Wednesday, June 16, 2010

EUROPEAN DEBT CRISIS KEEPS US MORTGAGE RATES LOW

During the last month, mortgage rates have continued to fall even as the US economy appears to be settling into a sustainable recovery. Concerns over the debt-crisis in Europe has lead to significant money flowing into “safe” investments, with US Treasuries considered one of the world’s safest places to store cash. While many had predicted that mortgage rates would begin climbing when government supports for the mortgage and housing industry ended, limited negative impact is being experienced, so far.

Without the concerns in Europe, we might actually be seeing mortgage rates moving slowly upward. Manufacturing continues to power along, both adding jobs and rebuilding depleted inventories. We’re also seeing growth in services. Most analysts are predicting that GDP will remain within the 2.5% 3.5% range for the remainder of the year. The two areas of the economy that have the longest path to recovery are the housing industry and the labor market. Over the next few months we will be able to see whether the housing market can continue without government supports, as most program have now expired. The unemployment rate slid down to 9.7% last month, but much of the decrease was due to job seekers who abandoned their efforts to find work. While 431,000 new jobs were created, the overwhelming majority were temporary census positions.

So can mortgage rates continue to remain this low for very long? There is a reasonable chance that rates will remain low for the near term, especially if the European debt crisis continues to concern market players in the US, and also drives money from outside the US into US Treasuries. However, Fed Chair Ben Bernanke has indicated that he believes that the challenges in Europe will only have a modest impact on US economic growth. If his words sooth US markets, we could see mortgage rates beginning to move upward on each piece of positive US economic news

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

When short sale processing takes too long many buyers walk away. What's the solution to this challenge for sellers?

How can short sale negotiators help realtors through the new HAFA regulations?

What can banks do to wade through the HAFA confusion and new regulations?

How do short sales save the value of neighborhoods vs. foreclosures?

What advice would you give to short staffed banks to deal with 1,000s of Short Sale offers they receive?

When banks take too long to approve short sales what does that mean to the economy?

Do short sales delay the recovery and prolong the downturn?

The new HAFA regulations have been in place for approximately one month. What's the word on the street about success/failures?

What does a short sale negotiator do?

We'd like to highlight David as "The Negotiator." What can he do to help regular people, realtors, attorneys, CPAs, etc?


What does a short sale negotiator do?
Designates to work with his lenders as his representative.

Pushes back on unreasonable demands and work with appraisers who are doing the appraisals.
Negotiates with the lender representatives.
Person familiar with the process and knows what banks will and will not accept.
Can be a real estate agent, attorney, 3rd party or anyone else.
Understands foreclosure & mortgage law. Rules and laws vary by state and change as new laws are modified/introduced.

How does a short sale negotiator help buyers and sellers?
How much does it cost to retain a short sale negotiator?
What is I Short Sale's track record of successful closings?
How Does Someone Negotiate & Waive a Short Sale Deficiency Balance?
How does a short sale impact one's credit?
Some homeowners believe if they short sell their home they are automatically relieved of the obligation to pay the deficient balance. Explain this process.