Foreclosure activity jumps in troubling sign for housing recovery

The housing market has shown some promising signs of late, but a fresh batch of foreclosure data offers a reminder that any recovery from the housing bust will likely be slow, spotty and painful.

April Settlement Brings May Foreclosures

The most notable statistic in the RealtyTrac May 2012 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report released today was the year-over-year increase in foreclosure starts following 27 months of annual declines.

Illinois Foreclosures Rise 29 Percent in May

Illinois home foreclosure activity rose 29 percent in May compared to the previous month and is 54 percent higher than May of 2011.

Top 10 Foreclosure Markets for First-Time Homebuyers

Some real estate markets are better than others for first-time homebuyers looking for a foreclosure bargain.

Lessons Learned: Diary of a Rookie Real Estate Investor

My friend is probably right. I should probably buy five more units in this complex. However, last I saw there was only one unit for sale and it was going for about $40,000 more than I paid for mine.

Top 10 Foreclosure Markets for First-Time Homebuyers

Some real estate markets are better than others for first-time homebuyers looking for a foreclosure bargain.

Lessons Learned: Diary of a Rookie Real Estate Investor

My friend is probably right. I should probably buy five more units in this complex. However, last I saw there was only one unit for sale and it was going for about $40,000 more than I paid for mine.

Foreclosure Wave Theory

In my quarterly column for the June issue of the venerable Scotsman Guide magazine, I had a chance to theorize on how lenders are dealing with large numbers of distressed loans still on their books.

FHA To Sell Distressed Mortgages

The FHA has a new plan to reduce foreclosures. The basic idea is to take properties in trouble and sell them off at discount to investors.

Foreclosure Wave Theory

In my quarterly column for the June issue of the venerable Scotsman Guide magazine, I had a chance to theorize on how lenders are dealing with large numbers of distressed loans still on their books.

FHA To Sell Distressed Mortgages

The FHA has a new plan to reduce foreclosures. The basic idea is to take properties in trouble and sell them off at discount to investors.

Recourse vs. Non-Recourse Loans

Some 12.8 million borrowers in the United States are underwater on their home loans, meaning they owe more on their mortgage loan than their homes are worth. For many of these underwater borrowers it will be years before they see any equity in the pr

REO Inventory Ballooning as Banks Hold Back Housing

In the May 2012 issue of the Foreclosure News Report, real estate attorney, investor, author and trainer William Bronchick argues that banks are “hoarding foreclosure inventory” and overvaluing their real estate owned (REO) properties in an attempt t

Recourse vs. Non-Recourse Loans

Some 12.8 million borrowers in the United States are underwater on their home loans, meaning they owe more on their mortgage loan than their homes are worth. For many of these underwater borrowers it will be years before they see any equity in the pr

REO Inventory Ballooning as Banks Hold Back Housing

In the May 2012 issue of the Foreclosure News Report, real estate attorney, investor, author and trainer William Bronchick argues that banks are “hoarding foreclosure inventory” and overvaluing their real estate owned (REO) properties in an attempt t

Short Sale Bill Has Unintended Consequences: Part II

This is second post about Senate Bill 458, which became law last summer, but loopholes in the law are creating unintended consequences for some distressed borrowers, according to real estate experts.

CA Foreclosure Bill Package Criticized by the Feds

Being one of the key contributors to the success of the $25 billion federal foreclosure settlement, California Attorney General Kamala Harris had to expect that trying to literally adopt the major components of the federal agreement and make them per

CA Foreclosure Bill Package Criticized by the Feds

Being one of the key contributors to the success of the $25 billion federal foreclosure settlement, California Attorney General Kamala Harris had to expect that trying to literally adopt the major components of the federal agreement and make them per

Short Sale Bill Has Unintended Consequences: Part II

This is second post about Senate Bill 458, which became law last summer, but loopholes in the law are creating unintended consequences for some distressed borrowers, according to real estate experts.

Homeowner Bill of Rights Winding Its Way Through the System

Probably no other legislative package is more politically charged right now than California Attorney General Kamala Harris’s California Homeowner Bill of Rights.