Category Archives: Risky Lending

The bailout that’s not a bailout…

From CNBC: Bill Ackman says U.S. did the ‘right thing’ in protecting SVB depositors. Not everyone agrees Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said the U.S. government’s action to protect depositors after the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank is “not a bailout” and … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Politics, Risky Lending | 155 Comments

Do you have to pay it back?

From CNBC: Consumer debt hits record $16.9 trillion as delinquencies also rise Consumer debt hit a fresh record at the end of 2022 while delinquency rates rose for several types of loans, the New York Federal Reserve reported Thursday. Debt … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 53 Comments

Just the beginning?

From DSNews: January Foreclosure Filings Up 36% YoY Foreclosure volume continues in America, with year-end totals reaching 31,557, which includes default notices, scheduled auctions, or bank repossessions, a 36% increase compared to the previous year. The numbers reported in January … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 129 Comments

Why not assumable loans?

From MarketWatch: How people bought homes in the 1980s when mortgage rates were 18% For all the similarities between the 1980s and today, there are key differences. One of them involves “assumable mortgages,” which were plentiful then and are in … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Mortgages, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 166 Comments

This always ends well

From the FT: Big US mortgage lenders turn screws on smaller rivals as rates rise The two largest US mortgage lenders are turning up the heat on their smaller competitors, offering discounts and other incentives to win market share as … Continue reading

Posted in Housing Bubble, Mortgages, Risky Lending | 196 Comments

Oh well?

From Bloomberg: US Mortgage Lenders Are Starting to Go Broke The US mortgage industry is seeing its first lenders go out of business after a sudden spike in lending rates, and the wave of failures that’s coming could be the … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, Risky Lending | 33 Comments

Isn’t this the American Dream?

From Yahoo Finance: New Jersey’s American Dream Megamall Is Once Again Sinking in Debt Since its groundbreaking nearly two decades ago, the megamall built in New Jersey’s Meadowlands has done little except hemorrhage cash. Now, less than two years after … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Employment, New Development, New Jersey Real Estate, Risky Lending | 326 Comments

Impact or not?

From the Philly Voice: U.S. housing market faces ‘shock’ from end of mortgage forbearance — but no bubble, experts say Pandemic policies have undoubtedly shaped the way the U.S. housing market has functioned throughout the health crisis, which has had … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Mortgages, Politics, Risky Lending | 113 Comments

Clear to close? Think again.

From Inman: Ida flooding could jeopardize 47,000 home sales in NY and NJ Devastating flash floods in New York and New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida could delay or derail as many as 47,000 pending real estate transactions … Continue reading

Posted in Mortgages, New Jersey Real Estate, Risky Lending | 197 Comments

It’s just not possible here

From Bloomberg: Zero-Down Mortgages Stoke U.S. Subprime-Like Fears in Canada They’re the kind of exotic mortgages that one typically associates with the reckless, go-go housing market that gripped the U.S., circa 2005: Put down 5% cash and get 3% back; … Continue reading

Posted in Housing Bubble, Risky Lending | 378 Comments

Delinquencies at 20 year low

From CoreLogic: The States Leading in Nationwide Delinquency Rate Drops The overall delinquency rate was 3.8% nationwide in September, down from 4.4% a year earlier and the lowest for the month of September in more than 20 years, according to the latest … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Foreclosures, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 67 Comments

Gettin risky with it

From HousingWire: FHA is increasing lending to riskier borrowers Citing rising risks among the mortgages it is backing, the Federal Housing Administration earlier this year announced that it was changing some of its lending rules to increase the prevalence of manual underwriting. The idea behind the … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, Risky Lending | 249 Comments

Still overpriced?

From the NY Post: Embattled New Jersey mansion is now a whopping 75 percent off This northern New Jersey mansion dates to the roaring ’20s, but it’s certainly not roaring now. The grand property — once one of the state’s … Continue reading

Posted in New Jersey Real Estate, Price Reduced, Risky Lending | 95 Comments

Probably because they learned their lesson … duh

From HousingWire: Why aren’t more people tapping into their home equity? As the housing market has continued its recovery, home prices have been climbing at a steady clip across the nation. And that means homeowners now have a nice stockpile … Continue reading

Posted in Demographics, Economics, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 41 Comments

FHA getting a bit too risky

From HousingWire: FHA says as many as 50,000 mortgages will be affected by new lending rules Two weeks ago, the Federal Housing Administration took steps to mitigate risks to its single-family portfolio, announcing updates to its TOTAL Mortgage Scorecard that will flag some loans … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Mortgages, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 99 Comments