Category Archives: Mortgages
Cashing in on the crash
Investors who have been avoiding real estate are getting back in, even embracing one of the tactics that got so many in trouble in the first place: flipping.
As the housing crisis drags on and foreclosed properties continue to come onto the market, inv… Continue reading
Rent for $60,000 per month
Since the housing market collapsed, rental demand has increased, along with prices. But how much would you pay to live in a premier property? The owners of the tallest residential building in the Western hemisphere, in Lower Manhattan, are betting rent… Continue reading
BofA: From lender to landlord?
Bank of America will offer struggling homeowners a chance to stay in their homes as renters.
The bank is starting a pilot program that will offer borrowers facing foreclosure the option to become tenants as soon as they transfer the title of their hom… Continue reading
Housing outlook good, or bad
Housing remains a weak spot in the economy, and the numbers this week prove that the recovery is still choppy. Continue reading
Fannie Mae plans big sale
As mortgage servicer Fannie Mae begins unloading foreclosed properties, Wall Street investors are preparing to buy in bulk.
Private equity investors, hedge funds and broker-dealers are interested in purchasing pools of properties that include anywhere … Continue reading
Rates creep up
Mortgage rates have been rising nonstop since the end of last week. So if you’re planning on getting a mortgage, you’d better get moving — unless you like living on the edge.
Now, I don’t want you to panic. But let me give you the facts so you under… Continue reading
More buyers, fewer homes for sale
Homebuyers are out there, but they’re finding fewer homes for sale than they were a year ago, according to the latest data from Realtor.com.
In February, the number of homes listed for sale rose a meager 0.5 percent from January, but fell 22 percent fr… Continue reading
A horrifying refi
The national mortgage settlement has a potentially ghastly surprise for some who refinance under its terms. Continue reading
The refi that keeps on taking
Watch out if you refinance your mortgage under the terms of the huge mortgage servicing settlement filed Monday. Continue reading
When Fannie and Freddie die
Dismantling mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which together guarantee approximately three-quarters of all new home loans, is turning out to be a complicated operation. On the one hand, Congress wants to shut down the agencies and get the gov… Continue reading