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	<title>Mortgage Loans, Rates, Home Buying, Selling, Foreclosures &#187; lenders</title>
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		<title>Should Mortgage Robo-Signers Go To Jail?</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/should-mortgage-robo-signers-go-to-jail-012312/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/should-mortgage-robo-signers-go-to-jail-012312/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:27:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter G. Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bank repossessions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conventional]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[default notices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[errors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[filings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclose]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreclosure]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan officers]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[paperwork]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[predatory lending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[robo-signing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scheduled auctions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VA]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[John O’Brien is a Register of Deeds based in Salem, Massachusetts. Instead of burning witches, O&#8217;Brien believes we should investigate the people who created the notes and documents that have now destabilized the entire property records system. He also believes those who are guilty of criminal conduct should go to jail and not merely face [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/should-mortgage-robo-signers-go-to-jail-012312/">Should Mortgage Robo-Signers Go To Jail?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>John O’Brien is a <a href="Register of Deeds" title="Salem, MA Register of Deeds" target="_blank">Register of Deeds</a> based in Salem, Massachusetts. Instead of burning witches, O&#8217;Brien believes we should investigate the people who created the notes and documents that have now destabilized the entire property records system. He also believes those who are guilty of criminal conduct should go to jail and not merely face fines.</p>
<p>The Massachusetts official is turning over nearly 32,000 documents to state prosecutors on the grounds that they may be improper. As a result O&#8217;Brien says criminal investigations should be started.</p>
<p>If 32,000 documents are questionable in just one recorder&#8217;s office, then what is the total nationwide?</p>
<p>In considering this matter, let&#8217;s recognize that a sworn foreclosure <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/foreclosures/the-real-foreclosure-crisis-who-owns-the-mortgages/" class="kblinker" title="More about affidavit &raquo;">affidavit</a> is used by judges and courts to throw people out of their homes for not paying FHA, VA or <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/conventional-mortgage-basics/" class="kblinker" title="More about conventional &raquo;">conventional</a> mortgages. </p>
<p>If the affidavit is wrong &#8212; or fraudulent &#8212; it means an innocent family can unfairly be made homeless by order of the court. This is a big deal, certainly as big as shoplifting or stealing a cow, crimes we seem to prosecute with great zeal.</p>
<p>The O&#8217;Brien release is below:  </p>
<p><center><strong>O’Brien calls for criminal action against the Big Banks<br />
Says they acted like “criminal enterprise”</strong></center></p>
<p>Saying that the time has come for a full scale criminal investigation, Southern Essex District Register of Deeds John O’Brien, today has sent some 31,897 of what he says are fraudulent documents that have been recorded in the Salem Registry to Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz.</p>
<p>O’Brien said that he is asking these officials to impanel a Grand Jury to look into the evidence that he has presented. </p>
<p>“I am confident that these documents will show a pattern of fraud, uttering and forgery. These documents are signed by known robo or surrogate signers, whose signatures were supposedly witnessed by notary publics. In addition, these documents may contain fraudulent information in the body of the documents. I believe that a criminal investigation is the next step to hold the perpetrators responsible.”</p>
<p>O’Brien praised Attorney General Coakley for her aggressive pursuit of wrongdoing in her civil action but noted that other states such as California, Nevada, Illinois and Michigan have launched criminal investigations, and O’Brien is hopeful that Massachusetts will do the same.</p>
<p>O’Brien strongly suggests that the Grand Jury should subpoena both the past and present Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the Mortgage Electronic Recording Systems, Inc. (“MERS”), Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo, Countrywide, Washington Mutual among others. In addition, he is asking that the top officials of DOCX, Nationwide Title Clearing, Inc. and LPS also be subpoenaed.</p>
<p>“These companies have been retained by MERS and its member-banks to produce the documents that I am alleging contain fraudulent information. It is one thing to go after these institutions with a civil action, but the only way to let them know that you are serious is to call them before a Grand Jury.” O’Brien said,</p>
<p>“There is no question in my mind that the officers of these banks and loan processing servicers made a conscious decision to commit fraud and participate in a scheme to deprive the public from knowing the true holder of their mortgage while at the same time avoiding paying billions of dollars in recording fees. It is my opinion that they acted as a criminal enterprise, crossing state lines to commit their crimes and in most cases using the U.S. Postal Service to send these documents to registries of deeds, thereby committing mail fraud. We need to know what they knew and when they knew it. Until the CEOs who allowed these fraudulent activities to happen under their watch are sent to jail for what they did, these types of illegal behaviors will continue.”</p>
<p>Just last week, O’Brien’s Registry received 3 documents from Bank of America, all signed by a known robosigner, Linda Burton.</p>
<p>O’Brien said, “If they are sending them to me, of all people, it is safe to assume that they are sending them to registries across the country.” </p>
<p>O’Brien refuses to record any documents signed by a robo-signer on his list unless those documents are accompanied by an affidavit attesting to the signature. So far, he has not received one affidavit.</p>
<p>“That clearly shows me that those documents were in fact fraudulent.” O’Brien said that if he or anyone else went into one of these major banks and forged a signature on a loan document they would be arrested and sent into jail.</p>
<p>So it begs the question, why haven’t these CEO’S been held accountable? O’Brien cited the case of the individual who walked into a Walmart and tried to make a purchase using a fraudulent One Million Dollar bill. He was arrested and charged with attempting to obtain property by false pretence and uttering a forged instrument.</p>
<p>O’Brien said, “As far as I am concerned, this is what these banks have been doing for years. Make no mistake, MERS and its member-banks are taking people’s homes using fraudulent documents and that is something we do not do in America.” In addition, O’Brien is zeroing in on the major foreclosure law firms that he believes have acted as a co-conspirator in flooding the registries of deeds with these fraudulent instruments.</p>
<p>“These attorneys should know better. They have acted as co-conspirators in perpetrating this fraud. I am sending a letter to the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers asking that they conduct an independent investigation into the activities of these firms. Unlike our Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, I understand that there are other Attorneys General and other public officials across the country who would like nothing better than to sweep this matter under the rug and grant these lenders, loan servicing companies and their foreclosure-mill attorneys immunity for the damage that they have caused, not only to our<br />
economy but to people’s property rights. They would be willing to accept pennies on the dollar, a slap on the wrist, and a promise to never do it again.</p>
<p>&#8220;If that should happen, it would be the biggest sellout of the American People that I have ever seen. It would send the wrong message that the big boys can get away with anything. As I have been saying all along, they may think they are too big to fail, but as far as I am concerned, they are not to big to go to jail. The top officials at MERS, its member-banks, servicers and foreclosure-mill attorneys must be prosecuted and held accountable for their fraudulent schemes that brought profits to their institutions by cutting corners, circumventing land recordation systems through fraud, uttering and forgery.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/should-mortgage-robo-signers-go-to-jail-012312/">Should Mortgage Robo-Signers Go To Jail?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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<p class='technorati-tags'>Technorati Tags: <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/bank+repossessions' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>bank repossessions</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/conventional' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>conventional</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/default+notices' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>default notices</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/errors' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>errors</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/FHA' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>FHA</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/filings' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>filings</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/foreclose' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>foreclose</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/foreclosure' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>foreclosure</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/fraud' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>fraud</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/lenders' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>lenders</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/loan' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>loan</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/loan+officers' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>loan officers</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Massachsuetts' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Massachsuetts</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/mortgage' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>mortgage</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/paperwork' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>paperwork</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/predatory+lending' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>predatory lending</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/robo-signing' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>robo-signing</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/scheduled+auctions' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>scheduled auctions</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/VA' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>VA</a></p>

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		<title>Do FHA Mortgage Borrowers Still Face Credit Score Layering?</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/do-fha-mortgage-borrowers-still-face-credit-score-layering-011612/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/do-fha-mortgage-borrowers-still-face-credit-score-layering-011612/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:36:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter G. Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HUD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[layering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mortgage Bankers Association]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Community Reinvestment Coalition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NCRC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=12445</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[More that a year has passed since HUD announced that it would investigate 22 lenders. The issue? Layering, the addition of requirements on top of FHA standards. &#8220;The investigations,&#8221; said HUD, &#8220;are in response to 22 complaints the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) filed with HUD alleging that the loan activities of the mortgage originators [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/do-fha-mortgage-borrowers-still-face-credit-score-layering-011612/">Do FHA Mortgage Borrowers Still Face Credit Score Layering?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>More that a year has passed since <a title="HUD news release" href="http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2010/HUDNo.10-266" target="_blank">HUD</a> announced that it would investigate 22 lenders. The issue? <em>Layering</em>, the addition of requirements on top of <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/fha-mortgage-basics/" class="kblinker" title="More about FHA &raquo;">FHA</a> standards.</p>
<p>&#8220;The investigations,&#8221; said HUD, &#8220;are in response to 22 complaints the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) filed with HUD alleging that the loan activities of the mortgage originators showed that their home lending practices deny FHA- insured loans to African Americans and Latinos with credit scores as high as 640. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) guidelines allow mortgages to borrowers with credit scores above 580, provided the borrowers have down payments equaling 3.5 percent of the loan amount, or above 500, provided the borrowers have down payments equaling 10 percent of the loan amount.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the usual case lenders can set whatever terms they want to underwrite a loan. However, the FHA loan program is an important exception. Here&#8217;s why:</p>
<p>“This decision is arbitrary,” says John Taylor, president &amp; CEO of the <a href="http://www.ncrc.org/media-center/press-releases/item/531-ncrc-calls-for-federal-investigation-into-lenders">National Community Reinvestment Coalition</a>, “because the loans are 100% guaranteed, whether the borrower’s credit score is 580 or 780. That means the loans with lower credit scores don’t pose additional risk to the company, so there’s no legitimate business defense for this across-the-board practice.”</p>
<p>To its credit, at least one lender &#8212; <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/2/prweb8109672.htm" title="Quicken Loans" target="_blank">Quicken</a> &#8212; has said it would stick with FHA credit score standards. Quicken was not among the 22 lenders named by the NCRC in its <a href="http://www.ncrc.org/images/stories/mediaCenter_reports/fha%20white%20paper-120810-final.pdf" title="NCRC layering study" target="_blank">layering study</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;In an effort to make homeownership possible and more affordable for families across the country, Quicken Loans Inc, the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender, announced they have eased the minimum credit score necessary to qualify for an FHA loan to 580. This change allows more consumers to qualify for an FHA loan, as previous guidelines required a minimum credit score of 620.&#8221;</p>
<p>Quicken also makes a good <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/library/whats-a-mortgage-point/#axzz1OP4OkLgv" class="kblinker" title="More about point &raquo;">point</a> regarding credit scores in general.</p>
<p>“There are folks who have steady incomes, and a solid payment history but were temporarily affected by the economy or a life event in some way. These challenges can lower their credit score significantly. We believe that a credit score, on its own, is not the sole arbiter of a person’s credit worthiness,” said Bob Walters, Quicken&#8217;s chief economist. “This change will open up credit to a significant group of people and allow them to again have access to purchase or refinance a home.”</p>
<p><strong>Tight Credit Standards</strong></p>
<p>With all the complaining about allegedly-tight loan standards &#8212; much of which is nonsense &#8212; there is simply no justification for FHA layering. FHA mortgages must conform to standards set by HUD, not artificial and arbitrary standards above and beyond what HUD requires. Lenders who simply follow HUD guidelines can be rewarded with originations, profits and 100-percent loan guarantees.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s not a bad deal for lenders, borrowers or the FHA. The evidence? For the third quarter of 2011 the <a href="http://www.mortgagebankers.org/NewsandMedia/PressCenter/78538.htm" title="Mortgage Bankers Association" target="_blank">Mortgage Bankers Association</a> reports that the general foreclosure rate was  4.43 percent &#8212; but the foreclosure rate for FHA loans was 3.27 percent.</p>
<p>So do FHA mortgage borrowers still face credit score layering? The betting here is no. Expect the results of the HUD investigation in about a month.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/do-fha-mortgage-borrowers-still-face-credit-score-layering-011612/">Do FHA Mortgage Borrowers Still Face Credit Score Layering?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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<p class='technorati-tags'>Technorati Tags: <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/FHA' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>FHA</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/HUD' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>HUD</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/investigation' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>investigation</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/layering' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>layering</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/lenders' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>lenders</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/loan' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>loan</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/mortgage' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>mortgage</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Mortgage+Bankers+Association' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Mortgage Bankers Association</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/National+Community+Reinvestment+Coalition' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>National Community Reinvestment Coalition</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/NCRC' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>NCRC</a></p>

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		<title>Why FHA Premiums Should Not Be Raised</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/fha-premiums-110511/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/fha-premiums-110511/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:11:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter G. Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[annual]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[borrowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[lenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MIP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage insurance premium]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[private mortgage insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yearly]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=11785</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Will the FHA loan program raise its insurance premium for new borrowers? At first it might seem as though higher premiums are in order given that the FHA reserve fund &#8212; the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund or MMI &#8212; is well below the 2 percent required reserve. While that may be true, one must also [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/fha-premiums-110511/">Why FHA Premiums Should Not Be Raised</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Will the <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/fha-mortgage-basics/" class="kblinker" title="More about FHA &raquo;">FHA</a> loan program raise its insurance premium for new borrowers?</p>
<p>
At first it might seem as though higher premiums are in order given that the FHA reserve fund &#8212; the <em>Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund</em> or MMI &#8212; is well below the 2 percent required reserve. While that may be true, one must also look at trends and directions.
</p>
<p>
HUD Secretary <a href="http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=SOHUDtestimony1212011.pdf">Shaun Donovan</a> says his department is now looking at five potential changes in the FHA program &#8212; including higher mortgage loan premiums.
</p>
<p>
According to Donovan, the &#8220;FHA is constantly evaluating the appropriate level of premiums given the potential risks to the MMI Fund, and any action regarding premiums will be considered in the context of balancing access to credit in today’s economic environment with the need for added revenue generation to protect the Fund.&#8221;
</p>
<p>
The reserve fund gets its money from the up-front and annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) paid by FHA borrowers. The fund is reduced each time there&#8217;s a foreclosure claim &#8212; and given today&#8217;s market there have been a lot of lost homes.
</p>
<p>
Donovan <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/library/whats-a-mortgage-point/#axzz1OP4OkLgv" class="kblinker" title="More about point &raquo;">points</a> out that &#8220;FHA’s current premium levels are the highest they have ever been in the agency’s history&#8221; so can they really go higher?
</p>
<p>
That said, you have to wonder if there is any need for higher premiums to increase the MMI fund.
</p>
<p>
HUD <a href="http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/rmra/oe/rpts/actr/2010actr_subltr.pdf">says</a> that without a premium increase the reserve fund will reach 2 percent (1.99 percent) by fiscal year 2014 &#8212; we are now in fiscal year 2012.
</p>
<p>
One of the central results of higher FHA premiums is that they will drive away prospective borrowers. Higher premiums will make the FHA program less attractive and less competitive.
</p>
<p>
The Mortgage Insurance Companies of America (MICA) &#8212; the trade association that represents the <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/why-do-we-need-private-mortgage-insurance/" class="kblinker" title="More about private mortgage insurance &raquo;">private mortgage insurance</a> industry in Washington &#8212; <a href="http://www.privatemi.com/news/pressreleases/detail.cfv?id=192">says</a> the &#8220;FHA should increase its premiums, raise its minimum borrower down payment to 5 percent, and change the way FHA area <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/mortgage-loan-limits-conventional-fha-va/" class="kblinker" title="More about loan limits &raquo;">loan limits</a> are calculated.&#8221;
</p>
<p>
One by-product of such proposals is that the FHA program will become more expensive and thus less attractive to borrowers.
</p>
<p>
The truth is that the FHA program has changed substantially during the past three years.
</p>
<p><center><br />
<a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/FHAreservefund.png"><img src="http://www.ourbroker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/FHAreservefund.png" alt="" title="FHAreservefund" width="442" height="329" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11786" /></a><br />
</center></p>
<p>
For instance, the <a href="http://www.mortgagebankers.org/NewsandMedia/PressCenter/78894.htm">Mortgage Bankers Association</a> points out that &#8220;in 2008, Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. That legislation terminated the failed seller-funded downpayment assistance programs that were responsible for a disproportionate level of FHA’s defaults.&#8221;
</p>
<p>
In addition, the down payment requirement has been increased to 3.5 percent and insurance premiums have grown.
</p>
<p>Because the FHA program has changed under the Obama Administration the huge risks and losses run up from <a href="http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=SOHUDtestimony1212011.pdf">2000 through 2008</a> have been replaced with a more stable and financially-positive system. There&#8217;s no need to raise premiums, no need to make the FHA program less attractive and no need to help special interests.
</p></p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/fha-premiums-110511/">Why FHA Premiums Should Not Be Raised</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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		<title>Should Government Set Mortgage Rates?</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/government-set-mortgage-rates-again-092611/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/government-set-mortgage-rates-again-092611/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:15:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter G. Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1982]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[home loans]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=11139</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With all the talk of getting a new mortgage there&#8217;s one question which no one seems ready to touch: Why doesn&#8217;t the government ought to set mortgage rates? At first this may seem like an audacious idea, a violation somehow of the free market absolutism preferred by so many businesses and industries &#8212; at least [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/government-set-mortgage-rates-again-092611/">Should Government Set Mortgage Rates?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With all the talk of getting a new mortgage there&#8217;s one question which no one seems ready to touch: Why doesn&#8217;t the government ought to set mortgage rates?</p>
<p>At first this may seem like an audacious idea, a violation somehow of the free market absolutism preferred by so many businesses and industries &#8212; at least until they need a special rule, tax break or handout from Uncle Sam.</p>
<p>In fact, it was not too long ago that Uncle Sam actually set mortgage rates for government-insured loans. For instance:</p>
<ul>
<li>Until November 30, 1983 HUD set interest rates for <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/fha-mortgage-basics/" class="kblinker" title="More about FHA &raquo;">FHA</a> mortgages. The practice ended with passage of the <em>Housing and Rural Recovery Act of 1983</em>.</li>
<li>Under the <em>Veterans Home Loan Program Amendments of 1992</em>, the VA is allowed to set the maximum interest rate that can be charged for a VA loan as well as the maximum number of <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/library/whats-a-mortgage-point/#axzz1OP4OkLgv" class="kblinker" title="More about point &raquo;">points</a>. Today, the VA still has the right to set mortgage rates for vets but has elected not to do so.</li>
</ul>
<p>Imagine what would happen if the government set daily mortgage rates for FHA and <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/library/va-mortgage-basics/" class="kblinker" title="More about VA loans &raquo;">VA loans</a>. Each day at 9 AM the daily rate would be made available online. Every borrower would have an opportunity to see the available rate for qualifying borrowers. Borrowers could compare the FHA and VA rates with rates for <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/conventional-mortgage-basics/" class="kblinker" title="More about conventional &raquo;">conventional</a> financing &#8212; meaning there would be no need to set conventional interest levels, though if we wanted that could also by done through the <a title="Federal Financing Housing Agency" href="http://www.fhfa.gov" target="_blank">Federal Housing Finance Agency</a>.</p>
<p>The rates would be show at &#8220;<a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/what-is-par-pricing/" class="kblinker" title="More about par &raquo;">par</a>&#8221; &#8212; meaning with zero points &#8212; and with points so that borrowers could see a number of rate-and-point combinations. For instance, today a loan might be at:</p>
<ul>
<li>3.75 percent and 1 point.</li>
<li>4 percent and 0 point (par pricing)</li>
<li>4.25 and -1 point (borrower gets a cash credit at closing or lender pays some or all closing costs).</li>
</ul>
<p>In a marketplace filled with openness and clarity borrowers would have more of a chance of getting a fair deal.</p>
<p>Alternatively, we could go back to 2006.</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal says in 2006 that 61 percent of all subprime loans originated that year went to borrowers who actually qualified for FHA, VA and conventional mortgages. Think how much borrowers could have saved if only they had known their real financial position. Think how many foreclosures could have been prevented. (See: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119662974358911035.html">Subprime Debacle Traps Even Very Credit-Worthy</a>, The Wall Street Journal, December 3, 2007).</p>
<p>And while lenders might object to HUD and the VA setting rates for their insured loan products, they certainly have not complained with new rules which have benefitted mortgage companies.</p>
<p>For instance,  HUD limits on lender fees for FHA borrowers were ended in November 2008 &#8212; just two weeks after the presidential election. The <a title="End To FHA mortgage fee limits" href="http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/e8-27070.pdf" target="_blank">Bush Administration</a> said it decided to “remove the current specific limitations on the amounts mortgagees presently are allowed to charge borrowers directly for originating and closing an FHA loan.”</p>
<p>While many lenders have acted fairly and in good faith, some have not. That&#8217;s why better regulation is needed and that&#8217;s why the government should publish daily loan rates that anyone with Internet access can see.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/government-set-mortgage-rates-again-092611/">Should Government Set Mortgage Rates?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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		<title>Why Foreclosure Buybacks Are Wrong</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/why-foreclosure-buy-backs-are-wrong-090811/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/why-foreclosure-buy-backs-are-wrong-090811/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:34:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter G. Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buy back]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=10539</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In Detroit they&#8217;ve found a &#8220;solution&#8221; to the foreclosure crisis: Don&#8217;t pay your mortgage, don&#8217;t pay your taxes, allow the property to be foreclosed, and then buy it back at the tax sale. The Detroit News reports that in the past year &#8220;about 200 of nearly 3,700 Detroit properties sold at auction last year that [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/why-foreclosure-buy-backs-are-wrong-090811/">Why Foreclosure Buybacks Are Wrong</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In Detroit they&#8217;ve found a &#8220;solution&#8221; to the foreclosure crisis: Don&#8217;t pay your mortgage, don&#8217;t pay your taxes, allow the property to be foreclosed, and then buy it back at the tax sale.</p>
<p>
The <a href="http://detnews.com/article/20110907/METRO01/109070383/Owners-escape-tax-debt-by-rebuying-foreclosed-homes">Detroit News</a> reports that in the past year &#8220;about 200 of nearly 3,700 Detroit properties sold at auction last year that appeared to be bought back by owners, some under the names of relatives or different companies and many for $500. The total in taxes and other debts wiped away was about $1.8 million.&#8221;
</p>
<p>
&#8220;At the September auction,&#8221; says the paper, &#8220;the properties&#8217; prices are the debt that&#8217;s owed. But in October, the county treasurer sells off whatever is left at a $500 opening bid. That&#8217;s where most of the sales happen, including owners buying back their properties.&#8221;
</p>
<p>
What these buyback sales represent is not a &#8220;solution&#8221; to the foreclosure crisis but evidence of just how distorted our system has become.
</p>
<p>
Imagine that such buybacks are allowed in your community. Imagine also that your neighbor does not pay the mortgage. Along with the mortgage local taxes are not paid. The home is foreclosed a year later, the property is bought back at auction, and your neighbor starts with a fresh slate after returning from a two-month vacation overseas.
</p>
<p>
But you&#8217;ve been paying your mortgage, taxes and insurance. It&#8217;s not easy. Maybe you pay $2,000 a month to live in the same neighborhood as the buyback artist. Now, suddenly, the value of your home is entirely in question. Here&#8217;s why:
</p>
<ul>
<li>When your neighbor does not pay property taxes your community can no longer afford traditional services. The life-style value of living in your area declines as schools face cut-backs and other public services are reduced.
<li>When the neighboring home is sold at discount the value of your home declines.
<p><li>Lenders make it tougher to get loans because their risk increases with each buyback. This also means homes are harder to sell and refinance.
</li>
</p>
</li>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Lenders try to prevent buybacks with short sales, one of the reasons the process takes so long. And the states should prevent buybacks at tax sales because such purchases are flatly abusive.
</p>
<p>
There&#8217;s an effort in Michigan to outlaw buybacks. In the same way that lenders should not cheat borrowers with unfair and deceptive practices and loan products, borrowers should not be allowed to misuse the system &#8212; and screw the rest of us.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/why-foreclosure-buy-backs-are-wrong-090811/">Why Foreclosure Buybacks Are Wrong</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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<p class='technorati-tags'>Technorati Tags: <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/buy+back' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>buy back</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Detroit' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Detroit</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/foreclosure' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>foreclosure</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/lenders' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>lenders</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/mortgage' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>mortgage</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/property' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>property</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/short+sale' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>short sale</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/taxes' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>taxes</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/value' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>value</a></p>

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		<title>Mortgage Help For Hurricane Victims</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/mortgage-help-for-hurricane-victims-082711/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/mortgage-help-for-hurricane-victims-082711/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:46:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter G. Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrew]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electic]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Gustav]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=10387</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hurricane Irene may be the biggest storm of 2011, and if recent history is any guide mortgage lenders will allow considerable latitude for those who are severely impacted. Hurricanes have the ability to move massive amounts of water in a very short time. The instant result can be flooding along low-lying areas and shores. However, [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/mortgage-help-for-hurricane-victims-082711/">Mortgage Help For Hurricane Victims</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hurricane Irene may be the biggest storm of 2011, and if recent history is any guide mortgage lenders will allow considerable latitude for those who are severely impacted.</p>
<p>Hurricanes have the ability to move massive amounts of water in a very short time. The instant result can be flooding along low-lying areas and shores. However, Hurricanes can also have a wider impact in terms of power outages, closed roads and the disruption of public services. </p>
<p>If you&#8217;re in a hurricane area please take public warnings seriously: Leave mandatory evacuation areas. If you are not in an evacuation area but will face exceptional levels of rain and high winds make sure you have food, batteries, and medicine; gas in the car; and supplies for children and pets. Be sure that cell phones, digital cameras and computers are fully charged. </p>
<p><strong>Family Planning</strong></p>
<p>Every member of the household should know where to meet, how to evacuate and how to remain in contact. </p>
<p><strong>Utilities</strong></p>
<p>If you leave the property, <a href="http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/utilityplan.shtm" title="FEMA" target="_blank">FEMA</a> says you should turn off the water, gas and electricity.</p>
<p><strong>Food</strong></p>
<p>When refrigerators go off some food can be saved &#8212; and some quickly spoils. For specifics, see <a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/emergency/index.html" title="Food Safety Advice" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Mortgages</strong></p>
<p>Lenders have had experience with earthquakes, floods, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes &#8212; think back to Katriba, Wilma, Rita, Gustav, Hugo and Andrew.</p>
<p>In terms of mortgages, the general policy with most lenders &#8212; but NOT all &#8212; is to offer forbearance when asked and as appropriate in hard hit areas:</p>
<ol>
<li>Suspend mortgage payments for several months.</li>
<li>Reduce the payments for several months.</li>
<li>Waive penalties and late fees against borrowers with disaster-damaged homes.</li>
<li>Quickly releasing insurance money to help borrowers repair homes.</li>
<li>Create longer <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/featured/how-to-get-a-successful-mortgage-modification/" class="kblinker" title="More about loan modification &raquo;">loan modification</a> plans in severe situations.</li>
<li>Temporarily discontinue reporting delinquencies caused by the storm to credit reporting agencies.</li>
<li>Suspend foreclosure actions.</li>
</ol>
<p>Keep loan payment papers with you so you can contact mortgage servicers. Be certain your paperwork includes account numbers. </p>
<p>Lenders will NOT automatically offer relief. You must initiate contact with the lender and be able to show damages, a loss of income and/or major expenses. </p>
<p>For specifics, contact your loan servicer as soon as possible. Make sure you record when you called, the name of the individual with whom you spoke and their number, what was discussed and what paperwork or photos you need to supply.</p>
<p>For additional assistance contact state and local government emergency centers. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/mortgage-help-for-hurricane-victims-082711/">Mortgage Help For Hurricane Victims</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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<p class='technorati-tags'>Technorati Tags: <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Andrew' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Andrew</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/electic' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>electic</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/food' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>food</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/gas' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>gas</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Gustav' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Gustav</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Hugo' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Hugo</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/hurricane' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>hurricane</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Irene' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Irene</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Katrina' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Katrina</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/lenders' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>lenders</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/loan' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>loan</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/mortgage' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>mortgage</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Rita' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Rita</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/safety' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>safety</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/servicers' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>servicers</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/water' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>water</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Wilma' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Wilma</a></p>

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		<title>Should FHA Mortgage Lenders Get 100% Protection?</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/should-fha-mortgage-lenders-get-100-protection-072711/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/should-fha-mortgage-lenders-get-100-protection-072711/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:22:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter G. Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[borrowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FHA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guarantee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HUD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan limit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skin in the game]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=10086</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are two interesting FHA mortgage figures floating around that may surprise a lot of people: At the end of June, the FHA had 7,151,199 single-family mortgages outstanding and these loans represent had a balance of $994.6 billion. That means the trillion-dollar mark should be hit fairly soon, probably in the next month or so. [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/should-fha-mortgage-lenders-get-100-protection-072711/">Should FHA Mortgage Lenders Get 100% Protection?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are two interesting <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/fha-mortgage-basics/" class="kblinker" title="More about FHA &raquo;">FHA</a> mortgage figures floating around that may surprise a lot of people: At the end of June, the FHA had 7,151,199 single-family mortgages outstanding and these loans represent had a balance of $994.6 billion.</p>
<p>
That means the trillion-dollar mark should be hit fairly soon, probably in the next month or so.
</p>
<p>
The enormity and importance of the FHA is sometimes unrecognized. In very simple terms, were it not for the FHA insurance program the housing market would have collapsed and with it the economy.
</p>
<p><b>FHA <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/mortgage-loan-limits-conventional-fha-va/" class="kblinker" title="More about loan limits &raquo;">Loan Limits</a></b></p>
<p>
This is worth bringing up because of the conversation in Washington. On one hand we have pious worries that the FHA will be <a href="http://www.mbaa.org/files/Advocacy/2011/TheFutureRoleofFHAandGNMAintheSingleandMultifamilyMortgageMarkets.pdf">over-utilized</a>. On the other there is now a push to continue current FHA mortgage loan limits, limits scheduled for reduction in October.
</p>
<p>
Think of it as a love-hate relationship.
</p>
<p>
The <a href="http://www.mortgagebankers.org/files/Advocacy/2011/LettertoHouseLeadershiponConformingLoanLimits.pdf">Mortgage Bankers Association</a> says it now &#8220;urges Congress to extend the higher loan limits for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) at least through the end of 2012. While we had hoped improved economic conditions could warrant a return to the loan limits established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, the reality is that the temporarily higher loan levels are still needed.&#8221;
</p>
<p>
And why is that?
</p>
<p>
&#8220;If the temporary limits are allowed to expire on October 1, 2011, obtaining financing will become more difficult and expensive for borrowers in many of our major metropolitan areas, which in turn would inhibit home purchases or the ability to refinance into more affordable mortgages.&#8221;
</p>
<p>
But again, why is that? Why is it that lenders in the private sector, the folks who benefited from government bailouts worth trillions of dollars, are unable to make mortgages without FHA help?
</p>
<p>The answer is that the FHA has proven to be very good for both borrowers and lenders.
</p>
<p><b>Skin In The Game</b></p>
<p>
Borrowers see the FHA as a safe and solid insurance program which allows them to finance property with 3.5 percent down. For lenders the FHA is also an insurance program, one which covers <a href="http://www.ncrc.org/media-center/press-releases/item/531-ncrc-calls-for-federal-investigation-into-lenders">100 percent</a> of any loss.
</p>
<p>
Here&#8217;s a modest suggestion: Lenders now want to retain those higher FHA loan limits and the insurance coverage they provide. That seems okay &#8212; but ONLY if we also have an equity requirement for lenders.
</p>
<p>
Let&#8217;s continue the higher loan limits but let&#8217;s also reduce the FHA guarantee to something more sensible, say 95 percent of the principal amount, or maybe 90 percent.
</p>
<p>
In other words, in the same way that borrowers are supposed to have some skin in the game, why not lenders?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/should-fha-mortgage-lenders-get-100-protection-072711/">Should FHA Mortgage Lenders Get 100% Protection?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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<p class='technorati-tags'>Technorati Tags: <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/borrowers' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>borrowers</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/FHA' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>FHA</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/guarantee' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>guarantee</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/HUD' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>HUD</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/lenders' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>lenders</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/loan' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>loan</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/loan+limit' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>loan limit</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/mortgage' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>mortgage</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/skin+in+the+game' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>skin in the game</a></p>

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		<title>Vets Get $22 Million to Settle Mortgage Foreclosure Claims</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/vets-get-22-million-to-settle-bogus-mortgage-foreclosure-claims-061511/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/vets-get-22-million-to-settle-bogus-mortgage-foreclosure-claims-061511/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:49:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Birk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SCRA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Servicemembers Civil Relief Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=9803</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Two national mortgage lenders will pay more than $22 million to settle claims under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) that they allegedly violated a law meant to insulate military members from illegal foreclosure, according to the Department of Justice. A Bank of America subsidiary improperly foreclosed on about 160 service members from January 2006 [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/vets-get-22-million-to-settle-bogus-mortgage-foreclosure-claims-061511/">Vets Get $22 Million to Settle Mortgage Foreclosure Claims</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Two national mortgage lenders will pay more than $22 million to settle claims under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) that they allegedly violated a law meant to insulate military members from illegal foreclosure, according to the <a href="http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/May/11-crt-683.html" target="_blank">Department of Justice</a>.</p>
<p>A Bank of America subsidiary improperly foreclosed on about 160 service members from January 2006 to May 2009, according to allegations in the lawsuit that spurred the settlement. BAC Home Loans Servicing, formerly Countrywide Home Loans, allegedly failed to check the status of military borrowers before foreclosing. The SCRA protects active duty service members from some civil and financial penalties and provides a grace period against foreclosure proceedings.</p>
<p>Parties reached a second settlement with Saxon Mortgage Services, a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. Allegedly, that firm illegally foreclosed on about 17 service members from January 2006 to June 2009, according to court papers. The company agreed to pay $2.35 million to resolve a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Texas.</p>
<p>The suit against Bank of America’s subsidiary was filed in the Central District of California, which is where Countrywide maintains its headquarters.</p>
<p>Both companies pledged to compensate any service members who were wrongfully foreclosed upon from mid-2009 through 2010.</p>
<p>“With the numerous sacrifices our service members make while they are serving our country, the last thing they need to worry about is whether or not their families will be forced from their homes,” said James T. Jacks, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. “These lenders’ callous disregard for the SCRA, a law which was designed to insulate these patriots from unlawful foreclosures and other civil and financial obligations while they are on active duty, is deplorable and I applaud the Department’s Civil Rights Division’s efforts in identifying and seeking remedies for these wronged service members.”</p>
<p>Some of Countrywide’s victims include military members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. A few of the homeowners foreclosed by Saxon were severely injured while on active duty or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.</p>
<p>As part of the settlements, employees of both companies will be required to attend training sessions regarding the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.</p>
<p>Military members and military families who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program office. Find the one closest to you by visiting <a href="http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/">http://legalassistance.law.af.mil</a> and click the <em>Legal Services Locator</em>.</p>
<p>____________________</p>
<p><strong>About the author:</strong> Chris Birk writes about real estate and the mortgage industry for a host of sites and publications, including Bigger Pockets, Mortgages Unzipped and Scotsman Guide. A former newspaper and magazine writer, he is also content director for a leading <a href="http://www.veteransunited.com/">VA lender</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/vets-get-22-million-to-settle-bogus-mortgage-foreclosure-claims-061511/">Vets Get $22 Million to Settle Mortgage Foreclosure Claims</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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<p class='technorati-tags'>Technorati Tags: <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Foreclosures' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Foreclosures</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Justice' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Justice</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/lenders' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>lenders</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/loans' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>loans</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Mortgages' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Mortgages</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/SCRA' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>SCRA</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/Servicemembers+Civil+Relief+Act' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>Servicemembers Civil Relief Act</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/VA' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>VA</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/vets' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>vets</a></p>

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		<title>Tornado Relief Sought for VA Mortgage Loan Borrowers</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/tornado-relief-for-mortgage-borrowers-051811/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/tornado-relief-for-mortgage-borrowers-051811/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 May 2011 13:22:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Birk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[servicers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tornado]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=9309</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The VA is asking mortgage lenders and servicers to provide relief to military borrowers in areas affected by April’s devastating tornadoes. In a circular released earlier this month, the agency encourages servicers to waive late charges and halt credit reporting for veterans whose homes, families or livelihoods were impacted by the storms, which tore through [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/tornado-relief-for-mortgage-borrowers-051811/">Tornado Relief Sought for VA Mortgage Loan Borrowers</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The VA is asking mortgage lenders and servicers to provide relief to military borrowers in areas affected by April’s devastating tornadoes.</p>
<p>In a circular released earlier this month, the agency encourages servicers to waive late charges and halt credit reporting for veterans whose homes, families or livelihoods were impacted by the storms, which tore through parts of the South.</p>
<p>The VA will not penalize mortgage servicers for late default reporting.</p>
<p>The agency has also suggested that financial institutions wait at least 90 days before initiating any new foreclosure claims against veterans in affected areas.</p>
<p>There’s also a special consideration for National Guard members who are activated in the wake of the disaster. Extended periods of activation, especially when it comes to disaster relief, can levy a significant financial toll on Guard members.</p>
<p>The VA issued a similar request to mortgage companies after last year’s BP oil spill, which affected thousands of veterans and their families in Louisiana, Alabama and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast.</p>
<p>The agency pushes its approved lenders to work closely with borrowers to avoid financial calamity. In fact, the VA actually incentivizes lenders to avoid foreclosure. The VA also has teams dedicated to helping veterans stay in their homes.</p>
<p>The agency’s policies and proactive approach helped nearly three quarters of the VA borrowers who defaulted in FY 2009 avoid foreclosure.</p>
<p>For borrowers, the first step is contacting their mortgage servicer. But they can also reach out to their nearest VA Regional Loan Center for help. To find the closest loan center, call 1-877-827-3702.<br />
____________________</p>
<p><strong>About the author:</strong> Chris Birk writes about real estate and the mortgage industry for a host of sites and publications, including Bigger Pockets, Mortgages Unzipped and Scotsman Guide. A former newspaper and magazine writer, he is also content director for a leading <a href="VA Lender">VA Lender</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/mortgages/tornado-relief-for-mortgage-borrowers-051811/">Tornado Relief Sought for VA Mortgage Loan Borrowers</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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<p class='technorati-tags'>Technorati Tags: <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/lenders' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>lenders</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/loan' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>loan</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/mortgage' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>mortgage</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/servicers' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>servicers</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/tornado' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>tornado</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/VA' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>VA</a>, <a class='technorati-link' href='http://technorati.com/tag/vets' rel='tag,nofollow' target='_self'>vets</a></p>

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		<title>Will Rising Gas Prices Down Home Values?</title>
		<link>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/will-rising-gas-prices-down-housing-values010311/</link>
		<comments>http://www.ourbroker.com/news/will-rising-gas-prices-down-housing-values010311/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:38:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter G. Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buying power]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economic recovery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gasoline]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.ourbroker.com/?p=7167</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[About the last thing anyone wants to hear is that gasoline prices are rising. They topped $3 a gallon at year-end and the outlook for the future is hardly great: Several sources are predicting $5 gas by 2012. In a very-direct way gas prices have a lot to do with current mortgage rates, refinancing and [...]<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/will-rising-gas-prices-down-housing-values010311/">Will Rising Gas Prices Down Home Values?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>About the last thing anyone wants to hear is that gasoline prices are rising. They topped $3 a gallon at year-end and the outlook for the future is hardly great: Several sources are predicting $5 gas by 2012.</p>
<p>In a very-direct way gas prices have a lot to do with current mortgage rates, refinancing and mortgage quotes. And today&#8217;s mortgage rates have a lot to do with home prices and affordability.</p>
<p>Okay, how can this be?</p>
<p>When gas prices increase the effect is felt throughout the economy. Trucking companies need more dollars to pay energy bills and suddenly the price of food and just about everything else goes up. Higher prices begin to show up in super markets, hardware stores and shopping malls.</p>
<p>Lenders want to assure when they loan money that the interest rate produces a profit. But <em>profit</em> to lenders doesn&#8217;t just mean they want 5 percent instead of 4 percent, what they really want is a rate of interest which is higher than the rate of inflation.</p>
<p><strong>Inflation</strong></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say that $100 will buy 50 loaves of bread. If the rate of inflation is 2 percent annually then next year it will take $102 to buy the same number of loaves. Notice that the number of loaves is the same, what&#8217;s changed is the <em>buying power</em> of cash.</p>
<p>The real measure of wealth is not currency, it&#8217;s buying power. Several years ago in Romania I had a dinner which cost 500,000 old leu. It was a very nice dinner involving several courses, part of a medium-rare bear, a four-piece band and a castle-like setting. In US money the actual cost of my meal was about $13. </p>
<p>So, when gas prices rise and other prices go up we have an increase in the cost of living &#8212; in other words, a dollar will buy less. Lenders will see this and want a better return for their capital, meaning higher interest rates. Higher interest rates, unfortunately, are never good for real estate because the pool of qualified buyers shrinks, there&#8217;s less demand for property and less demand means stalled or lower prices. Overall, the push toward economic recovery is stymied.</p>
<p>And that&#8217;s not all.</p>
<p><b>Suburban Sprawl</b></p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.census.gov/">Census Bureau</a> says we now have almost 309 million people. It&#8217;s a big country but most people prefer to live in 150 or so major metro areas. These metro areas are not static, they are growing in many cases as suburbs push further and further out.</p>
<p>The price of gasoline is a real cost. Yes, you can get a bigger and better house by moving further from a metro center, but if your commute requires gas then houses more distant from downtown begin to be less attractive as energy price rise. Not only is the commute long, now the cost of commuting goes up.</p>
<p>The result is that houses in outer suburbs away from jobs see less demand and reduced pricing pressures while homes nearer to employment centers gain more value.</p>
<p>It typically happens that close-in properties to the west of metro centers have more value than other areas. Why? Because the wind and the weather largely blow from west to east, meaning historically if you live west of town you can avoid the smells of the refineries, stockyards and industrial areas by living up-wind. </p>
<p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> Sustained higher gas prices will cause mortgage loan rates to rise, refinancing interest levels to increase, property values to generally wallow and prices for more-expensive close-in homes to rise or at least resist further erosion.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ourbroker.com/news/will-rising-gas-prices-down-housing-values010311/">Will Rising Gas Prices Down Home Values?</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.ourbroker.com">OurBroker.com -- Refinance, Home Mortgage Loans &amp; Rates, Home Equity Loan</a></p>

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