In Market Hit Early, Signs of a Recovery

Red tape and bureaucracy hinder efforts to buy repo'd properties

(NEWSER) - Bargain hunters are turning to foreclosed homes for deals, but many are finding that buying repossessed properties from banks is a bureaucratic nightmare, the Washington Post reports. Though the housing market cannot stabilize until the unprecedented volume of foreclosures is sold off, banks are sluggish to act and fraught with red tape—and would-be homebuyers are giving up in frustration. More»

Unloading homes quickly while maintaining value, Fannie walks tightrope

(NEWSER) - It’s no secret that for US homeowners, it’s not a seller’s market. But imagine having 65,000 properties to sell. That’s the task ahead of Fannie Mae, NPR reports, as its volume of repossessed homes grows by the day. The guarantor of a third of all loans, Fannie is charged with foreclosing, renovating, valuing, and unloading this massive inventory into the worst housing market in decades. More»

(NEWSER) - Foreclosures and other vacant homes make this a tough time to be a builder, the Wall Street Journal reports. Consider Pulte Homes, which is selling a new, four-bedroom home in Las Vegas for $214,990—while a short sale nearby offers a similar Pulte-built home for $149,999. “We are no longer competing with other builders,” said one KB Home exec. “We are competing with foreclosures.” More»

Criteria keep many who need help from refinancing under the plan

(NEWSER) - A large swath of Americans will see no help under the Obama administration’s housing rescue plan, the New York Times reports. While designed to prevent 3 million to 4 million foreclosures through loan modifications, the plan doesn't cover those whose loans aren’t backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or those who owe more than their home’s value on loans more than $729,750 through other lenders. More»

Push to get subprime, other risky mortgages to Hispanic community backfires

(NEWSER) - The US housing crisis has hit particularly hard in the Latino community, the Wall Street Journal reports, which was targeted by both lawmakers and lenders—often with subprime and other risky mortgages—during the bubble. Hispanic homeownership swelled 47% between 2000-2007, and the foreclosure crisis has hit hard for many who saw buying a home as the pinnacle of the American dream. More»