I have two strongly held views on foreclosure and principal reduction that are completely at odds with the drivel in the mainstream media. First, foreclosures are not a problem. In fact, foreclosures are essential to the economic recovery. All efforts to avoid or delay foreclosures are counterproductive. Second, principal forgiveness is the worst policy option. The clamor from the left to give away my tax dollars to loan owners is getting louder and louder. It’s simply bad public policy, and [Read More...]
FOUNTAIN VALLEY

The frenzy over the possibility of a bottom in the housing market needs to be tempered by the reality of the current market situation. Despite relative affordability, sales volumes are low and declining, resale prices are still falling, we have a huge overhang of supply in shadow inventory, and as economist Robert Shiller points out, we may be on the Japanese path of decade-long deflation in housing. Any one of these conditions would warrant market pessimism. All at the same [Read More...]
When the housing market nears the bottom, despair dominates. Prices have fallen for five straight years and hover at 10-year lows, and real estate is out of favor as an investment class. Evidence of the market’s despair crops up in articles extolling the virtues of renting. Articles about renting were common from 1994 to 1996, and at the time, renting was a good idea; prices had been falling, and there was little reason to believe they would be going up [Read More...]

Redfin is the most popular real estate search site in Southern California. They track the most popular listings based on the number of views each receives. Below are some of the most viewed property listings in Orange County. Check them out. 9291 PARLIAMENT Ave Westminster, CA 92683 — $389,900 Competing Listings $419,500 15932 COMMONWEALTH Pl 0.11 miles 3 bd / 1.75 ba 1,291 Sq. Ft. $457,000 9281 JASMINE Ave 0.31 miles 4 bd / 1 ba 1,390 Sq. Ft. $385,000 [Read More...]

Principal forgiveness is the worst policy option. Despite this fact, it’s so appealing to loan owners and politicians, reporters are keen to write about the prospect. However, the world is not comprised only of loan owners. Nearly 40% of households are renters, and of the remaining 60% who own homes, 90% of them are still paying their mortgages. Ninety-four percent of the population is asked to fix the problems of the 6% who are loan owners and the banksters who [Read More...]
Three recent news stories strongly suggest the GSEs have too many REOs, and they are working feverishly to prevent their REO inventory from growing out of control. First, the federal reserve has identified markets to sell bulk REOs to companies willing to convert them to rentals and hold them until the market recovers to sell off their REO inventory in bulk. Second, the FHA has waived the anti-flipping rule again to help them clear out their REO inventory. Third, Freddie [Read More...]



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