Maine Real Estate Info

Foreclosure filings in June were up 61% over the same month last year, according to a firm that tracks foreclosures.

Maine had 276 homes, or one in every 2,504, receive a foreclosure filing in June, according to California-based RealtyTrac’s most recent U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. The June numbers were a 14% increase from May 2008.

Nationally, 252,363 U.S. properties, or one in every 501 households, received a foreclosure filing during June, a 3% decrease from the previous month but a 53% increase from June 2007, according to the report.

In an article by MaineBiz.biz, Foreclosure filings in Maine increased 178% in April over the same month last year, according to data released today by RealtyTrac, a California-based firm that tracks the U.S. foreclosure market.

In April, there were 314 foreclosure filings in Maine, up 60% from March and 178% from April 2007, according to the press release.

Nationally, April saw a 4% increase from the previous month and a nearly 65% increase from April 2007. One in every 519 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing during the month.

This just in from the Maine Association of REALTORS:

National Association of REALTORS reports House and Senate lawmakers are moving quickly on a tax incentive to help stimulate housing markets. In the Senate, legislation would create a $7,000 tax credit, taken over two years, for individuals who purchase a foreclosed property as a principal residence between April 1, 2008, and April 1, 2009. A House measure would provide a $7,500 credit to first-time buyers for the purchase of any house as a principal residence between April 8, 2008, and April 1, 2009. The Senate bill is pending on the floor; the House bill is in the Ways & Means Committee. The Bush administration has voiced concerns about distorting markets and pricing.

The Maine Association of Realtors has prepared a “4 Facts about Maine Real Estate” to respond to common consumer questions or concerns about buying real estate.

1. All Markets are local

1. All Markets are local. Yes, there is national, regional, state and county statistical data, but each will not clearly or fully explain market conditions in a town or neighborhood. Market conditions can also vary based on types of property or whether waterfront or not, for example. What happens with California or

3. There is available mortgage money. There’s so much press about predatory lending that the story there is money to lend by local and reputable lenders can get lost. Don’t be discouraged by negative press – instead check with a local reputable lender to get the real facts on what you may be able to afford and what your monthly payments may be. Find out if you can pay less monthly by owning than renting.

Effective March 3, the Maine State Housing Authority is offering more mortgage options to homebuyers using their mortgage program. Options include a choice of 0 or 2 points, and a 30 or 40 year mortgage term.  These new options join other recent program changes that include expanding the program to veterans and active duty military (even if not first-time homebuyers), and Maine HOPE program that provides payment protection for program borrowers. For more info: http://www.mainehousing.org/NEWSPressReleases.aspx?PageCMD=newsDetail&NewsID=181

Daily Real Estate News  |  December 5, 2007

Foreclosure Plan Will Be Greeted With Questions
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will unveil a plan on Thursday to forestall foreclosures and ease the housing recession.

The release of plan’s details will coincide with the release of data from the Mortgage Bankers Association that show that homes in foreclosure hit record levels in April through June, and that nearly 17 percent of subprime borrowers missed at least one payment in the first quarter of the year. An additional 2 million home owners will face their first interest-rate reset by the end of 2008.

“This is the most serious housing recession since the Great Depression,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com. Zandi predicts that home prices, on average, will fall 7 percent more through next year.

Paulson says he wants state and local governments to be allowed to issue tax-exempt bonds to “temporarily” raise money to help some struggling subprime borrowers refinance.

Questions remain about how many investors, who bought bonds backed by these mortgages and are spread out around the globe, will agree to change the terms of the loans.

Source: USA Today, Noelle Knox (12/4/2007)

Daily Real Estate News  |  December 5, 2007

Bill Would Help Home Owners at Brink of Foreclosure
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is pushing for a bill that would allow bankruptcy judges to change the terms of a mortgage on the primary residence of owners at risk of foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Judges would be able to lower an adjustable interest rate to a lower, fixed rate. They already have the power to do this for car loans and a number of other debts.

Durbin says his bill could help an estimated 600,000 families at risk of losing their homes because of rising adjustable mortgage rates.

“A strategic change in the bankruptcy code will provide home owners facing foreclosure a degree of financial stability – even when the market cannot,” Durbin said.

Supporters of Durbin’s bill include senior citizens, bankruptcy attorneys, the AFL-CIO, and the NAACP. The American Bankers Association and home builders are among opponents.

Floyd Stoner, a leading lobbyist for bankers, says bankruptcy judges lack expertise to predetermine a loan’s size, value, and length.

Source: The Associated Press, Dennis Conrad (12/05/2007)

During the week after Thanksgiving, mortgage application volume rose 22.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis to 791.8, recovering significantly from a holiday slowdown.
On an unadjusted basis, applications rose 51.5 percent and were up 24.2 percent from the same week in 2006.
The Refinance Index increased 31.9 percent to 2761.3 from 2093.0 the previous week. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 56.0 percent of total applications from 51.4 percent the previous week.
These numbers reflect a correction made to the Thanksgiving Week numbers released by the association. The previously reported numbers were too high, making the Thanksgiving week fall off more dramatic than was reported last week.
This week’s rising numbers appear to be at least partially in response to falling interest rates.

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 5.82 percent from 6.09 percent
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 5.38 percent from 5.69 percent
• 1-year ARMs increased to 6.28 percent from 6.24 percent

Source: Mortgage Bankers Association (12/05/2007)

Credit Score Primer: What Buyers Need to Know to Get a Loan
In the wake of the credit crisis, lenders have become much pickier about whom they lend to. Here are some basic facts that will help potential borrowers understand what they face.

The measurement that most lenders use to assess applicants’ credit risk is the FICO score developed by Fair Isaac Corp. The score ranges from 300 to 850.

There’s not one FICO score. Buyers have three: one for each of the three credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

Each credit score is based on information the credit bureau keeps on file. Since credit bureaus don’t share their data with one another, the three FICO scores may differ, sometimes by as much as 100 points.

The components of a FICO score are:

• Payment history: 35 percent
• Amounts owed: 30 percent
• Length of credit history: 15 percent
• New credit: 10 percent
• Types of credit used: 10 percent

A consumer with a 580 credit score might qualify under FHA requirements, but, generally, in order to qualify for a prime loan, a borrower must have a credit score above 620 for a conventional loan at all and above 720 for a loan at terms and rates most borrowers would consider desirable.

Source: The Dallas Morning News, Pamela Yip (12/03/07)

White House, Banks Hammer Out Foreclosure Plan
The Bush administration and major financial institutions are close to an agreement that would temporarily freeze mortgage rates for home owners with spotty credit histories.The agreement is designed help the 500,000 subprime borrowers whose mortgages are resetting and are likely to result in foreclosures, threatening the broader economy.
A sticking point is which homeowners would qualify and how much they would have to pay to refinance or freeze their loans, sources close to the discussion say.
Treasury officials say financial institutions are likely to create a set of criteria based on income, credit-worthiness and the amount of equity borrowers have in their home.
They will then divide borrowers into three groups: those who can continue to make their payments even if rates rise; those who can’t afford their mortgages even if rates stay steady; and those who could keep their homes if the maturity date of their mortgages were extended or the interest rates remained at the teaser rates.
Only the third group would be eligible for help.

Source: The Washington Post, Deborah Solomon, James R. Hagerty and Lingling Wei (12/01/2007)

 Maine has been affected by the latest mortgage crisis. Following up with our in house mortgage brokers, Approved Home Mortgage, many buyers are surprised by the criteria for these types of loans. It really isn’t a sure deal getting a loan these days. The best time to buy real estate is now especialy to increase your portfolio and I have even looked into buying multi-units recently. I was told the credit scores had to be in the 700’s, with 30% down, stated income with verified assets and 6 months reserve. Huhmmm…I had to say, maybe I should have been saving a little more in case the market moved in this direction

This article came in this morning which touches tis subject. Read on…

The assumption that the subprime mortgage crisis is limited to buyers with poor credit is mistaken, according to an analysis prepared for The Wall Street Journal, which examined more than $2.5 million in subprime loans made since 2000.
In 2005, the peak year of the subprime boom, borrowers with credit scores high enough to qualify for a normal loan received 55 percent of all subprime mortgages, the study says.
The study by First American LoanPerformance, a San Francisco research firm, says the proportion rose even higher by the end of 2006, to 61 percent.
“Brokers and agents were telling” borrowers with high credit scores for the past several years “that it was OK” to get subprime loans, “and borrowers were wanting to take on more debt,” says Mark Carrington, director, analytical sales and support at First American LoanPerformance.
Analysts conclude that credit-worthy borrowers holding subprime loans may be more likely than traditional subprime borrowers to afford to double whammy of rising rates and declining values.
The data could explain why nearly 80 percent of the borrowers with subprime loans have continued to keep their loan payments current, according to some analysts, and suggests that the crisis won’t deepen as much as some fear.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Rick Brooks and Ruth Simon (12/03/2007)

Letter Sent to Troubled Borrowers: Help Is On the Way
The Hope Now alliance, a partnership between mortgage companies and nonprofit housing counselors, began a nationwide mail campaign last week to offer help to home owners who are having trouble meeting their mortgage payments.

The effort is being backed by the Bush administration. Treasury Undersecretary Robert Steel says the initial mailing would be followed by more outreach efforts in the months ahead.

Critics are calling this effort “too little too late” and are urging the administration to endorse a proposal made by Sheila Bair, chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Bair has said that mortgage companies should consider making broad-based conversions of adjustable-rate mortgages to fixed-rate loans if the borrowers are current on their payments.

Source: Dow Jones International News (11/19/07)

If you or someone you know has an ARM that is scheduled to adjust in 2007 or 2008, please schedule an appointment with a mortgage specialist right away. Don’t let a foreclosure or default situation sneak up on you. Remember, even if the Federal Reserve does lower its Fed Funds Rate later this month (which does seem likely), the majority of these ARMs borrowers will not be positively affected or “saved” by this move. For many borrowers, a short sale or a foreclosure will be the only available option.

What is a Short Sale?
A short sale, defined as an “agreement” to allow a home to be sold for less than the amount that is owed, can be a helpful compromise for everyone involved. For debt-ridden homeowners or those who owe more than the house is currently worth, a short sale could save them some of the enormous pain, embarrassment, and major credit challenges associated with bankruptcy and/or foreclosure. For lenders, it helps avoid some of the hassle and expense of seizing and auctioning off delinquent real estate. Lastly, for potential homebuyers and real estate investors, a short sale offers a great opportunity to purchase property at a significant discount in today’s tight-fisted credit environment. Read on at….http://www.allaboutnews.com/vc.php?a=y&b=23&i=143&rs=80b2f6425c0fae123c4fd8e
Source: All About News, Inc.

On August 31, 2007, President Bush announced a new initiative called FHASecure, which will give the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) flexibility to help more families keep their homes in light of the decline of the subprime market and impending interest rate adjustments affecting numerous borrowers in both the subprime and Alt-A markets. The FHASecure program will help people who have not made all of their payments on time because of rising mortgage payments but who otherwise have good credit. NAR applauded President Bush’s statement of support for giving homeowners greater flexibility to refinance their loans through the FHA. At a white house conference call on the initiative, the administration specifically signaled out NAR for our timely support of the initiative. NAR has been advocating regulatory changes to the FHA program. On April 9, 2007, NAR sent a letter to Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, asking that FHA waive the requirement that a homeowner’s mortgage be current to refinance into an FHA loan product. NAR also supports legislation that would give FHA greater flexibility by increasing loan limits, eliminating the statutory 3 percent minimum cash down payment, allowing FHA flexibility to provide risk-based pricing, and revising the condominium program. Contact Jerry Nagy of the Regulatory and Industry Relations division with any questions. Read NAR’s press release supporting the announcement. Read President Bush’s remarks.

Banks Woo Borrowers Who Have Good Credit
Banks have plenty of money available for borrowers with great credit and a desire for a conventional fixed rate mortgage, says James Chessen, chief economist for the American Bankers Association.

To attract these customers, lenders are offering fee waivers, competitive interest rates, and a willingness to negotiate.

Banks like conventional borrowers because they tend to be the kind of customers that will take advantage of other products from the lender, including savings accounts, credit cards and checking accounts. “We find that someone who has a mortgage with us will have about five products in addition to the mortgage,” says Terry Francisco, a spokesman for Bank of America Corp.

To attract this kind of business, Bank of America is offering “No Fee Mortgage Plus,” saving consumers about $3,000 in closing costs, which the bank covers.

Deals like this one make it important for borrowers with good credit to shop around.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Julian Mincer (09/06/2007)