Archive for Foreclosure

Hmmm.. Seattle Short Sale specialist discloses thoughts on HAMP

By Dick Todhunter · February 4, 2010 · Filed in Bad Banks!, Foreclosure, Short Sale · No Comments »

Flash… Lenders DON’T want to modify!

As as Seattle real estate agent who specializes in short sales and negotiating with your bank I am coming to conclusions about the Home Ownership Made Affordable Program (HAMP) effort to help millions of American homeowners in getting their home mortgages modified.  Sadly the numbers are all too revealing.  Another reason why Seattle short sales will increase, over the coming years, as distressed home owners receive more foreclosure notices, it’s simply a smarter choice!

The numbers… the guise of the rubric of everyone wanting to “Help the Homeowners Keep their Homes”, “Save Our Neighborhoods”, “The Banks Care About Their Clients”, “Banks Give a S&*%”.

The numbers show what is happening … The program has enrolled over 850,000 homeowners who are seriously delinquent in their mortgage payments in a trial modification period but has encountered significant problems in converting those trials into permanent loan modifications.

From my experience what I see is that the Government has created a program to help distressed homeowners and banks have adopted a public personal of wanting to work with homeowners under the guidelines of the Government program.  After all, the banks want to resolve the problem also!  But then you get the numbers… The numbers don’t lie. (more…)

Mortgage Principal Balance Reductions..Fannie and Freddie to be Abolished!


Seattle / Tacoma and the Greater Puget Sound Area get ready for possible changes mortgage changes

Mortgage write down are being discussed more seriously. This means that if you are upside down on your mortgage, as many Seattle home owners are  and have tried the modification route to no avail there might still be on last gasp effort available to you.  Reduction in mortgage principal is looming on the horizon.  (don’t miss the video below)

The real tragedy is for those of you who have actually lost their homes through bank intransigence during the mortgage modification process.  The good news is that reform of ill conceived programs may be upon us, the bad news is that the horse has been out of the barn for a three years.

A summary of these major events affecting Seattle home owners follows:

  1. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are on a path of destruction. Many are calling for the GSE’s to be abolished!  Well, abolished is certainly a strong word.  But changes are in the offing.
  2. NOW, the GSE’s are providing 75% of all new mortgages.  Which simply means that they have been the dumping ground for banks.  Somebody had to be, how about you and I!
  3. There are three proposed options: Nationalization of the GSEs (that’s right you would now own them), Improved GSE structure or turn them over to the private sector (been there, done that).
  4. Combined with FHA Fannie and Freddie ARE the mortgage market. Private banks are not lending…no GSE’s….no mortgages.
  5. This is astounding…112 BILLION that has been spent..that will never be paid back…and they are expecting another 112 BILLION in upcoming losses! (anyone out there still think we are near bottom?)
  6. Principal mortgage writedowns are gaining momentum…10% off all mortgages 25% upside down…and 25% of all mortgages 10% upside down. In the US roughly HALF of all homes are owned…no mortgage. Of the other half…35% are now upside down.
  7. Let’s face it.  Something needs to be done.  Housing has been a government priority, just poorly implemented.  The end of government subsidies (with the privatization of FNMA/ Freddie) meant that homeowners would have to compete with corporate America for funds.  This meant that the game was afoot, greed could prevail and bring on the current calamity.

See where your hometown ranks in foreclosure filings ‘08, Seattle #86

By Dick Todhunter · January 29, 2010 · Filed in Foreclosure, General, Short Sale · No Comments »

Seattle- Tacoma- Bellevue saw a 43% increase in foreclosure filings over 2008 and that makes it 180% more filings than in 2007.
Avoid adding to this list by contacting us about how a Short Sale can
protect your credit score and allow you to buy a home again in the near future!

Realtytrac has come out with it’s list of top foreclosure cities in the United States.  This list is scary.  It seems that foreclosure rates are rising as more people lose their jobs.

2009 U.S.  Metro Foreclosure Market Data

Properties with Foreclosure Filings
Rate Rank Metro Name Total %Housing Units 1/every X HU %Change from 2008 %Change from 2007
U.S. Total
2,824,674
2.21
45
21.21
119.67
1
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
94,862
12.04
8
41.12
212.19
2
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
42,734
11.87
8
4.13
234.12
3
Merced, CA
8,389
10.10
10
1.18
124.85
4
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario,    CA
126,376
8.80
11
12.55
143.90
5
Stockton, CA
19,540
8.62
12
-7.51
84.22
6
Modesto, CA
14,812
8.53
12
-0.48
101.09
7
Orlando-Kissimmee, FL
72,141
8.17
12
54.01
357.86
8
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
133,809
8.03
12
36.98
343.12
9
Port St. Lucie, FL
15,630
7.58
13
21.52
217.55
10
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano      Beach, FL
172,894
7.16
14
43.50
198.28
11
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
10,702
7.14
14
10.08
105.93
12
Bakersfield, CA
19,174
7.13
14
18.30
154.74
13
Naples-Marco Island, FL
12,251
6.38
16
31.15
339.58
14
Reno-Sparks, NV
11,037
6.15
16
62.24
311.06
15
Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, CA
47,810
5.64
18
13.96
92.36
16
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond      Beach, FL
13,125
5.32
19
49.25
215.05
17
Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, FL
20,507
5.26
19
18.84
201.53
18
Lakeland, FL
14,405
5.19
19
40.52
177.98
19
Fresno, CA
14,974
4.92
20
19.12
141.28
20
Salinas, CA
6,729
4.83
21
4.81
166.28
21
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
12,685
4.78
21
23.47
147.80
22
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater,    FL
62,719
4.77
21
16.95
161.71
23
Visalia-Porterville, CA
6,350
4.69
21
42.92
189.03
24
Boise City-Nampa, ID
11,009
4.66
21
103.34*
398.82*
25
Ocala, FL
7,295
4.58
22
39.67
275.84
26
Jacksonville, FL
26,537
4.53
22
55.87
178.11
27
Prescott, AZ
4,561
4.36
23
70.95
400.11
28
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
49,125
4.34
23
9.33
142.96
29
Greeley, CO
3,934
4.25
24
6.53
43.16
30
Provo-Orem, UT
5,818
4.11
24
100.76
579.67
31
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
11,155
4.09
24
32.45
157.32
32
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana,    CA
175,810
3.99
25
37.06
203.37
33
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers,    AR-MO
6,912
3.77
27
31.66
336.64
34
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA
78,835
3.73
27
17.65
57.10
35
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
69,171
3.64
27
0.36
10.18
36
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
6,859
3.47
29
30.30
171.54
37
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
54,083
3.20
31
17.66
137.08
38
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI
119,662
3.19
31
33.39
108.87
39
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
19,920
3.15
32
27.42
217.86
40
Flint, MI
5,963
3.02
33
1.71
10.77
41
Tucson, AZ
12,798
3.01
33
41.52
201.27
42
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA
4,432
2.93
34
33.70
150.82
43
Salt Lake City, UT
11,413
2.91
34
72.19
208.96
44
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
5,616
2.85
35
34.00
130.83
45
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
15,334
2.80
36
-11.08††
35.92††
46
Denver-Aurora, CO
28,962
2.78
36
-12.02
9.04
47
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
2,781
2.70
37
30.26
205.60
48
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria,    DC-VA-MD-WV
56,347
2.64
38
1.70
158.51
49
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
2,976
2.57
39
63.07
235.89
50
Colorado Springs, CO
6,485
2.54
39
11.12
68.62
51
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
4,981
2.54
39
19.22
38.86
52
Ogden-Clearfield, UT
4,484
2.53
39
76.67
124.76
53
Rockford, IL
3,623
2.52
40
16.23
60.38
54
Chico, CA
2,380
2.51
40
50.35
167.72
55
Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
18,408
2.47
41
-9.39
26.16
56
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
7,829
2.46
41
12.24
60.43
57
Toledo, OH
7,359
2.46
41
-7.52
27.85
58
Atlantic City, NJ
3,063
2.42
41
34.05
136.89
59
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
22,430
2.38
42
-19.00
-19.31
60
Columbus, OH
17,672
2.29
44
-9.32
28.18
61
Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
20,017
2.26
44
87.35
287.40
62
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington,    MN-WI
29,115
2.20
45
57.80
169.66
63
Canton-Massillon, OH
3,899
2.20
46
-13.05
-4.53
64
Charleston-North Charleston,    SC
6,198
2.20
46
77.04*
645.85*
65
Holland-Grand Haven, MI
2,136
2.13
47
43.84
119.53
66
Salem, OR
3,110
2.13
47
93.17
198.75
67
Dayton, OH
7,914
2.08
48
-14.27
1.28
68
Gainesville, FL
2,387
2.08
48
81.38
188.29
69
Macon, GA
2,056
2.00
50
11.32
52.41
70
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
2,543
2.00
50
19.67
49.24
71
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West    Allis, WI
12,578
1.92
52
23.54
92.50
72
Savannah, GA
2,698
1.87
53
37.86
161.43
73
Akron, OH
5,710
1.85
54
-30.86
-19.18
74
Ann Arbor, MI
2,661
1.81
55
-4.49
58.77
75
Trenton-Ewing, NJ
2,539
1.81
55
4.66
81.36
76
Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN
16,358
1.80
56
-2.23
24.77
77
Green Bay, WI
2,391
1.78
56
126.64*
519.43*
78
Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, MI
1,555
1.75
57
-18.80
17.27
79
Kansas City, MO-KS
15,067
1.75
57
10.86†
49.59†
80
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
4,568
1.74
57
-8.69
28.93
81
Worcester, MA
5,491
1.74
58
-13.45
78.63
82
Tallahassee, FL
2,737
1.72
58
50.80
134.13
83
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
2,483
1.72
58
5.48
100.08
84
Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC
4,585
1.71
59
47.90
1,656.70*
85
Birmingham-Hoover, AL
8,174
1.64
61
267.21*
245.92*
86
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
22,772
1.62
62
43.15
180.20
87
New Haven-Milford, CT
5,633
1.61
62
-10.79
48.59
88
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
4,748
1.61
62
9.50
77.50
89
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
2,707
1.61
62
279.66*
2,137.19*
90
St. Louis, MO-IL
19,465
1.58
63
-10.07†
26.08†
91
Chattanooga, TN-GA
3,497
1.53
65
7.07††
152.31††
92
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
5,361
1.53
65
-8.73
119.71
93
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC
10,732
1.51
66
9.49
13.40
94
Dallas-Fort    Worth-Arlington,    TX
35,520
1.50
67
2.86
-4.58
95
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
2,151
1.50
67
29.27
131.04
96
Tulsa, OK
5,843
1.47
68
22.32
65.29
97
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
9,253
1.45
69
-1.92††
75.48††
98
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
9,794
1.44
70
49.85†
363.73†
99
Columbia, SC
4,461
1.44
70
64.98
362.76
100
Eugene-Springfield, OR
2,143
1.43
70
78.88
179.40
101
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
1,997
1.43
70
-7.25
7.31
102
Mobile, AL
2,536
1.42
70
44.83*
16.92*
103
Richmond, VA
7,177
1.41
71
39.12
682.66
104
Albuquerque, NM
4,970
1.41
71
84.90*
124.38*
105
York-Hanover, PA
2,448
1.41
71
50.09
603.45
106
Manchester-Nashua, NH
2,270
1.40
71
1.79
301.06
107
Fort Wayne, IN
2,486
1.40
72
-24.37
-6.51
108
Baltimore-Towson, MD
15,064
1.36
73
27.92
88.72
109
San Antonio, TX
9,934
1.31
76
23.66
29.91
110
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
23,828
1.31
76
-19.43
126.27
111
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
28,338
1.30
77
-11.39
13.71
112
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA
5,741
1.30
77
31.28
147.88
113
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington,    PA-NJ-DE-MD
31,020
1.30
77
14.75
101.14
114
Olympia, WA
1,300
1.29
77
16.49
111.73
115
Boulder, CO
1,596
1.29
77
27.88
42.63
116
Reading, PA
2,065
1.29
78
31.36
199.28
117
Austin-Round Rock, TX
8,002
1.25
80
39.48
54.60
118
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
1,394
1.23
81
56.28
155.78
119
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
2,778
1.23
81
12.52
42.17
120
Anchorage, AK
1,710
1.22
82
15.54
71.00
121
Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA
8,236
1.22
82
-17.24
144.32
122
Springfield, MA
3,439
1.21
82
-20.60
74.57
123
Greensboro-High Point, NC
3,782
1.21
83
-3.89
22.39
124
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
1,221
1.21
83
19.35
89.01
125
Springfield, MO
2,218
1.21
83
14.15†
98.21†
126
Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX
1,748
1.20
83
33.23
146.20
127
Montgomery, AL
1,866
1.19
84
112.77*
318.39*
128
Honolulu, HI
3,985
1.19
84
141.96
672.29
129
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
6,302
1.15
87
47.07
97.12
130
Winston-Salem, NC
2,375
1.15
87
-2.98
23.50
131
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA
84,054
1.14
88
7.19
68.09
132
Knoxville, TN
3,517
1.14
88
-0.71††
94.52††
133
Norwich-New London, CT
1,326
1.14
88
-12.24
55.63
134
Madison, WI
2,790
1.13
88
118.14*
209.31*
135
Barnstable Town, MA
1,749
1.12
89
-16.67
130.43
136
Des Moines-West Des Moines,    IA
2,643
1.12
89
28.99
74.46
137
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford,    CT
5,502
1.12
89
-12.74
48.78
138
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
3,628
1.09
92
52.50*
255.69*
139
Columbus, GA-AL
1,394
1.09
92
19.35
84.15
140
Appleton, WI
973
1.08
93
82.55*
62.71*
141
Jackson, MS
2,347
1.07
94
198.98*
240.64*
142
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
1,742
1.06
95
37.06
97.95
143
Fort Smith, AR-OK
1,296
1.05
95
24.02
120.78
144
Raleigh-Cary, NC
4,300
1.01
99
-3.24
11.28
145
Roanoke, VA
1,359
0.97
103
351.50*
1,537.35*
146
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY
2,394
0.97
103
-15.29
263.28
147
Clarksville, TN-KY
1,048
0.96
104
-0.66††
70.41††
148
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
2,379
0.96
104
20.03
674.92
149
Amarillo, TX
907
0.92
108
6.83
29.02
150
Waco, TX
817
0.89
112
2.25
54.15
151
Huntsville, AL
1,469
0.88
114
78.06*
1,832.89*
152
Oklahoma City, OK
4,582
0.88
114
-7.94
13.25
153
Laredo, TX
608
0.88
114
48.29
221.69
154
Wichita, KS
2,196
0.85
118
29.33
231.72
155
Topeka, KS
860
0.83
120
63.81
246.77
156
Pittsburgh, PA
9,220
0.83
120
-7.92
129.13
157
Baton Rouge, LA
2,650
0.83
121
139.39*
223.17*
158
Corpus Christi, TX
1,383
0.79
127
8.05
54.01
159
Springfield, IL
745
0.77
129
-17.86
-3.87
160
El Paso, TX
1,905
0.75
133
35.30
51.79
161
Sioux Falls, SD
671
0.73
136
101.50*
11,083.33*
162
Lancaster, PA
1,410
0.73
137
21.34
308.70*
163
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
1,227
0.71
140
101.81
361.28
164
Yakima, WA
583
0.70
142
24.57
4.86
165
Peoria, IL
1,128
0.69
144
-25.00
4.06
166
Rochester, NY
2,602
0.59
170
-31.97
-23.65
167
Cedar Rapids, IA
631
0.57
176
-4.97
24.21
168
Champaign-Urbana, IL
542
0.56
180
26.05
45.31
169
Erie, PA
646
0.55
183
15.56
80.45
170
Lafayette, LA
604
0.55
183
112.68*
268.29*
171
Durham, NC
1,160
0.54
184
-44.39
-27.55
172
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
1,253
0.54
184
52.06*
99.21*
173
Duluth, MN-WI
733
0.54
187
-10.17
42.61
174
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY
2,780
0.53
187
-27.64
25.51
175
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME
1,334
0.52
191
-1.98
532.23
176
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
1,827
0.52
192
-30.08
-39.44
177
Spartanburg, SC
618
0.51
195
-41.31
69.78
178
Binghamton, NY
566
0.51
195
20.17
319.26
179
Evansville, IN-KY
811
0.51
197
-32.98
4.11
180
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
539
0.50
199
783.61*
3,070.59*
181
Spokane, WA
979
0.50
199
-14.57
-2.97
182
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA
1,276
0.49
202
-21.23
85.74
183
Lexington-Fayette, KY
889
0.44
228
-10.02
91.59
184
Wilmington, NC
800
0.41
245
-32.09
19.94
185
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
649
0.40
248
-19.48
-33.64
186
Longview, TX
335
0.40
253
90.34
1,016.67
187
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA
537
0.37
271
9.82††
208.62††
188
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
484
0.37
273
56.13
146.94
189
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
527
0.34
298
-43.88
-40.99
190
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
1,220
0.32
311
-49.50
26.29
191
Lubbock, TX
378
0.32
312
-7.35
800.00
192
Lynchburg, VA
325
0.30
332
269.32*
884.85*
193
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA
225
0.28
363
378.72*
650.00*
194
Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, WA
230
0.27
372
-61.67
-64.72
195
Asheville, NC
455
0.23
439
-39.66
-33.19
196
Tuscaloosa, AL
212
0.22
448
130.43*
631.03*
197
College Station-Bryan, TX
167
0.19
519
7.05
-10.22
198
Fayetteville, NC
289
0.19
522
-76.47
-79.87
199
Syracuse, NY
526
0.18
543
-48.83
44.11
200
Charleston, WV
226
0.16
643
43.04
58.04
201
Lincoln, NE
140
0.11
880
-80.11
-80.23
202
Utica-Rome, NY
70
0.05
1,943
-51.39
0.00
203
Burlington-South Burlington,    VT
45
0.05
1,972
9.76
246.15

*Actual increase may not be as high  due to data collection changes or improvements
**Collection of records classified as  NOD began in August 2009 because of change in state law
Collection of some records previously  classified as NOD in this MSA was discontinued starting in January 2009
†† Collection of some records previously  classified as NOD in this MSA was discontinued starting in September 2008

About RealtyTrac Inc.
RealtyTrac (www.realtytrac.com)  is the leading online marketplace of foreclosure properties, with more than 1.5  million default, auction and bank-owned listings from over 2,200 U.S.  counties, along with detailed property, loan and home sales data. Hosting more  than 3 million unique monthly visitors, RealtyTrac provides innovative  technology solutions and practical education resources to facilitate buying,  selling and investing in real estate. RealtyTrac’s foreclosure data has also been  used by the Federal Reserve, FBI, U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee and  Banking Committee, U.S. Treasury Department, and numerous state housing and  banking departments to help evaluate foreclosure trends and address policy  issues related to foreclosures.