Today- a vote to allow Judges to do Principle reduction on primary home loans!

Loan Modifications with PRINCIPLE REDUCTION does not happen hardly at all. It should, and it makes sense. This is a good call to action, and I would support this bill. Please spread the word if you can

Via Mark Archer (REC Real Estate Consulting Services LLC):

CONTACT CONGRESS: Support Judges Modifying Mortgages NOW! Otherwise, It's All Up to the Banks. Posted: 10 Dec 2009 06:20 PM PSTSCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR BUTTON THAT MAKES IT SIMPLE TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS. YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO KNOW HIS OR HER NAME... JUST YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND ZIP CODE.

In the next 2-3 years, it is estimated that there will be an additional 14 million foreclosures in this country. That will make the total roughly 20 million homes lost in this catastrophic recession.But it won't stop there. Foreclosures breed foreclosures. And 20 million foreclosures just means that millions more homeowners will find themselves seriously underwater... owing quite a bit more than their house is worth... and they'll walk away... just like 18% are doing now.
And that will mean even more foreclosures after that. And that will mean everyone's property values continue to fall, which will bring even more foreclosures.

Both President Bush and President Obama have tried to put plans in place to stop the flood of foreclosures... BOTH HAVE FAILED. Why? Isn't it obvious?The banks cannot be trusted to act in anyone's interest but their own. The government has given them hundreds of billions of dollars, after they bankrupted themselves. And yet, they act as if it's business as usual.This year alone, the major banks in this country are paying out $91 BILLION in BONUSES to their executives!

The only answer is to allow judges to modify mortgages for homeowners in bankruptcy court. Here are a few facts that will show you why this is so important:

1. President Obama's Making Home Affordable program was designed to work with "a carrot and a stick". The "carrot" is the money banks receive when they modify a loan, and the "stick" was supposed to be allowing judges to modify the loans. Without the "stick," the plan cannot work.

2. Banks don't modify their behavior for the same reason I wouldn't modify my driving habits if there weren't Highway Patrol officers out there to give me a ticket or take me to jail if I drive 100 miles per hour. No stick.

3. Allowing judges to modify mortgages in bankruptcy court WILL NOT increase borrowing costs in the future, which is what the banking lobby is saying and wants you to believe. The amendment only allows judges to modify mortgages that are already in existence when the bill is signed. It will have NO EFFECT on borrowing in the future whatsoever. NONE.

4. If we allow judges to modify mortgages on primary residences, chances are they'll never get the chance... because the banks will modify them... like they're supposed to.

5. Judges can already modify every other type of loan in bankruptcy court, just not mortgages on primary residences. Allowing them to do so will help stop the foreclosure crisis that is hurting every homeowner in America... AND IT WON'T COST THE TAXPAYERS A DIME!

Our economy cannot begin to recover until we stabilize the housing market. We've tried letting the banks decide... and look where we are today.The only people opposed to this amendment are the bankers and financial service companies. We can't turn our country over to them, can we?

Click the button below NOW, 24/7. There is literally NO TIME TO SPARE... You don't even need to know your representative's name. All you need to know is your own name, address, phone and zip code. The letter is already written for you. Just enter your information and click the button to send. It's that simple and takes less than a minute.

OR YOU CAN CALL 877.354.4958 DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS.
DO IT NOW. IF YOU DON'T, IT WILL ALL BE UP TO THE BANKS.

EMERGENCY!! PLEASE TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW... SAVE BANKRUPTCY REFORM! Posted: 10 Dec 2009 01:45 PM PSTJUST MINUTES AGO...House Rules Committee agreed to allow the bankruptcy modification amendment THAT WOULD ALLOW JUDGES TO MODIFY MORTGAGES to be considered on the House floor as an amendment to the broader financial services reform bill AS EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON!!THIS AMENDMENT IS BEING FIERCELY OPPOSED by the BANKS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES communities and we NEED to get people CALLING in IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE TAKE TIME NOW TO contact your friends, family and business associates... stop whatever your staff is doing to give them time to call in. Put it on your Facebook pages, on your LinkedIn pages, Twitter it... re-tweet it! PLEASE DO IT RIGHT NOW!IT'S SUPER EASY TO DO:Phone toll free at: 877.354.4958Put in your zip codeWhen you reach the receptionist:State your nameSay that you are a constituentAsk the Representative to vote FOR the Conyers-Turner-Lofgren amendment (#201) to the Financial Services Reform bill.This amendment will cost taxpayers NOTHING and will save millions of homes from foreclosure. IT MUST BE CONSIDERED... IF THE LINE IS CLOSED, BECAUSE CLOSES AT 6:00 PM...Email your Senators (24/7) using the link below, which will lead you to a sample email that you can edit and personalize. YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO KNOW YOUR REP'S NAME... CLICK AND GO!Email Your Congressional Representative Now

where are all the bank owned homes in Manatee County?

It was front page news that the number of foreclosures filings here in Manatee County has had 5687 foreclosure filings to date this year, which is an increase from last year. This is a lot of homes and as an active agent it made me wonder where are all the bank owned inventory?
There are 4696 total active residential listings as of this evening (11/22/09). 474 "normal" are pending
There are 149 active bank owned homes 123 pending
There are 920 short sales active there are 940 pending
The Statistics show two big things.
The action is happening on bank owned, and short sale homes. You can clearly see that there is almost the same amount of pending listing vs. active in the short sale/bank owned categories. The conventional sellers have only about 10 to 1 that are pending.
If there are almost 6000 homes that have entered foreclosure WHY is there less than 300 active and pending bank owned properties
Factor in that there are foreclosure filings from prior years that have not been completed. Many foreclosures I am aware had a foreclosure filing well over a year ago and have not gone to auction.
Also, some of foreclosure filings that are also homes that are currently listed as short sales.
Some of the foreclosure filings can also be filed from second position lien holder,s and homeowner associations that have a low probability of actually forcing a sale. These type of filings maybe inflating the numbers somewhat.
So there are under 2000 homes short sale homes, active and under contract. This means that there are around 4000 homeowners that are either attempting a loan modification, or have given up on either a short sale, or some type of work out solution.
I would estimate that if there are 2000 homeowners short selling, than there is at least that many attempting or considering a loan modification.
Activity in Manatee County has significantly increased in the past few months. Prices have continued to drop except in the 200,000 and under market where prices have leveled. Multiple offers are much more common for bank owned homes.
Why is there only 5% of the total inventory bank owned when there is more homes in foreclosure than all active and pending sales on our local MLS?
Two reasons
1. The slow pace of foreclosures is due to the flood of files, and the increasing willingness for lenders to agree to short sales, and loan modifications.
2, Anyone that has a bunch of inventory to sell realizes that if they flood the market it will drive down prices.
I am hopeful that the lien holders will come to realize it is better to keep homeowners that want to stay in their home if at all possible. Less inventory will create price stability.
The question remains when will all those foreclosures will come on the market? I guess it is really in the lien holder's hands.

whether you are buying or selling I am here to help. Serving Sarasota and Manatee Counties for the past 8 years with skill, knowledge, and care. Expert in short sales. If you have questions I have anwers.
Joe Murphy 941-780-3260
www.manateemoves.com
www.activerain.com/manateemoves

Hope for short sales and loan modifications- new guidlines this week!

Finally! Home owners, Realtors, Lenders, and home buyers are all going to benefit from these new guidlines. The faster and easier the process becomes the closer offers will come to being fair market value.

This will lead to reduced inventories, and market stabilization. The Treasury department created a 46 page guide for major lenders to follow with regards to short sales, deed in lieu, and loan modifications. The frustrating process was in need of standardization, and streamlining.

Short sales that are dragged out for months and months. Homes that sell as short sales tend to go pending with prices that are below market value since the buyer(s) brace themselves for the long drawn out process with no guarantee that their offer will be accepted.
These guidelines go into effect in April of 2010. Hopefully, most lenders will become early adopters of the new guidelines.

One major point of the guidelines is that the lender has to offer a plan to help the borrower with a loan modification ahead of entertaining a short sale, or deed-in-lieu.

This is a great requirement, since I see many people that would rather keep their current home, but are having a tough time making the payments, or they are so far "underwater" that they question the rational of paying on a mortgage that is much higher than the actual value.

I think that one aspect that was missing was creating an incentive for the lend ers to "cram-down", or reduce the principle balance to the actual value of the home. Many borrowers would work to keep their homes if they had equity, or at least didn't have negative equity.

Some of the major points that relate to short sales.

1. Lenders must respond to Short Sale requests within 10 business days of receipt of the offer package.
2. The seller will be released from all liability for repayment of the mortgage debt.
Subsequently, the seller is entitled to a relocation incentive of $1,500, which will be deducted from the gross sale proceeds at closing.
3. The lender will be paid $1,000 to cover administrative and processing costs for a Short Sale or a deed-in-lieu.
4. The property must be listed with a licensed real estate professional who does regular business in the community where the property is located.
5. The lender is prohibited from requiring, as a condition of approving the Short Sale, a reduction in the agreed-upon real estate commission.
6. The investor will be paid a maximum of $1,000 for allowing a total of up to $3,000 in Short Sale proceeds to be distributed to subordinate lien holders, or for allowing payment of up to $3,000 to subordinate lien holders.

LINK to Home ownership retention guide https://www.hmpadmin.com/portal/docs/hamp_servicer/sd0909.pdf

If you are looking for help with a short sale or loan modification for a home located in Manatee or Sarasota Counties I would be happy to help you understand your options. I have helped dozens of homeowners either sell or assist to modify their home loans. I can help you too with no cost. For all your real estate needs I am ready to go to work for you!
Joe Murphy 941-780-3260
www.manateemoves.com
www.activerain.com/manateemoves

wells fargo short sale approved in 30 days! Sign of things to come?

This was a great day! I just had a short sale come back approved in less than 30 days pending!
I love Wells Fargo. I listed the home preparing the seller for a long painful process that would take 6 months to a year to complete. I advised her to call her lender to let them know she wanted to do a short sale.
The NEXT day, I get a call from the assigned negotiator. That same day, I get a call from the BPO agent! THIS WAS BEFORE I EVER HAD AN OFFER!
Within two weeks I get the unit under contract with a realistic buyer with a 90 day approval deadline.
The seller provids all required documents, and we sent in the contract.

(light at the end of the tunnel, and this was a short tunnel)

I get a call from the negotiator the next week with some questions, and some required changes for the HUD. No big deal.

Then, today, I get the call that the deal is approved, and the WRITTEN approval is on its way.
The only down side is that the deal has to close THIS MONTH. Wow, I called the buyer's agent who was in disbelief. They were expecting a close next year, and hopeful that we would get a response in 90 days.

This is how all short sales should go. Kudos to the Short sale dept at WELLS FARGO.
I hope this is a sign of things to come for 2010!

If you need help with selling a short sale in Manatee County Call me today.

Free advice, and no cost short sale assistance.

Helping buyers and sellers in Manatee county for the past 7 years.
Joe Murphy 941-780-3260

Your Realtor for Life.
http://www.manateemoves.com/

http://www.activerain.com/manateemoves

Foreclosure defense- how does an attorney beat a foreclosure suit?

I found this interesting document through searching for info on foreclosure defense, and loan modifications. With the rise in mortgage defaults attorneys that specialize in foreclosure defense have plenty of work
Most people that I meet with are interested in first a "principle reduction loan modification". They are having a tough time keeping up with the mortgage because of lower income, interest rate resets, or they just realize that they are severely upside down in their home. I do not see many instances where the homeowner has been successful in reducing the mortgage balance.
It makes common sense that the current home owner is really the best person to own the home most of the time. I am only there because they were denied a reasonable loan modification, or they really need to move. That''s when the foreclosure defense attorney can potentially help.
In working short sales I have seen there effect is mostly stalling a foreclosure sale and responding to homeowners being served foreclosure papers.
This guide gives examples of cases where Judges have actually reduced or wiped out mortgages on defendants properties! ( which is really what everyone really wants!)
Anyway, this makes for an interesting read into the world of foreclosure defense, and I thought I would post it as a resourse for consumers to get educated, and other agents to gain knowledge. It is written by an attorney for other attorneys so be prepared.
http://www.miamidade.gov/csd/library/foreclosure_dtlrespa.pdf
Let me know what you think.

Sales in Manatee County are up 16%. 5 Reasons why.

In September there were 433 homes that were closed compared with August's 361 here in Manatee County, FL.

That is an INCREASE of 16.2% from the prior month!

This is noteworthy because this is supposed to be the SLOW season. No vacationers, no snowbirds, kids are in school, Holidays coming, etc.

I listed 4 new listings in September and all 4 had offers with the month. All but one went pending, but that last one is still in negotiations.

Three offers written in the past month have been in multiple offer situations. It seems that the buyers are realizing that we have hit the "bottom".

You do not need to be an economist to see that the supply of inventory here is going down, and also that sales, contracts are increasing. Except for January and February of this year, there has not been less than 500 homes go pending in a month. Last year the highest month was under 350 units.

5 MAIN REASONS FOR THE RECOVERY IN MANATEE COUNTY, FLORIDA

1. Home owners who can afford their homes and do not need to move are not on the market.


2. Banks REO departments are bringing the REO homes on the market at barely a trickle.


3. The "pent-up demand" from three years of a "bad" FALLING MARKET, has hit a breaking point. At some point those that need to buy, will feel that they can't wait anymore.


4. KILLER DEALS are here. I have sold two homes in the past three weeks that are 50%-25% of their 2005 Prices!


5. Resale homes are priced well below replacement cost. One home that I put under contract for 525,000 had to have almost 700,000 for home owner' coverage. The buyer complained for a minute, but quickly realized this is a very, very GOOD thing.
   

When you are ready to buy or sell- Think of us!

Joe and Molly Murphy www.manateemoves.com
941-780-3260