Mortgage modification future

CoreLogic’s (corlogic.com) latest monthly foreclosure report indicated a continued downward trend.  In fact, July’s national foreclosure inventory rate of 0.91% was the 57th consecutive month (almost 5 years) with a lower number of foreclosures nationwide.  Even the current 2.9% national rate of home owners considered “seriously delinquent” is also lower from last July.  (Maryland’s foreclosure inventory and seriously delinquent rates are higher than the national average at 1.2% and 4.1% respectively.) All thanks to mortgage modification and foreclosure alternatives.

Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic, contributed the decline of foreclosure inventory to a combination of loan modification, foreclosures, and a strong housing market.  Additionally, he stated that “The U.S. Treasury’s making home affordable program has contributed to the decline through permanent modifications, forbearance and foreclosure alternatives which have assisted 2.5 million home owners with first mortgages at risk since 2009.”

In the immediate aftershock of the foreclosure and subsequent financial crises, which began almost nine years ago, the government stepped in to help out at risk home owners.  The rollout of HAFA, HARP, and HAMP was bumpy and it took time for the programs to work efficiently.  Of course, these programs were not intended to continue on forever, and in fact were supposed to end several years ago.  Fortunately, Congress, the Treasury and the FHFA have recognized the need for continued assistance and extended the programs.  Providing foreclosure alternatives and mortgage modification reduces vacant homes, bolsters communities, and helps maintain a healthy housing market.

Although these mortgage assistance programs were intended to be temporary, it’s clear that a permanent solution is necessary.  The notion that a foreclosure crisis won’t or can’t happen again is naïve.  Historically, housing downturns and recessions are cyclical.  And when an economic decline occurs, a home owner assistance program should be available to provide borrowers with alternatives to foreclosure.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA.gov) announced in an August 25th press release that HARP will be extended through September 2017.  But that will be the end of Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) as we know it, because a new program is slated to begin October 2017.  The new program is to be a streamlined version that will also allow those whose mortgages exceed Fannie and Freddie’s loan limits to refinance.

FHFA stated that specifics for the HARP replacement will be released as the rollout date approaches.  However, it is anticipated that the program will not require a minimum credit score; will not place limits on the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio; nor will it limit the mortgage to a maximum loan-to-value.  And unlike many refinance programs, an appraisal may not be required.  And improving from the HARP program, there won’t be cut off dates, and borrowers can use the program multiple times.

The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) unfortunately is slated to conclude at the end of the year without a viable replacement.  However, the Mortgage Bankers Association have stepped in to create a streamlined solution to fill the gap.  A September 23rd press release (MBA.org) announced its successor to HAMP: “One Mod: Principles for Post-HAMP Loan Modifications.”

J. David Motley, CMB Vice-Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association, stated, “With Treasury’s HAMP program soon coming to an end, we all recognized that investors, borrowers, and servicers need a replacement program that provides clarity and simplicity to homeowners experiencing difficulty maintaining their mortgage paymentsOne Mod could meet that challenge by providing affordable and sustainable payment structures that improve the likelihood of success for participating borrowers.

Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2016/09/30/mortgage-modification-future/

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2016

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

Is housing market in trouble?

home sales stats
Home sales stats from nar.realtor

Two seemingly mundane and unrelated news items were reported over the last couple of days without much attention, but could be a warning that housing activity is slowing.  First are reports of disappointing home sales during February, while the other is about mortgage principal write downs.

The National Association of Realtors® (nar.realtor) reported in a March 21st statement that February home sales plunged 7.1% from January’s sales; however, February sales were still 2.2% higher than the same time last year.  The disappointing sales were recorded in all four national regions; and were likely due to a combination of extremely low inventory and increasing home prices.

NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun stated in the release that although the northeast blizzard may have had some impact, vapid sales were more likely due to the lack of supply and affordability.  He stated, “…Finding the right property at an affordable price is burdening many potential buyers.”  Yun pointed out that although there are gains in job growth, NAR’s latest quarterly Home Survey indicated that fewer respondents believed the economy was improving, while a lower number of renters stated it’s a good time to buy a home.  Remaining optimistic, Yun qualified February’s data saying home buyer demand is still high, however, “…home prices and rents outpacing wages and anxiety about the health of the economy are holding back a segment of would-be buyers.”

NAR also reported that February’s median existing home price for all housing types was up 4.4% year-over-year; while exiting inventory is 1.1% lower compared to the same time last year, which leaves unsold inventory at a 4.4 month supply.

However, a housing slowdown may not be noticeable in my area.  Statistics reported by the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors® (gcaar.com) indicated that settlements during February for Montgomery County single family homes are actually up 19.3% and homes under contract increased 12.4% compared to the same time last year.  However, February’s new inventory for Montgomery County single family homes decreased 3.4% year-over-year.

Although continued increases in home prices is good news for homeowners; it is easy to see that affordability is an impediment to home ownership for many would be home buyers.  Additionally, possibly keeping home sales inventory down are the number of homeowners who continue to feel that they cannot sell because they still owe more than the value of the home.  Consider that Realtytrac (realtytrac.com) reported that there were 6.4 million properties that were seriously underwater at the end of 2015; which represents about 11.5% of all homes with a mortgage.

In an effort to offer relief to underwater homeowners, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) approved a plan to reduce mortgage balances on a “large scale.”  Joe Light reported for the Wall Street Journal (Fannie, Freddie to Cut Mortgage Balances for Thousands of Homeowners; wsj.com; March 21, 2016) that as many as 50,000 underwater homeowners could see their mortgage principal reduced by Fannie and Freddie.

Although the number of assisted homeowners seems small in comparison to the number of underwater properties reported by Realtytrac, and is not expected to impact the housing market; it is a milestone nonetheless.  Mortgage principal reductions has been controversial, and has been bandied about by industry experts and regulators since the foreclosure crisis began in 2007.  Light reported that the previous FHFA director, Edward DeMarco, was reluctant to support such a program because of the cost to taxpayers.  However, current FHFA director, Melvin Watt, has taken a “measured approach” to the plan.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2016

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FHFA takes Fannie and Freddie: Government begins restructuring troubled mortgage giants

by Dan Krell

If you haven’t yet heard, the newly created Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) wasted little time in pursuing its regulatory authority over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by taking over as conservator. The agency was established as the new regulatory agency for Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) when President Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 on July 30th. The takeover is a coordinated effort between the FHFA, the United States Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve.

In a statement made on Sunday, FHFA secretary James Lockhart outlined the reasons for the takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as well as the goals of the conservatorship. (The Secretary’s statement can be found at: www.ofheo.gov/media/statements). Secretary Lockhart stressed the importance of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s role in the housing industry. However, the FHFA felt it was necessary to take action because of Fannie and Freddie’s ongoing capitalization problems, poor financial performance and deteriorated market conditions.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson also underscored the importance of Fannie and Freddie’s survival (the Secretary’s statement can be seen at www.treas.gov/press/releases). Secretary Paulson stated that the failure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would cause great turmoil in local and global markets. The turmoil would in turn negatively impact everyone personally, reducing savings and restricting credit (all forms of credit would be affected).

Due to the fragility and uncertainty of Fannie and Freddie in recent weeks, Treasury Secretary Paulson stated that the risk of funneling money to these institutions “in their current form” was not in the best interest of the tax payers. As the FHFA takes over operations in Fannie and Freddie, the role of the U.S. Treasury will be to ensure that Fannie and Freddie maintain a positive net worth through preferred stock purchases. By maintaining a positive net worth, Fannie and Freddie dodge the bullet of receivership (which could trigger a global financial meltdown).

The Treasury’s second role will be to purchase mortgage backed securities (MBS) from Fannie and Freddie. Although the MBS purchases will be temporary, it is anticipated that the special MBS purchases will increase mortgage availability and affordability.

Additionally, special credit facilities will be made available to the FHFA entities (which include Fannie Mae and Freddie as well as the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks) to sustain their liquidity. Secretary Lockhart stated that the Federal Home Loan Banks will most likely not use the recently made available facilities as they have “preformed well over the last year.”

The conservatorship is intended to be temporary; there is no timeline for transition. However, as Fannie and Freddie are required to reduce their mortgage portfolios starting in 2010, it is anticipated the new model will allow for a more streamlined and profitable organization at both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Although many agree that the takeover will positively affect interest rates temporarily, modestly lowered interest rates will not be enough to fix the real estate problem. The real story (that will evolve in ensuing months) will be Fannie and Freddie’s encouragement and support of banks to modify delinquent loans rather than foreclosing, which will play a role in the stabilization of home values and ultimately the real estate market.

This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. This article was originally published in the Montgomery County Sentinel the week of September 8, 2008. Copyright © 2008 Dan Krell.