concept, in spite of how badly the economy collapsed because of it.  During the housing boom, home buyers were tempted by loans that offered shockingly low rates, only to see them reset higher, sometimes very quickly, which resulted in crippling payments two and three times the original amount.  People who were banking on a home increasing in value were sorely disappointed.  This tactic is once again being used by mortgage companies to attract prospective homeowners, ignoring how this very tactic crushed large portions of the nation’s economic vitality.

If you would like to witness for yourself just how bad the financial carnage is, go to the office of any loan modification attorney and see the long lines of people hoping they can get some help in avoiding foreclosure and stay in their homes.  People with ARM loans which have adjustable interest rates watched their monthly payments spike, often sapping them of any financial security they had.  People paying two or three times as much for their monthly mortgage payment meant less money spent on food, clothes, healthcare, cars, etc.  This hurt homeowners as well as the economy as a whole.  The number of foreclosures in certain neighborhoods, especially in California, went through the roof, as people from San Diego to Eureka and from Needles to Santa Monica had to walk away from homes they’d lived in for years.

California loan modification attorneys have seen serious fallout from all the foreclosures; people who were once pillars of their community had to move to lower income housing in other neighborhoods because they could no longer afford their mortgage payments.  Sometimes, whole communities seemed to be uprooted, and entire blocks were just covered in “for sale” signs.  City and state governments were crippled because they were not bringing in property taxes and as a result municipal services shut down.

Much of this was caused by subprime mortgage practices, and the thought of these practices returning is terrible.  California loan modification attorneys have been working night and day since the economic crisis began to help people affected by the subprime mortgage crisis, and other homeowners as well.  Foreclosures ruined entire communities, and even with loan modification attorneys working tirelessly, sometimes it seemed like a never ending battle.  For many people facing foreclosure however, a California loan modification attorney might just be their best friend.  Loan modification attorneys can negotiate with lenders, file paperwork and effectively fight to keep people in their homes and off the streets.  Trying to do a loan modification on your own might be a losing battle because of how much work it takes.  However, having a seasoned loan modification professional could save you tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.

Visit us at http://www.feldmanlawcenter.com or call 800-588-0425.

Legal Disclaimer

The information contained herein is provided for general information and advertising purposes only and is not intended to convey a legal option nor legal advice for any particular case or situation. Nothing in this article shall create an attorney-client relationship. Nothing sent to this law office via e-mail shall constitute an attorney-client relationship. Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to be a guarantee or prediction of result. Prior results are provided for general information purposes only and do not guaranty, warranty or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.   Results achieved depend on individual circumstances and not everyone will qualify or be successful in restructuring their mortgage loan.

Author: Greg Feldman

About the Author:

We are the #1 website for FREE loan modification help and mortgage assistance programs to stop foreclosure. Loan Modification Help Center has information about loan modifications and resources to help you with your home loan modification Learn what agreement, and government help is available today!

Source - Feldman Law Center - Are Subprime Mortgages Returning?

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Subprime Graphs

In the past when the Federal Reserve cut the discount rate it translated into lower mortgage interest rates for home buyers. This was a convenient way for the Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy during economic slowdowns. By making it easier for people to get loans more cash was pushed into the economy.

But the recent discount rate cuts have failed to have a similar effect. In fact the spread between mortgage interest rates and the discount rate is the greatest in 20 years. Although the Fed has cut rates 3 time in 2008, going from 4.25 to 2.25, if we look at a mortgage rates graph over the same time period we have failed to see much of a change. Two explanations have been put forth to explain why our current situation differs from what we have seen in the past. The first explanation is that the banks are facing almost 200 billion in losses from their misplaced bets on subprime mortgages, and are sticking with high interest rates to offset some of these losses. The other explanation is that banks still see a downside in the real estate market and are attempting to limit their exposure.

Considering that the mortgage industry is comprised of 1000's of people I doubt either of the views is completely accurate. Additionally, considered how short sighted the mortgage industry was in their foolish bets on subprime mortgages during the boom time I think partially the mortgage industry is simply reacting. During the boom time the mortgage industry reacted by competing with each other to create more and more bizarre loan products to allow people with poor credit to receive loans, in order to gain market share. Now that the real estate market is doing poorly the mortgage industry is spooked and is reacting by limiting access to loans.

Is there a light at the end of this tunnel? It's hard to tell. The latest Fed cut from 3 to 2.25 received a positive response from the market as interest rates fell from 6.13 to 5.87 the following week. But its anyone's guess of whether this is a temporary blip or a sign that the mortgage industry is comfortable with the current spread between mortgage interest rates and the Fed's discount rate. If the later is the case future rate cuts should have a more favorable affect on pushing down mortgage rates. While this won't cure the current woes in the real estate market it should help alleviate some of the problems.

One thing that does seem more likely is that if the real estate market continues to suffer the Fed will continue to cut rates. The current Fed Ben Bernanke chairman gave a speech before the subprime crisis detailing out how the Fed failed to respond strongly enough during the events which led to the great depression and seems determined to not make the same mistakes. In fact, in an unprecedented move the Fed injected over 200 billion in the credit markets last week its clear the Fed is committed to doing whatever it can to cure the credit/mortgage crisis. If the banks start reacting to the rate cuts the Fed might be able to succeed in their mission to take a stronger role in preventing an economic recession.

About the Author:

Ki is a realtor in Austin and runs a site with information about Austin Tx real estate. He also wrote mortgage rates html for websites to keep visitors up to date on mortgage rates trends along with a free mortgage calculator

Source - Why the Fed is Having Less Influence over Mortgage Interest Rates

Economic Collapse 2.0

Option Arm Subprime

Question: A subprime borrower preparing for refinance?

When I bought my house a year ago I was a subprime borrower. I have a mortgage through Option One a known predatory lender. However I have made all my payments on time and havnt had one problem. In one year my 2 year pre-payment penalty will be up as well as my ARM. My credit score has gone from 580 to 625. It is my understanding that the point in getting these subprime loans is to get your credit in order so in two years you can get a normal, fixed rate. Is this a correct assumption? I am asking because so many people are foreclosing on these ARM and subprime loans. Is it that these folks cant get refinanced? Will I be able to refinance? Thanks for all advice and opinions.

Answer: I'll answer!

NO!

1 - You financed 100% probably and you have no equity!
2 - Prices have fallen and not only do you not have equity, you are upside down.
3 - Even if you had equity a 620 won't do diddly in this market, you would have to come up with cash to refinance and even then your payments would be more than they are now.

Not being mean, just a reality check!

Alt+A and Option Arm Mortage Crises Yet to Come - MORE BANKER FRAUD (2 of 2)