Archive for July 2009

New Government Regs Will Add Weeks To Mortgage Transactions

Deluge Of Government Regs For Mortgages The new rules on home appraisals courtesy of the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) can sometimes add weeks of delay to a mortgage transaction.    With the mortgage industry still digesting [...]

“Liar Loans” – RIP – October 1, 2009

Liar Loans To Be Prohibited No income verification and stated income mortgage loans have been available to borrowers for many years.   As originally conceived, a no income verification loan was a sound product, offering highly qualified [...]

Mortgage Refinances Drop 11% As Rates Remain Low

Refinances Decline as Rates Stabilize The latest weekly survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association showed a decrease of 6.3% in mortgage loan applications.   Application volume compared to the previous year increased by 16%. The interesting aspect of [...]

The Fed’s Contribution To Ponzi Schemes

12% Returns – “Guaranteed” You don’t know whether to laugh or cry every time another Ponzi scheme comes to light. July 28 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it halted a $50 million Ponzi [...]

How The Government Encourages “Ruthless Defaulters”

How The Government Encourages

The Delusion of Lenders The old banking rule of lending only to those who had the capacity to repay was gradually relaxed and then completely abandoned over the past two decades. New techniques such as loan securitization [...]

Time Shares – Another Shattered Dream

Vacation Turns Into Financial Nightmare Anyone who has vacationed to a tropical resort cannot be blamed for thinking how great it would be to own a piece of paradise.  Those who succumbed to the charms of the [...]

Will Mortgage Rates Soar As Fed Programs Wind Down?

Fed Support No Longer Unlimited There seems to be near unanimous agreement at all levels of government that a recovery in housing prices is essential for economic stabilization and future growth.   The Federal Reserve has supported this [...]

Are The Benefits Of Unrestricted Lending Worth The Costs?

Are The Benefits Of Unrestricted Lending Worth The Costs?

Advanta & CIT – Same Customers Equal Same Results In early May, when Advanta Corp (ADVNA) announced that it was suspending all new credit card lending, it was speculated that many borrowers would simply stop paying.   The [...]

CALPERS Pleads Stupidity On Subprime Mortgage Losses

Calpers Blames Rating Agencies For Losses Fallout from the financial world’s past love affair with subprime mortgages continues as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (Calpers) announced it is suing the rating agencies. NEW YORK (Reuters) – [...]