LOS ANGELES (AP) – July 15, 2010
More than 1 million American households are likely to lose their homes to foreclosure this year, as lenders work their way through a huge backlog of borrowers who have fallen behind on their loans.

Nearly 528,000 homes were taken over by lenders in the first six months of the year, a rate that is on track to eclipse the more than 900,000 homes repossessed in 2009, according to data released Thursday by RealtyTrac Inc., a foreclosure listing service.

“That would be unprecedented,” said Rick Sharga, a senior vice president at RealtyTrac.

By comparison, lenders have historically taken over about 100,000 homes a year, Sharga said.

The surge in home repossessions reflects the dynamic of a foreclosure crisis that has shown signs of leveling off in recent months, but remains a crippling drag on the housing market.

The pace at which new homes falling behind in payments and entering the foreclosure process has slowed as banks continue to let delinquent borrowers stay longer in their homes rather than adding to the glut of foreclosed properties on the market. At the same time, lenders have stepped up repossessions in an effort to clear out the backlog of distressed inventory on their books.

The number of households facing foreclosure in the first half of the year climbed 8 percent versus the same period last year, but dropped 5 percent from the last six months of 2009, according to RealtyTrac, which tracks notices for defaults, scheduled home auctions and home repossessions.

In all, about 1.7 million homeowners received a foreclosure-related warning between January and June. That translates to one in 78 U.S. homes.

Foreclosure notices posted monthly declines in April, May and June, but Sharga said one shouldn’t read too much into that.

“The banks are really sort of controlling or managing the dial on how fast these things get processed so they can ultimately manage the inventory of distressed assets on the market,” he said.

On average, it takes about 15 months for a home loan to go from being 30 days late to the property being foreclosed and sold, according to Lender Processing Services Inc., which tracks mortgages.

Assuming the U.S. economy doesn’t worsen, aggravating the foreclosure crisis, Sharga projects it will take lenders through 2013 to resolve the backlog of distressed properties that have on their books right now.

And a new wave of foreclosures could be coming in the second half of the year, especially if the unemployment rate remains high, mortgage-assistance programs fail, and the economy doesn’t improve fast enough to lift home sales.

The prospect of lenders taking over more than a million homes this year is likely to push housing values down, experts say.

Foreclosed homes are typically sold at steep discounts, lowering the value of surrounding properties.

“The downward pressure from foreclosures will persist and prices will be very weak well into 2012,” said Celia Chen, senior director of Moody’s Economy.com.

She projects home prices will fall as much as 6 percent over the next 12 months from where they were in the first-quarter.

Economic woes, such as unemployment or reduced income, continue to be the main catalysts for foreclosures this year. Initially, lax lending standards were the culprit. Now, homeowners with good credit who took out conventional, fixed-rate loans are the fastest growing group of foreclosures.

There are more than 7.3 million home loans in some stage of delinquency, according to Lender Processing Services.

Lenders are offering to help some homeowners modify their loans. But many borrowers can’t qualify or they are falling back into default. The Obama administration’s $75 billion foreclosure prevention effort has made only a small dent in the problem.

More than a third of the 1.2 million borrowers who have enrolled in the mortgage modification program have dropped out. That compares with about 27 percent who have received permanent loan modifications and are making payments on time.

Among states, Nevada posted the highest foreclosure rate in the first half of the year. One in every 17 households there received a foreclosure notice. However, foreclosures there are down 6 percent from a year earlier.

Arizona, Florida, California and Utah were next among states with the highest foreclosure rates. Rounding out the top 10 were Georgia, Michigan, Idaho, Illinois and Colorado.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press, Alex Veiga, AP Real Estate Writer. AP Real Estate Writer Alan Zibel in Washington contributed to this report.

Foreclosures are at an all-time high in America. Experts predict nearly 1.4 million homeowners will face foreclosure in 2008 and residents of Florida, California and Texas will take the hardest hit.

In 2007, Arizona foreclosures rose nearly 40-percent and Colorado reported one of every 345 households either filed foreclosure or were on the brink of filing. Currently, the only states immune from escalating foreclosure rates are Vermont, Maine and the District of Columbia. However, experts predict these states will experience an explosion of filings when adjustable-rate mortgages begin escalating later this year.

How did the housing crisis in America occur and why was it allowed to happen? Americans have always strived to reach the American Dream of homeownership. When zero-down, interest-optional balloon payment loans were offered, people were attracted to them like flies to honey. Millions of unsuspecting people were suckered into sub-prime loans and invested in houses way beyond their means.

As adjustable rates increased, mortgage payments doubled or even tripled. Individuals struggling to make their ,000 note payment were now looking at ,000 to ,000 monthly payments. The sad reality is they simply did not possess the financial means to pay their note. When the bubble burst, their dream quickly became a nightmare.

Foreclosures not only have a devastating effect on the homeowner, but the lending institutions and local community as well. Individuals who reside in communities with high foreclosure rates are forced to pay higher property taxes, local taxes and increased fees for utilities.

Additionally, the potential for crime increases. Vacant homes are a magnet for unscrupulous characters. Vandals destroy property, oftentimes breaking windows and doors or leaving graffiti on both interior and exterior walls. Criminals engage in illegal activities including the sale of illegal drugs or weapons.

Real estate experts claim each individual foreclosure costs lending institutions approximately ,000, while preventing foreclosure costs less than 00. If this is true, why are foreclosures skyrocketing?

The primary factor stems from the fact that many people facing foreclosure become paralyzed with fear. They avoid contacting their lender and instead wait for the sheriff to arrive with their eviction notice.

There are steps homeowners can take to stop the foreclosure process. First and foremost, individuals in financial distress should contact their lender. Foreclosures are usually handled by the lender’s Loss Mitigation Department. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers free credit counseling through approved agencies and can assist homeowners negotiate with their lender.

Analysts claim America’s housing crisis will eventually make a turn for the better. However, they predict it will take three to five years to recover from the onslaught of foreclosures.

On the bright side, there has never been a better time for real estate investors. With an abundance of distressed properties being offered for pennies on the dollar, now is the time to buy. However, not every foreclosure property is a great deal and due diligence must be conducted before riding the foreclosure wave.

One of the best ways to invest in foreclosures is to seek out private real estate investors who purchase bank portfolios of real estate owned property. Investors are able to purchase properties in bulk and pass their savings along to interested parties. It’s not uncommon to purchase bank foreclosures from private investors with instant equity of 20-percent or more.

Although the real estate market currently looks bleak, there is hope on the horizon. If you are currently facing foreclosure take the first step and contact your lender immediately. If they are unable or unwilling to work with you, contact HUD. While the foreclosure process can be overwhelming, it can be overcome with persistence and patience.

If you have been paying attention to the nightly news recently you are aware that there are many foreclosures available in every state and every price level. The current economy has produced a scourge of empty and foreclosed homes.  Foreclosures occur when the current homeowner is unable to make their monthly mortgage payment and the bank is forced to take the property back.  This can be a great opportunity for investing in foreclosures.

The reason why is because while the real estate market may currently be in a downward spiral, people will always need a place to live and the market will not stay down forever.  Think about this.  The investor’s maxim is that you buy while the prices are low and sell when the prices are higher.  The fact of the matter is that right now real estate is “on sale”.  Now is the time to buy.

There are various ways to purchase a foreclosed property, which we will go over here.  First off is a pre-foreclosure sale.  This is a sale that occurs when a lender allows the homeowner who is delinquent in their payments to sell the home and pay back the lender from the proceeds of the sale.  Oftentimes the house will sell for less than the homeowner owes on the note and in that case it is referred to as a “short sale”.  There are many “short-sale” opportunities available right now in every city.  Your local realtors with the MLS can help you search them out or you can get a bank foreclosure list.

A second way to purchase a foreclosure property is through a foreclosure auction. The auction is usually held at the local courthouse of the county where the property is located.  The property is sold to the highest bidder and often the price is very reasonable.  Investors can often see a good profit margin when they purchase from this type of sale.  One thing to be aware of though is that these properties are generally sold “as is” and the buyer is not able to make inspections.  Any and all repairs will be the responsibility of the buyer.

After the bank forecloses they will try to sell the property themselves.  Usually they just want the get the property off from their books and they will drop the price until the property sells.  This is often a way to get a really good price on a property.  Also, many times the bank has made some of the necessary repairs to sell the property.  Even so these homes are still sold “as is” but in this case the buyer will be able to make the necessary inspections.
 

Whenever you purchase real estate you should do your own due diligence and independent research to make sure that the property is appropriate to meet your needs.  You also need to make sure that you have the funds available through your own cash fund or from financing.  This will make sure that your purchase goes as planned.

But as a savvy investor buying real estate right now makes sense because right now in this current economic climate, real estate is “on sale”!
William Henderson 786-346-5611 a Florida Licensed Real Estate Agent