Foreclosures/REOsThe Value of an REOBy RYAN TAYLOR In this two part series, Cirios’ Valuation Guru Ryan Taylor offers an insider’s look into the nuances of investing in foreclosed homes. Please click here for Part 2. From Beverly Hills to Detroit, the term REO is quickly becoming part of our country’s vocabulary. REO, or Real Estate Owned, refers to a [...] Down Goes DowneyBy ANDREW JEFFERY This post first appeared on Minyanville. Looks like all those option adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) weren’t such a good idea after all: 1% teaser rates and loans that grow, rather than shrink, over time just aren’t meant for questionable borrowers buying overpriced homes. Newport Beach-based Downey Savings (DSL), the fifth largest originator of [...] Keeping It Real Estate: Don’t Ban Foreclosures!This post first appeared on Minyanville. Banning foreclosures is starting to gain momentum in Washington: This isn’t good. Barak Obama, the current frontrunner in the race for the White House, recently floated a plan for a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures by certain banks, along with other initiatives to revive the economy. While Obama’s heart may be [...] Keepin’ It Real Estate: Realtors Try Used-Car Salesman TacticsThis post first appeared on Minyanville. That glitzy McMansion you’ve always wanted may finally be within reach. Or not. If nearly 3 years of home price declines, historically low interest rates and a relentless media barrage of half-truths from the National Association of Realtors haven’t been able to stabilize home prices, it’s doubtful a gimmicky [...] Housing MisconceptionsThis post first appeared on Minyanville. Washington is currently trying to sell the American public that its $700 billion bailout plan will help put a floor under falling home prices. And while the debate will rage over whether this is a good or bad thing, its not even true. The most beaten down real estate [...] A Housing Solution that Focuses on (Gasp!) HousesThis post first appeared on Minyanville and our sister site, Dawn Patrol. Every once in a while, the most important news story of the day is the one the Wall Street Journal allots a mere 200 words. In a move that will soon be greeted with quiet mutterings of “I should have seen this coming,” [...] Morgan Stanley Latest Band-Aid Over Fannie, Freddie’s Bullet HoleThis post first appeared on Minyanville and our sister site Dawn Patrol. It looks like all those short-sellers might have been on to something. Freddie Mac (FRE), the beleaguered mortgage giant that was just weeks ago on the brink of collapse, released second quarter results this morning that were nothing short of abysmal. Along with [...] Housing Woosh, Part DeuxThis post first appeared on Minyanville and on our sister site Dawn Patrol. Reports are out this morning opining that Stockton, California represents a new hope for housing recovery. Hoping Stockton will lead the housing recovery is about like saying Alex Smith will lead the niners to the Super Bowl. It lacks a link to [...] Housing Inventory Eases, But No Recovery In SightThis post first appeared on Minyanville, and our sister site, Dawn Patrol. Another month, another attempt to use a single data point to foretell the bottom in the housing market. On the same day the Case Shiller Home Price Index reported the fastest drop in home prices on record (again), the Wall Street Journal released [...] New Countrywide Suit Tries To Foreclose ForeclosuresThis post first appeared on Minyanville. When Bank of America (BAC) agreed to buy Countrywide, it didn’t just take on a mountain of questionably valued mortgage-related assets. It also took on huge legal liability. San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre, who has a penchant for punitive lawsuits that rarely result in much more than a [...] Mortgage Reform: Why Government Intelligence is OxymoronThis post first appeared on Minyanville and our sister site Dawn Patrol. After leading the banking sector to its largest ever one-day drop yesterday, Washington Mutual (WM), in an effort to assuage concerns that it’s facing a cash crunch, released a statement claiming that the bank is “well-capitalized.” Though the stock bucked the trend this [...] House of the Day Results: Swinging into StantonClick here for details on this House of the Day. Value: $350,000 Projection: Depreciating The subject property is located in Orange County, which is experiencing a slump in the local economy due to the collapse of the mortgage market. In addition, the subject should expect to see further declines in value because it has only [...] Lone Voice Calls for Intelligent Mortgage ReformWhile Congress deliberates on the future of the nation’s mortgage market, some within the government are calling for restraint in regulatory reform. Housingwire.com reports William Emmons, an economist at the St. Louis Fed, is calling for patience and social support as the clearest way to economic recovery. Emmons makes the argument that government intervention, particularly [...] The Next SubprimeThis post first appeared on Minyanville. As pressure mounts on rating agencies to proactively evaluate risky bonds, downgrades will continue to creep up the credit spectrum. Prime loans make up almost 80% of the massive mortgage market, and delinquencies are quickly deviating from historical averages. While subprime mortgages continue to make headlines, data from the [...] |