The Foreclosure Crisis

However, hope might be on the horizon for the victims of the mortgage disaster of 2007/2008. Home buyers who were foreclosed upon years ago, or boomerang buyers, are beginning to be eligible to buy homes again. While some feel hope after feeling bamboozled by lenders and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, some feel anxious and fearful of the thought of buying again. Yet there are lessons that have been learned by the mortgage meltdown. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac provided a lesson for the

Seeing other people reactions towards foreclosure helps me to develop a meaningful value of life and how to appreciate it everyday of my life. As I see what is going on around me I came up with three plans that can be executed to help all people who are dealing with foreclosure issues. This can become a major factor for the economy. One is called Own A Home , Financially Fit, and Bills To Kill. These are guaranteed plans that will help any individual that feels that they are not financially secured to become a homeowner. The Own A Home program is designed for aspiring homeowner in which they

An alternative would be for lenders to add a true customer service department which is not based on pay or get out, but is counseling based to keep Americans in the American Dream of home ownership. This would not only keep their customers for future business with new home loans, but would be noticed by neighbors and the community who are appreciative their home values are not decreasing. The lenders would counsel them through the sale by assisting them with getting the most they can for their home. By getting local community organizations involved to help with home repairs and curb appeal. Once the home is market ready and a dollar amount has been reached for these repairs the home owner will have to volunteer time and/or resources to assist another person going through the same situation. This would not only help the homeowner but will keep homes in the area selling at a fair market value and not bring down the values in their neighborhood. The assistance provided by the lenders and assistance from the community will help build their self confidence and make them feel like they are not alone.

There is by no means a simple solution to solving the home foreclosure epidemic but there are many changes that can be made to help Americans across the globe. The first, I believe starts

The housing crisis of the late 2000s rocked the economy and changed the landscape of the real estate business for years to come. Decades of people purchasing houses unfordable houses and properties with lenient loans policies led to a collective housing bubble. When the banking system faltered and the economy wilted, interest rates were raised, mortgages increased, and people lost their jobs amidst the chaos. This all culminated in tens of thousands of American losing their houses to foreclosures and short sales, as they could no longer afford the mortgage payments on their homes. The United States entered a recession and homeownership no longer appeared to be a feasible goal as many questioned whether the country could continue to support a middle-class. Former home owners became renters and in some cases homeless as the American Dream was delayed with no foreseeable return. While the future of the economy looked bleak, conditions gradually improved. American citizens regained their jobs, the United States government bailed out the banking industry, and regulations were put in place to deter such events as the mortgage crash from ever taking place again. The path to homeowner ship has been forever altered, as loans in general are now more difficult to acquire and can be accompanied by a substantial down payment.

“Most of the homes being abandoned and foreclosed will produce losses for the mortgage lender, which could add up to trillions of dollars and break the financial system before it is half repaired” (Zuckerman, 2008). These are the major reasons why the government should be thinking of a bailout for homeowners. If the government will not take action, then these losses will go past any bailout efforts of the government and it will be too late. By preventing foreclosures, it could bring a double benefit to the US economy and society. It would let families to stay in their homes and at the same time keep the housing market from getting out of control.

In 2008 the real estate market crashed because of the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act and Commodities Futures Modernization Act, which led to shady mortgage lending or “liar loans” (Hartman). The loans primarily approved for lower income and middle class borrowers with little income or no job income verification, which lead to many buyers purchasing homes they could not afford because everyone wants a piece of the American dream; homeownership. Because of “reckless lending to lower- and middle-income borrowers who could not afford to repay their loans many of the home buyers lost everything when the market collapsed” (Tankersley 3). Homeowners often continued to live in their houses for months or years without paying any

The foreclosure crisis that took over the United States a few years ago left many people facing economic hardships. This crisis happened because there was a huge housing bubble that was unsupported by actual home values. The bubble began bursting in spring of 2008 and the crisis culminated in mid-2009. Many lenders went out of business and many home owners began losing their homes. When the government became aware of this problem and began to implement new programs, it was already too late for many homeowners. Those homeowners are not at a point where they might be considering buying a new home. The housing crisis has created new rules, regulations governing the mortgage industry, and has also created a new agency dedicated to consumer protection. This consumer protection agency is called the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. These dramatic changes have helped to create more responsible lending. The improving market conditions such as low housing costs and competitive interest rates are allowing those affected by a foreclosure to become homeowners again. Prospective buyers have a multitude of programs available to them, so even those with less than clean slate have several options.

Many of those families whose homes were not foreclosed were forced to sell their homes in

The foreclosure crisis in America has impacted everyone- even those who don’t own homes. Our nation is currently struggling with high unemployment, a relatively illiquid credit market, and a deficit that raises serious concerns about the value of the US Dollar in the not too distant future. With interest rates already at historic lows and the government pursuing an unprecedented policy of quantitative monetary easing, options for government intervention are limited. While there is no simple solution to this problem, I think that we must look at the reasons the housing market went into crisis, and based on that develop a regulatory system that will allow us to avoid another situation like this in the future. If Americans believe

The demand for houses, along with a belief that home values would continually soar, fueled the building boom that would eventually result in our demise. Once the grace period on mortgage loans ended, and house prices began to decline, many people found themselves unable to escape the high monthly payments and began to default. Increasing foreclosures continued to lower the prices of homes, by 2008 it was estimated that 23% of all homes were worth less than their mortgages. 2.9 million vacant homes later, it is safe to say the consequences of short-sighted expenditures were severe. Since then, more than 6 million Americans have lost their homes to foreclosure. Much of the blame for the housing crisis can be traced back to rumor in the stock market. While homes are not typically viewed as investments under speculation, statistics show that this was not the case during the mortgage crisis. 22% of homes purchased in 2006 were for investment purposes.

Such “voluntary foreclosures” are one form of a problem that has shaped the foreclosure debate since the government first began devising alternative strategies. Lawmakers and officials in both the Bush and Obama administrations have struggled to find ways to prevent homeowners from using federal assistance when they don’t need it, or profiting from their “bailout.” That goal has become even more intense since the government was forced to create the $750 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, most of which has been used to prop up banks and other “too-big-to-fail” enterprises. A relatively small portion of TARP is being used to pay for HAMP incentives to borrowers, lenders and investors.

An alternative would befor lenders to add a true customer service department which is not based on pay or get out, but is counseling based tokeep Americans in the American Dream of home ownership.This would not only keep their customers for future business with new home loans, but would be noticed by neighbors and the community who are appreciative their home values are not decreasing. The lenders would counsel them through the sale by assisting them with getting the most they can for their home. By getting local community organizations involved to help with home repairs and curb appeal. Once the home is market ready and a dollar amount has been reachedfor these repairsthe home owner will have to volunteer time and/or resources to assist another person going through the same situation. This would not only help the homeowner but will keep homes in the area selling at a fair market value and not bring down the values in their neighborhood. The assistance provided by the lenders and assistance from the community will help build their self confidence and make them feel like they are not alone.

Brooklyn, NY – December 30, 2009 Foreclosures continue to rise drastically across the United States due to the recession, and have effected, and continue to affect thousands of families and individuals every day. One aspect we must take into consideration is that most people are not informed of what foreclosure means, or the process, even those who are homeowners. I believe that one step to preventing foreclosure is to educate first-time homebuyers. In addition, first-time homebuyer programs should not only assist potential buyers with financially preparing them to buy a home, but to keep the home once

With all of the incentives and mortgage products given so easily to people that couldn’t afford the high prices (including interest rates), many people defaulted on their first mortgages because they were no longer were able to receive the profit from the homes they first intended to flip. “During the first quarter of 2008, nearly 9% of all mortgage holders were delinquent or in foreclosure, the highest rate since recordkeeping began in 1979. Foreclosure filings more than