HomeRun Homes Rent to Own Homes Blog

My photo

HomeRun Homes is a centralized marketplace which helps people Find or Sell a Rent to Own Home, both Nationwide and Globally to the thriving Rent to Own Market. http://www.lease2buy.com
Showing posts with label Freddie Mac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freddie Mac. Show all posts

January 17, 2012

From A Sad Foreclosure To A Happy Home

Hi Everyone,
   Hope you had a nice long weekend if you had yesterday off, and a belated tip-of-the-cap to Dr. Martin Luther King for the peaceful way that he traveled to bring equal rights to African-Americans, and to bring peace amongst the different races of people on our little planet.

   Back in late summer, I wrote a post titled, "Feds Finally Keen on Rent to Own Housing", where we discussed a possible Government program aimed at selling bundles of foreclosed homes owned by Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC), to real estate investors, with the properties converted into rentals. The key point here is that these homes will be sold in bulk vs. individually.

   Fast Forward a few months, and the Government is hoping to "launch a pilot program in early 2012 to convert government-owned foreclosures into rental properties", in a story by Tami Luhby for CNN Money. Just last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cited the program as a possible way to help us get through the housing crisis, and per the article by Luhby, titled, "Turning foreclosures into rentals", Bernanke said that "Restoring the health of the housing market is a necessary part of a broader strategy for economic recovery".

   After dropping mortgage rates down to historic lows, the Fed started thinking "outside of the box", and needed to find creative ways to solve the crisis. Perhaps after a prolonged stall in foreclosure procedures, the Fed sees the wave of foreclosures coming in their crystal ball, and as Luhby writes, there are close to 2 million homes in the late stages of delinquency, according to Lender Processing Services. These foreclosed properties can destroy home prices since they "often sell below market value", says Luhby.

   By converting these homes to rentals, the neighbors are happy, the Fed is happy, and things can start looking better for everyone. What are your thoughts?

Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
1. Locate the "Follow this Blog by Email" box on the Right Side of your Screen.
2. Type your E-mail address in the box, and click "Submit"
3. Check Your E-mail and Confirm Your Subscription...it's That Simple !

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com

TAGS: #MLK #MartinLutherKing #AfricanAmerican #RenttoOwn #FannieMae #FNMA #FreddieMac #FMCC #realestateinvestors #FederalReserve #foreclosedproperties #homeprices

October 25, 2011

Battle of The Home Price Indices

Hi Everyone,
   Glad to have you back with me here today!

   This week, there were two separate Home Price Indices released that reflected Home Prices in August as compared to the previous month, along with a comparison to the previous month one year prior. However, both the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Prices Index and the FHFA Monthly Home Price Index differ in their report.

   For the period covering July through August, the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed increases of +0.2% for both the 10- and 20-City Composites. On the flip side, the FHFA House Price Index Fell 0.1%, which they deemed the "First Monthly Decline Since March".

   For the period covering August 2010 through August 2011, the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index said that "Annual Rates of Change Continue to Improve", with Atlanta and Los Angeles continuing their drop, however, with the Midwest acting as a shining star, Detroit is named as "the healthiest when viewed on an annual basis" (possibly due to renewed strength in the Auto-Industry?). Once again we turn to the flip side, and we see that the FHFA House Price Index reported that U.S. prices fell 4% from August 2010 - August 2011.

   For the sake of Apples to Apples, the FHFA monthly index is calculated "using purchase prices of houses backing mortgages that have been sold to or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac", and the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index is a Weighted value composite of "single-family home price indices for the nine U.S. Census division"

   Did you find this interesting. Which of the figures would you place most of your faith?

Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
1. Locate the "Follow this Blog by Email" box on the Right Side of your Screen.
2. Type your E-mail address in the box, and click "Submit"
3. Check Your E-mail and Confirm Your Subscription...it's That Simple !

Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com

TAGS: #HomePrices #FannieMae #FreddieMac #mortgage #FHFA #Detroit #Atlanta

September 11, 2011

Feds Finally Keen on Rent to Own Housing

Good Morning Friends,

   I'm glad to have you back another week to examine the Real Estate Market, look at some options that are open to you as a buyer or a seller, and to interpret the moves that the Government is making toward improving the Housing Market and the Economy.

   Today, we are actually going to hit all 3 of the above points in one Blog Post, and some of this information will surprise you!

   For quite some time, Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed has been, "calling on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to rent out their massive, 250,000-strong inventory of foreclosed homes in order to 'shrink the inventory of government-owned homes'", as Carol VanSickle points out in her story ("Federal Rental Program Update: White House Supports Rental Program"). Reed believes that by the Government taking on a landlord role, it would help "diminish the glut of foreclosures".

   According to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, per a recent article by Christina M Johnson ("Rent To Own - Forecast Bright As Home Sales Continue To Be Gloomy"), he believes the U.S. Housing Market is a strong factor that is hurting the broader economy, and believes that the massive amount of foreclosures selling below cost are "one of our country's biggest economic drains".

   Johnson, who was been privately buying and selling homes for 20 years, says that as we have seen, "foreclosures offered at below market pricing forces all housing prices to continue downward", and that this is one never ending cycle. Exacerbating this are the lending restrictions (lowering the bar on potential buyers), along with decreasing home prices. Johnson fears that we could become a nation of renters with only the "rich few as the exclusive property owners", and she cites data from Realty Trac, Inc. and CoreLogic that estimates millions of homes either in foreclosure or very close to going into foreclosure...currently!

   The following question was raised by Johnson; "Could the rent to own home sale market help pull the U.S. out of its economic slump?". Could the Government acting as a landlord help us? As VanSickle writes, "Previously, the idea of a landlord-government has been met with strong resistance."

   The "Winds of Change"...

   "Reed finally has some real support in the form of a call to action from the White House", says VanSickle, and says that the Obama administration has announced that "the government-controlled GSEs should partner with private investors in order to make Reed’s proposed rental program a reality", and the president said that the administration is “soliciting ideas” on how to put Reid’s concept into action. In an article titled, "Feds seek ideas on renting government-owned foreclosed homes" on the Seattle Times Website, Officials from the Obama administration and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), said they hoped for innovative solutions to the "severe oversupply of single-family homes".

   The Seattle Times story says that Federal officials are "seeking ideas from investors and others about how to rent some of the nearly 250,000 foreclosed homes owned by government-backed entities such as Fannie Mae". VanSickle writes that the end goal is to "“turn the federal government’s inventory of foreclosed houses into rental properties that could be managed by private enterprises or sold in bulk”, and Johnson writes that Government incentives would "generate even more interest from other professionals related to the home sales industry, offering their help and expertise to help facilitate a successful rent to own transaction". This would, in turn, help the related fields and related services that are depending on Housing to get back on it's feet.

   U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently said that they are "Exploring new options for selling these foreclosed properties will help expand access to affordable rental housing, promote private investment in local housing markets and support neighborhood and home-price stability", as Louis Aguilar writes in The Detroit News story, "Feds aim to revive Michigan's foreclosed homes".

   Aguilar writes that among the strategies on which agencies are "seeking comment" are rent-to-own programs and "ways the properties can be used to support affordable housing". He adds that the program might have a "big impact on Michigan", which, as per the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, or "HUD", ranks fifth in the nation for foreclosed properties (There is a new foreclosure properties website called the "REO PORTAL" located on the Huduser website). Along with Aguilar, both the Seattle Times story, as well as Johnson's story, both mention Rent to Own as an option gaining popularity.

   Johnson says that if the Government encourages private Rent to Own purchases via "tax breaks and financial incentives", this will reduce the amount of homes in foreclosure (and lower inventory), will stabilize prices, and would add a layer of "privatized protection". She said that the risks must also be addressed, such as potential property damage and costly evictions. Two of the most important points, however, are ensuring that the Buyer is working with someone to fix their credit (so they can actually buy the home at the end of the lease period), and on the flip side, making sure the Seller is current and does not have existing liens or a pending foreclosure on the actual home!

   In order to counter the lack of an outright sales commission due to a Real Estate Agent or Broker at the successful completion of an outright sale, Johnson has a suggestion; Real Estate Agents and Brokers could expand their services to property management, collecting the monthly rent, etc. Of course, each one of these would need to be cleared with the local Real Estate Board and also not cross over any fine lines drawn by RESPA or other Federal agencies.

   "Action on the issue might take a while", says the Seattle Times story, and says that the HUD and the FHFA announced a "request for information" that is open to all interested parties (Aguilar points to the FHFA website, where potential investors can click on "Request for Information: REO Asset Disposition"). The deadline for information requests is Sept. 15, so act fast !

   My thoughts? I've been servicing Rent to Own for over 9 years and watching how it helps buyers and sellers...but I pose the following question; "Why did it take the Government so long to open their eyes to this option?" Do you have any ideas to share on this?

Would You Like Our Blog Posts Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
1. Locate the "Follow this Blog by Email" box on the Right Side of your Screen.
2. Type your E-mail address in the box, and click "Submit"
3. Check Your E-mail and Confirm Your Subscription...it's That Simple !
Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com

TAGS: #FHFA #foreclosure #renttoown #Obama #Government #rentalprogram #HUD #RealEstate #FannieMae #FreddieMac

May 26, 2011

Home Prices - Look Out For The Herd

Happy Hot, Sticky, Summery Day,

   The one and only Winter fan shouting out to you today !

   When you think about Housing and Real Estate, one of the first things that comes to mind (or should come to mind), are Home Prices. This week, the Federal Housing Finance Agencys (FHFA) released their seasonally adjusted purchase-only house price index, which, as described, is, "calculated using home sales price information from Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-acquired mortgages."

   The "skinny" on these numbers boils down to the 2.5% drop in Q1 2011 vs. Q4 2010, and the 5.5% drop from Q1 2010 to Q1 2011. In the actual breakdown of the figures, "the strongest prices", as they were referred, were in the West South Central Division, where prices, "declined only 0.5 percent." Amongst the largest price drops (for the 25 most populated metropolitan areas) was the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA area, which saw prices drop in excess of 13% from Q1 2010 to Q1 2011. Ouch !

   What does this all mean? "Absolutely nothing!", says Eric Bramlett, a Real Estate Broker in Austin, Texas, who says that all Real Estate is "local", and that the only buyers who are interested in purchasing "anywhere in the United States" are investors. Bramlett says that the, "vast majority of home buyers need to buy a property in a specific city or metro area, and most want to purchase within a sub-market of that area."

   In the world we live in, and the way we are wired, when we hear a market is in decline, many people go into the "Herd" mentality mindset, slap the blinders on, and forge along with those negative thoughts, so in a way, I believe it does effect us, even if indirectly.

   Bramlett provides some solid advice for homeowners and buyers, which is to, "find out where your local market stands, and you will have an accurate read on where you stand as a homeowner or buyer."

   Hopefully, you will read this for knowledge purposes and will not slap on the blinders. Educate yourself, check your desired area for crime, business, expansion, employment, etc. Did we miss anything? We'd love to hear from you.

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com

TAGS: #homeprices #FannieMae #FreddiaMac #Atlanta #realestate

December 10, 2010

Does Subprime Still Exist ?

Hi Folks,

   Hope you've had a great week, and that you've been able to keep warm !

   A few days ago, a colleague of mine asked me if subprime loans still exist, and I realized that I have not heard the term, "subprime", for quite a while, and I also realized that before responding to him, I had better gather a consensus from some mortgage professionals with knowledge on this topic. At the same time, I figured that this might be something to share with all of you good folks out there, as well.

   We spoke with a few sources, one of which is Fred Glick, a mortgage broker and banker, who says that, "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now have minimum credit score standards based on loan to value.", and that the, "new subprime lenders are private ones that charge a lot in rates because they are limited to what they charge in points by many different state and federal laws, including but not limited to what is coming out under the Merkely Amendment of Dodd-Frank", that, "limits compensation to a maximum of 3% of the loan amount and does not allow for both front end points and back end compensation from lender to broker in the same transaction."

   Steven Bote, Mortgage Planner, says that the "very short answer" is, "no, subprime lending does not exist.", and he continues to say that, "for me, the defining characteristic of all subprime loans is the absence of "documented income necessary to support the ability to reasonably repay.". Bote says that today, residential financing is on the "complete opposite extreme of the lending spectrum from where it was three years ago during the height of the subprime era, and as such, everything is fully documented (pay stubs, W2s, tax returns, schedules, etcetera)."

   Any discussion on lending would not be complete without looking at the impact of FHA and VA loans, of which Bote calls, "Government-based loans that allow for higher LTV-based financing, such as FHA and VA". Bote says, that for example, "FHA allows a person to buy an owner-occupied 4-unit property with as little 3.5% down of the purchase price, and VA financing of the same property type allows for 0% down payment (and with as low as a 620 middle FICO)", and says, "To put things into perspective, conventional financing requires all buyers to put down a minimum of 20% of the purchase price." Glick says on a similar note that the, "VA has gotten tougher and FHA claims not to have a minimum, but the GNMA market is moving up to 620 to 640 as a minimum. So, for the people with the scores in the 5's, it's a problem unless you have lots and lots of equity."

   Greg Cook, a Mortgage Professional, agrees that a, "certain segment of the subprime market is being served by FHA financing", and also says that, "Most subprime (hard money) lenders have gotten out of owner occupied loans because federal and state legislation limit the total fees that can be charged. These limitations do not apply to commercial, business or investor loans, so hard money lenders have evolved back to these types, which were their staples before the rise of subprime."

   So, with all of this information in hand, I have duly advised my colleague that the subprime market does still exist (well, kind of), and as Cook said, he has seen, "subprime mortgages start out as hard money, morph into subprime for homeowners, and back to hard money.".

   Do you have anything to add to this discussion? We welcome your comments and insights.

Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com

TAGS: #mortgage #loans #hardmoney