Suits aim at smaller mortgage companies Aug 6, 2009
Local Search Site Search. THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING. (Boston Globe)
Ross: Washington is New Wall Street Aug 6, 2009
The Obama administration is putting new pressure on mortgage companies to help financially distressed homeowners. Specifically, the government is going to publish the names of companies that collect mortgage payments that are behind on working with cash-strapped homeowners. (Newsmax)
Patton Boggs Picks Up Mortgage Finance Group Aug 5, 2009
He represents mortgage companies, consumer finance companies, financial institutions, title companies, real estate brokers and secondary market investors on a variety of issues. Socknat, 40, says the group decided to make the move primarily to take advantage of Patton Boggs' public policy capabilities. (Law.com)
Mortgage Modifications Can't Catch Foreclosures Aug 5, 2009
Against this backdrop, the Obama Administration on Aug. 4 unveiled an optimistic report on its signature foreclosure initiative: Mortgage companies have offered to adjust more than 406,500 loans under the Making Home Affordable program, and have actually modified more than 235,000 ... In a blistering statement, the Center for Responsible Lending, a consumer advocacy group, dubbed the Administration's list of mortgage companies a "Wall of Shame." The group, like other housing and consumer... (BusinessWeek)
Firms failing to modify loans face public shame Aug 4, 2009
When borrowers are denied, they often don't get told why, leading to battles between mortgage companies, housing counselors and borrowers. This article appeared on page DC - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
US will pressure loan firms to act Aug 4, 2009
When borrowers are denied, they often are not told why, leading to battles between mortgage companies, housing counselors, and borrowers. The lending industry asks for patience and more time to get going. (Boston Globe)
Read 'Cost of Freedom' recap Aug 4, 2009
And the mortgage companies are getting all kinds of service revenue when they get a foreclosure. This is a ridiculous prospect. (Fox News)
Brother, Can You Spare a Warehouse Line? Aug 4, 2009
Since 2007, many of the primary warehouse lenders in the country such as , , , , and left the business or were taken over by institutions that pulled the plug - reacting both to the collapse of secondary market investing and the implosion of major mortgage companies like that left warehouse lenders stuck with loans. Many of those that have stayed in warehouse lending, like Residential Capital (ResCap), restrict lines to a closed pool of approved lender partners who provide a captive line of... (American Banker)
Consumer finance overhaul likely to pass House Aug 3, 2009
Canfield and other industry lobbyists are concerned about any radical shakeup of the way banks and mortgage companies traditionally have been overseen by the federal government. Currently, the regulators responsible for checking on banks' "safety and soundness" also are empowered to look for risky, discriminatory or anti-consumer practices and products at those institutions. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The US sub-prime crisis in graphics Aug 1, 2009
The Bush administration is pushing the industry to renegotiate rather than repossess where possible, but mortgage companies are being overwhelmed by a tidal wave of cases. THE HOUSING PRICE CRASH. (BBC News)
Colonial Cites `Doubt' It Can Survive After Fifth Straight Quarterly Loss Aug 1, 2009
Taylor Bean had assembled about 30 mortgage companies to take a 75 percent stake in Colonial, one of the largest U.S. companies extending credit to smaller home lenders ... Colonial is among the largest warehouse lenders, providing money that independent mortgage companies use to make home loans. (Bloomberg -- US)
Profiting from misery Jul 31, 2009
Mortgage companies are playing for time, hoping that market conditions will improve and make their wildly imprudent loans good again. In the meantime they hope to milk the property owners stuck with sky-high mortgages. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Opinion)
NYT: Fees may deter efforts to alter loans Jul 31, 2009
Many mortgage companies are reluctant to help strapped homeowners ... But industry insiders and legal experts say the limited capacity of mortgage companies is not the primary factor impeding the governments $75 billion program to prevent foreclosures ... Instead, it is that many mortgage companies are reluctant to give strapped homeowners a break because the companies collect lucrative fees on delinquent loans. (MSNBC -- Business)
Skeptics Say Lenders Ignore Loan Mods Jul 31, 2009
They say the delays mostly can be attributed to the reluctance of mortgage companies and servicers to give up revenue from late payments, including on insurance, appraisals, title searches, and legal services. It frustrates me when I see the government looking to the servicer for the solution, because it will never, ever happen,'' said Margery Golant, a Florida lawyer who defends homeowners against foreclosure and who is a former employee of Ocwen Financial. (Realtor Magazine Online)
Mortgage Co. Face New Pressure on Homeowner Help Jul 30, 2009
Mortgage Companies Face New Pressure on Homeowner Help - ABC News. Hot Topics. (ABC News -- Business)
Countrywide Alumni Seek Profits at PennyMac From Mortgage Market Collapse Jul 30, 2009
The real-estate investment trust says it will buy loans from lenders who failed as well as mortgage companies and insurers. In January, it purchased $558 million of mortgages that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. acquired last year after First National Bank of Nevada failed. (Bloomberg)
Lenders slow to modify loans Jul 30, 2009
But industry insiders and legal experts say the limited capacity of mortgage companies is not the primary factor impeding the government's $75 billion program to prevent foreclosures. Instead, it is that many mortgage companies are reluctant to give strapped homeowners a break because the companies collect lucrative fees on delinquent loans ... Even when borrowers stop paying, mortgage companies that service the loans collect fees out of the proceeds when homes are ultimately sold in... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Wells Fargo expands online-payment program Jul 30, 2009
The service helps customers avoid missing payments or making late payments to merchants that include utilities, auto-finance and mortgage companies. Wells Fargo teamed with for the service, which costs $14. (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)
Treasury Pushes Bankers on Loan Modifications Jul 30, 2009
REALTOR Magazine Online: The real estate professional's business support tool. YOUR INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE REALTOR.ORG/realtormag. (Realtor Magazine Online)
Assurant Specialty Property to Consolidate Insurance Service Centers Jul 30, 2009
They develop, underwrite, market and administer specialty property and personal lines of insurance through collaborative relationships with leading home mortgage companies, financial institutions, manufactured home builders and dealers, auto finance companies, property management companies and managing general agents. Assurant Specialty Property serves clients and their customers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (PR Newswire)
White House, mortgage firms meet on loans Jul 29, 2009
As of this week, only about 200,000 borrowers were enrolled in three-month trial loan modifications, out of about 370,000 who were offered modifications by mortgage companies ... But mortgage companies also say the Obama administration - which announced the program in February - left the public with the impression that the program would be instantly available. (Boston Globe)
Subprime Mortgage Companies Warn on U.S. Foreclosures Jul 29, 2009
By Al Yoon July 28, 2009. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Companies that service risky residential mortgages are warning U.S. officials that a key program to slow foreclosures may push some financing costs higher and derail their efforts, said a leading subprime firm. (ABC News -- Wire)
Feds push mortgage companies to modify more loans amid complaints Jul 29, 2009
Get information on education programs that could help you increase your earning power. MORE ON MORTGAGE RATES. (USA Today -- Money)
Fed and Lenders Meet Over Foreclosures Jul 29, 2009
Executives from 25 mortgage companies along with officials from the Treasury and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will discuss cumbersome paperwork and other problems that are hampering programs designed to keep underwater and overextended home owners in their homes. Some observers are saying that the root of the problem is lender reluctance to give borrowers a break. (Realtor Magazine Online)
WH Hears Mortgage Cos. Side of Story Jul 28, 2009
White House Meet Mortgage Companies - ABC News ... Mortgage Companies to Meet With White House. (ABC News -- Business)
Lower-priced home sales buoy the market Jul 28, 2009
The good news about mortgages on Cape Cod is there s a lot of local mortgage originators, local banks and mortgage companies here on Cape Cod, DiGiacomo said. There s an abundance of mortgage money available for local people who have decent credit. (Cape Codder, MA)
Interest rates mixed at weekly Treasury auction Jul 28, 2009
The Obama administration's effort to persuade mortgage companies to lower payments for up to 4 million homeowners could fall short of its goal, according to congressional investigators ... As of this week, 31 mortgage companies had signed up, and about 180,000 borrowers were enrolled in three-month trial modifications. (Fresno Bee -- Business)
Meltdown 101: Why Is Housing Aid Slow to Arrive? Jul 28, 2009
A: So far, more than 55,000 borrowers have received refinanced loans and at least 200,000 were enrolled in three-month trial loan modifications, out of about 370,000 who were offered modifications by mortgage companies. Q: What's the difference between a refinanced loan and a modification. (ABC News -- Wire)
Paying debt poses economic paradox Jul 27, 2009
Bank holdings of Treasuries and debt of mortgage companies Fannie Mae of Washington and McLean, Virginia-based Freddie Mac totaled $1. 33 trillion in the week ended July 8, up 16 percent from a year earlier, according to the Fed. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Bernanke, Geithner clash on consumer protection Jul 25, 2009
He said that many non-bank financial firms such as mortgage brokers and large independent mortgage companies "currently operate under no federal supervision.". Thus, the creation of a new consumer protection agency "would fix this problem and ensure a level playing field by extending the reach of federal oversight to all financial firms, no matter whether they are banks or non-banks.". (Yahoo! Asia News)
Community banks thrive despite economy Jul 22, 2009
Terravecchia said that a decade ago, it was evident that an economic crash was on the horizon, explaining how the large banks and mortgage companies loaned out money to unqualified borrowers. The community banks could see it coming, he said. (Weymouth News, MA)
New rules require disclosure of mortgage fees Jul 21, 2009
There is an active and aggressive segment of the legal profession that specializes in going after banks and mortgage companies for truth-in-lending violations. Don't be surprised if you hear of lawsuits seeking cancellation of mortgage deals because timing deadlines were not met or appraisals not received. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Washington Report: Controversial Legislation Jul 20, 2009
First, it would have primary federal regulatory oversight of all mortgage products offered nationwide -- that includes banks, mortgage brokers, mortgage companies, credit unions and most private lenders. Very likely the agency would identify a limited number of mortgage types it considers standard and relatively safe for consumers, such as 30-year fixed rate mortgages with mandatory full documentation and strict underwriting, and FHA and VA loans. (RealtyTimes)
Morgan Stanley to Get Tens of Millions of Dollars for Work on AIG Breakup Jul 20, 2009
Morgan Stanley, which typically advises private corporations, started working with the Treasury when the financial crisis struck last year, counseling the agency on the government takeovers of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for $95,000. The fees to Morgan Stanley are in addition to payments that is earning as adviser to AIG. Investment banks including UBS AG and are being paid to handle auctions of individual units. (Bloomberg -- US)
Hillary to India: Don't Err on Climate Jul 19, 2009
MUMBAI, India, July 18, 2009. Cites Mistakes Made by U.S. in Carbon Emissions; Expresses Solidarity with Victims of Mumbai Terror Attack. (CBS News)
Job, housing crises linked Jul 18, 2009
Last week, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan outlined their frustrations in a letter to 27 mortgage companies, saying the industry needs to "devote substantially more resources to this program for it to fully succeed.". While high-level pressure on the mortgage industry could help, "There's nothing there that's going to help people who don't have jobs," said Jay Brinkmann, chief economist with the Mortgage Bankers Association. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Community Profile: Stanley Gorzelany Tax Collector Jul 17, 2009
Three real estate lien sales in the past 16 years, two to mortgage companies and one to an investment company, have given these third parties the right to collect taxes, interest and even to sell the properties of delinquent tax payers, if the parties can't come to an arrangement. The companies had to buy the liens on an 'all or none' basis and they had to buy future liens also. (Fairfield Minuteman, CT)
1.5 Million Homes Foreclosed So Far In 2009 Jul 17, 2009
As of early July, about 130,000 borrowers were enrolled in three-month trial modifications under the plan, and 25 mortgage companies have signed up to receive potential payments of up to $18 ... Industry experts, however, say the response from most mortgage companies has been lackluster ... A week ago, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan sought to ramp up pressure on the industry, saying in a letter to participating mortgage companies that the industry needs... (Click2Houston, TX)
Foreclosures Soar Despite $50B Obama Plan Jul 17, 2009
Herbert Allison, the Treasury Department's assistant secretary for financial stability, said the administration is prodding mortgage companies to add more staff and beef up training. "We recognize that challenges remain in implementing and scaling up the program," Allison said. (Newsmax)
Loan officer gets 41 mos. in fraud case Jul 17, 2009
According to the indictment against her, Carnagie submitted false information in loan applications and other documents submitted to mortgage companies and to federal housing agencies including false income information and employment verifications in order to obtain mortgage loans and FHA/HUD insurance for buyers who could not otherwise qualify. and the s inspector general s office took part in investigating the case. (Denver Business Journal, CO)
Now's the Time to Buy Your Dream House Jul 17, 2009
Marc Roth, is the founder and president of Home Warranty of America, which touches just about every part of the real estate industry since it sells through builders, real estate agents, title companies, mortgage companies, and directly to consumers. Reader Discussion. (BusinessWeek)
Consumers Need a Credit Watchdog Jul 17, 2009
The change would stitch up the hole in the current system that permits credit-card issuers to pick their regulators and lets nonbank mortgage companies grant loans with no effective oversight. The CFPA would also reduce the total regulatory burden by transforming fragmented, cumbersome, and complex regulations spanning seven federal agencies into a coherent set of smarter rules. (BusinessWeek)
Housing Hurdle: Senators Frustrated by Foreclosure Aid Jul 17, 2009
Herbert Allison, the Treasury Department's assistant secretary for financial stability, said the administration is prodding mortgage companies to add more staff and beef up training ... Last week, top officials summoned executives from the 27 participating mortgage companies to a July 28 meeting to discuss their results. (ABC News -- Business)
The Law Firm of Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas Continues to Investigate and File Claims Involving 'Preferred' Stocks and Structured Products, Including Principal Protected Notes ('PPNS') Jul 16, 2009
Many financial based companies (mortgage companies, banks and brokerage firms) began issuing shares of preferred stock earlier this year in an effort to raise much needed cash. Many brokerage firms, including UBS (NYSE: - ), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: - ) and Citigroup (NYSE: - ) were either involved in the underwriting or marketing of these products. (Primezone Releases)
California part of sweep to end bad loan consulting Jul 16, 2009
But lawmakers pushed back his appointment while they reviewed class action lawsuits, alleging Long r violated the law governing the relationships between real estate agents and mortgage companies. Prosecutors nationwide filed 189 legal actions Wednesday against loan-modification consultants accused of bilking homeowners who are desperate to make their mortgage payments more affordable. (Fresno Bee)
HERE COMES OBAMACARE Jul 16, 2009
And at a time when the federal government already has taken an ownership stake in auto companies, banks and mortgage companies, Democrats now want to empower Washington to decide when and where Americans get medical care. And they're racing the calendar, too. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Obama hopeful about health care Jul 16, 2009
In a fundraising appeal titled "Hillarycare revisited," the RNC warned about "Obamacare" and said the government "already runs car companies, banks and mortgage companies. Republicans believe that the last thing the American people want is government telling them when and where or even whether they can get medical treatment for their families.". Click for related content. (MSNBC -- Health)
McKenna announces civil suits against mortgage companies Jul 16, 2009
Past Month's Most Commented Stories. Wednesday, July 15, 2009 5:32 PM PDT. (Longview Daily News, WA)
CHART: Troubled jumbo home loans in 370 metro areas Jul 15, 2009
A non-conforming loan is a loan that exceeds the for purchase by government-sponsored mortgage companies Mae or Freddie Mac. Fannie and Freddie buy mortgages from lenders and package them as securities for sale to investors. (USA Today -- Money)
Sales of businesses plummet as owners hold on Jul 14, 2009
At that time when everything was going down, mortgage companies were going under and it was tumultuous, Hankins recalls. It was easier this way. (Nashville Business Journal, TN)
A restitution institution Jul 12, 2009
The mortgage companies do it for qualified applicants free of charge. The appropriate paperwork needs to be filled out and then there is a waiting period to find out whether the loan will be modified. (Big Bear Grizzly, CA)
County's records show errors on property-tax bills Jul 12, 2009
Most residential tax bills are paid by mortgage companies and added to monthly payments, so few homeowners try to understand them. If they do and notice they are not being taxed where they should be, people aren't motivated to correct the error, Russell said. (AZCentral -- News)
Geithner Urges More Mortgage Help Jul 10, 2009
While more than 270,000 borrowers have received modification offers many borrowers still are "waiting for help as mortgage-servicing companies get up to speed. The administration has said its program could help as many as four million homeowners," writes the WSJ and quotes a letter written to 25 leading mortgage companies by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan that says: "We believe there is a general need for servicers to devote... (Slate)
Stricter licensing rules cut hundreds of would-be mortgage brokers Jul 9, 2009
Over the past three years the Massachusetts Division of Banks said it has brought 377 formal and informal enforcement actions against mortgage companies for, among other problems, falsifying borrowers income in order to qualify them for loans. Just yesterday in New York, 13 people and the mortgage company they worked for, AFG Financial Group, were indicted on larceny and fraud charges. (Boston Globe)
Floodplain warnings for Arkansas County Jul 9, 2009
The ordinance doesn t say much about homeowners, Cox said, but many mortgage companies and banks won t give out loans to people living in a flood plain if they don t carry flood insurance. If a homeowner tries to take out a second mortgage on a home, more steps may have to be taken if the home is located on a floodplain. (DeWitt Era-Enterprise, AR)
Mortgage lender fined for illegal scheme Jul 8, 2009
This case shows how far some mortgage companies will go to escape our regulation, says Mark Pearce, chief deputy commissioner of banks. This decision holds not only the company responsible, but also the individual owners that profited from the illegal scheme. (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)
Companies reconfigure surplus office space Jul 6, 2009
Some real estate firms, for example, are filling empty offices created by the real estate meltdown with closing attorneys and mortgage companies, said Randy Glazer, general contractor for residential and commercial building for Glazer Design ruction. The firm is doing a lot of interior reconfigurations of work spaces as well as exterior face-lifts on buildings. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Business)
Washington Report: Home Valuation Code of Conduct Jul 6, 2009
Criticism of the code -- from appraisers, realty brokers, and mortgage companies, has risen to a fever pitch in recent weeks. Online petitions are circulating with tens of thousands of signatures from people who want the rules withdrawn immediately. (RealtyTimes)
Personal Finance Jul 5, 2009
07/05/2009 - Updated 10:32 AM ET. Many credit card issures are already raising prices again, despite President Obama approving redit card reform. (USA Today -- Money)
Washington Report: Who Chooses Appraisers? Jul 3, 2009
Those rules and procedures were heavily criticized by banks, mortgage companies, appraisers and federal financial regulators, which led to the latest -- and supposedly final -- version. But already Fannie's and Freddie's new "home valuation code" is drawing controversy, and may well end up as an issue for Congress or the federal courts to resolve. (RealtyTimes)
Stuck with piles of records Jul 3, 2009
California is particularly hard hit by this problem because of the number of mortgage companies, title companies and brokerages that have disappeared. According to a survey done by Prism International, a trade group for information management, storage companies in California last year had to deal with an average of 29,110 cubic feet of abandoned records. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Lawyer helps navigate home-loan program Jul 3, 2009
President Barack Obama's Making Home Affordable loan-modification program would pay mortgage companies to renegotiate the loans of homeowners in financial trouble, helping more people stay in their houses in the meltdown ... Beauchamp's assistant, Andrew Shainker, who handles calls from the firm to mortgage companies, said clients he has dealt with range from "people who have lost their jobs to people who make hundreds of thousands of dollars.". (AZCentral -- Business)
Foreclosure help available to more homeowners Jul 2, 2009
Another key component pays incentives for mortgage companies to lower borrowers' payments. Also in msnbc. (MSNBC -- Business)
Group demands faster mortgage help Jul 1, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - Several key mortgage companies that benefited from federal bailout funds have yet to sign onto the Obama administration s plan to help more homeowners avoid foreclosure. The community group ACORN held 15 protests around the country yesterday to draw attention to the slow progress of the administration s plan, which was launched four months ago. (Boston Globe)
It's enough to make your wig spin Jul 1, 2009
The federal government has taken over banks, mortgage companies, insurance companies and automobile companies. The feds are racking up trillions of dollars in debt it will take generations to pay and selling our notes to the Chinese. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)