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New digital cameras add to zoom and toughen up

Miami Florida Real Estate Is Picture Perfect !

Most point-and-shoot cameras have a midsize LCD preview screen and short zoom lens that brings you slightly closer to the action. That’s about to change. This year, the hottest compact cameras will have much larger zooms and preview screens and will be able to withstand abuse and shoot in low-light situations with better quality. They’ll cost more, but at an average of $350 to $450, you’ll pay a lot less than for an entry-level digital SLR, which starts at around $700.

The photo industry, hoping to reverse two years of declining sales, met here this week for the Photo Marketing Association convention, where new cameras for the spring get introduced.

Here’s a peek at what to look for:

• Samsung’s $449 TL500 has a much wider lens opening than normally found on compacts. The f/1.8 lens opening means that this camera can capture better images at sporting events and school plays, for instance, without having to use a flash. Most digital cameras have a slower, f/3.5 lens.

• Olympus’ new cameras have a built-in manual. The entire manual is stored in memory and can be accessed through the menu.

• Big zooms in small bodies are very popular. Nikon’s $350 Coolpix P100 has a 26x zoom; Fuji’s $249 FinePix S2550HD has an 18x zoom, and Sony’s new $250 Cyber-shot H55 has a smaller 10x zoom in a tinier body. The more powerful zoom is good for both a wider view (think group shots) and getting closer to the action. These cameras also have 720p high-definition video recording. (The cameras will all be out in March.)

• Many cameras have a feature called “face detection” that instructs the camera to expose and focus correctly for faces. Fuji’s new $299 FinePix F80EXR, out in April, adds a “pet-detection” feature along with a 10x zoom.

• Olympus pioneered the rugged compact category with its tough line of waterproof, shockproof and freeze-proof cameras. Now there are rugged compacts from Panasonic, Canon and Casio. Sony calls its new Cyber-shot TX5 the world’s “smallest and thinnest” tough-cam. “What we brought to the category was slimness and design,” says Kelly Davis, director of Sony’s digital camera division. “Normally the waterproof category is chunkier and a little more rugged looking.”

Olympus is fine-tuning its tough-cams. The new $399 Stylus Tough-8010 and $299 Stylus Tough-6020 have added high-def 720p video recording.

“So if you happen to fall or slip while you’re rock climbing, and plummeting down to the water below, you can film the whole thing in high-def on the way down, and continue to film as you go into the deep,” says Sally Smith Clemens, an Olympus product manager.

The next dimension

And if big zooms and cameras you can sit on don’t do the trick, how about a camera that taps into Hollywood’s latest craze: the third dimension? Jim Calverley, a Fuji product manager, thinks 3D could get consumers interested in adding another camera to their arsenal. “In the world of consumer electronics, new things sell,” he says. “People want to have the latest and greatest.”

Fuji’s $599 FinePix Real 3D W1 camera will begin showing up in stores in the spring, but it’s been available online since late 2009. The camera has two lenses and two image sensors. While you don’t need special glasses to view the pictures, you also don’t get the same dramatic 3D look of the movies. It’s more of a subtle look akin to the stereo viewers of yesteryear. For more enhanced 3D, Fuji sells a $500 digital viewer, with an 8-inch LCD, to view pictures. Viewed with 3D glasses, the images are more traditionally third-dimensional.

Chris Chute, an analyst at researcher IDC, doesn’t see camera sales improving. There are just too many homes with cameras. IDC projects industry revenue of $6.6 billion this year, down from $7.1 billion in 2009. But he does think the new features will get buyers to part with some cash.

“People are tired of being told they can’t have fun,” he says. “We’ll see a lot more people on vacation and going to social events. Cameras haven’t gone away at all. There’s a camera for everyone.”

South Florida Home Prices Decline Slowly

South Florida Real Estate

Miami, Florida – Data through December 2009, released today by Standard & Poor’s for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, show that the U.S. National Home Price Index fell in the fourth quarter of 2009, but it has improved in its annual rate of return compared to third quarter reports.

The S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, which covers all nine U.S. census divisions, recorded a 2.5 percent decline in the fourth quarter of 2009 versus the fourth quarter of 2008. While down, it’s a significant improvement over the annual rates reported in the first, second and third quarters of the year, at -19.0 percent, -14.7 percent and -8.7 percent, respectively.

In December, the 10-City and 20-City Composites recorded annual declines of 2.4 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively. These two indices, which are reported monthly, have seen improvements in their annual rates of return every month since the beginning of the year.

“As measured by prices, the housing market is definitely in better shape than it was this time last year, as the pace of deterioration has stabilized for now. However, the rate of improvement seen during the summer of 2009 has not been sustained,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s.

“In the most recent months, we are seeing fewer and fewer MSAs reporting monthly gains in prices. Only four cities saw month-to-month improvements in December over November when you look at the raw data. We are in a seasonally slow period for home prices, however, so it is not surprising to see better statistics in the seasonally-adjusted data, where 14 of the markets and the two monthly composites all rose in December. Similarly, the National Composite fell by 1.1 percent in the fourth quarter, but rose by 1.6 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis.”

As of the 4th quarter of 2009, average home prices across the United States are at similar levels to what they were in the summer of 2003. The 4th quarter values fell when compared to the 3rd quarter; however, the decline in the annual rate of return has significantly improved.

The 10-City and 20-City Composites continue to show improvement in their annual rates of return. In fact, all 20 metro areas and the two Composites saw improvement in their annual returns compared to November’s data. Only three cities – Detroit, Las Vegas and Tampa – still showed double digit annual rates of decline as of the end of 2009. Miami, Phoenix and Seattle all moved above such rates with December’s report.

Looking at the monthly statistics, 15 of the 20 metro areas showed a decline in December over November, with Chicago posting the sharpest decline, down 1.6 percent. Las Vegas finally posted its first positive print in more than three years, with +0.2 percent. The Southwest continues to be a bright spot, with San Diego posting its eighth consecutive monthly increase, and Los Angeles and Phoenix both posting their seventh. Three of the markets – Charlotte, Seattle and Tampa – posted new low index levels as measured by the past four years.

In other words, any gains they might have seen in recent months have been erased and December is now considered their current trough value, according to the data.

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Consumer Confidence Index climbs in Jan. Florida Real Estate

South Florida Real Estate - Dean Isenberg - Realtor - 305-929-DEAN

Americans’ confidence in the economy improved modestly in January for the third straight month, as they begin to feel slightly better about business conditions and the job picture, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index increased to 55.9 – the highest in more than a year but still relatively gloomy. That compares with 53.6 in December.

January’s index was better than the expected 53.5 forecast by economists.

Economists watch confidence numbers closely because consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity. It takes a reading of 90 to indicate an economy on solid footing and 100 or more to indicate growth.

The new figures still don’t point to an end to the nation’s economic woes any time soon.

“Consumers’ short-term outlook, while moderately more positive, does not suggest any significant pickup in activity in the coming months,” Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board’s Consumer Research Center, said in a statement.

Tuesday’s figures are based on a survey of 5,000 households by the private research group.

Capital Economics analyst Paul Dales said Americans’ sentiments are well below the Index’s historic average of 95.

“In other words, despite the fact the economy probably grew at an annualized rate in excess of 5 percent in the fourth quarter, the labor market appears to be on the cusp of generating net employment gains, interest rates are at record lows and the rally in equities remains largely intact, confidence remains incredibly depressed,” Dales wrote in a research note. “This all suggests the legacy of the recession will live long in the mindset of consumers.”

While consumers were less dire about their income prospects, “(the number of) pessimists continues to outnumber the optimists,” Franco said.

Job security is a vital part of how Americans view the economy. Those who feel better about their jobs feel more comfortable spending money, which in turn fuels the nation’s economy. That means without a meaningful and steady increase in Americans’ faith that their paychecks will keep coming, and in turn a pickup in spending, there’s unlikely to be any strong revival in the economy.

“Without a sustained acceleration in consumption growth, the overall economic recovery is doomed to disappoint,” Dales wrote.

The unemployment rate held steady in December at 10 percent, down slightly from a 26-year high of 10.2 percent in October. Some analysts worry it will start climbing again in coming months, and could even rise as high as 10.5 percent next summer.

The Consumer Confidence index hit a historic low of 25.3 in February after registering 37.4 last January and enjoyed a three-month climb from March through May, fueled by signs that the economy might be stabilizing.

Since June, it has bounced along anemically between 47 and 55 as rising unemployment has taken a toll.

Also Tuesday, a report showed that The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index rose for in November – its sixth straight month of increases. And 14 of 20 metro areas posted improvements from the month before.

That index is now up 3.4 percent from its bottom in May, but still 30 percent below its peak in May 2006.

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Rates on 30-year home loans fall to 4.99%

Florida Real Estate - Dean Isenberg - Realtor - 305-929-DEAN

WASHINGTON – Jan. 22, 2010 – Rates for 30-year home loans fell to a shade below 5 percent this week but remained above last month’s record lows.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 4.99 percent, down from 5.06 percent a week earlier, mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday.

It was the third-straight weekly decline. The drop comes after interest rates fell in the bond market this week as concerns about the economy increased demand for the safety of government debt, which is closely tied to mortgage rates.

Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders around the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day, often in line with long-term Treasury bonds.

Rates for 30-year loans had dropped to a record low of 4.71 percent in early December, pushed down by an aggressive government campaign to reduce consumers’ borrowing costs.

The Federal Reserve is pumping $1.25 trillion into mortgage-backed securities to try to bring down mortgage rates, but that money is set to run out next spring. The goal of the program is to make home buying more affordable and prop up the housing market.

While it’s possible that the program could be extended, analysts believe the Fed is reluctant to do so.

The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 4.4 percent, down from 4.45 percent last week, according to Freddie Mac.

Rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 4.27 percent, down from 4.32 percent a week earlier. Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages dropped to 4.32 percent from 4.39 percent.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. One point is equal to 1 percent of the total loan amount.

The nationwide fee for loans in Freddie Mac’s survey averaged 0.7 point for 30-year loans and 0.6 point for 15-year, five-year and one-year loans.

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FHA announces policy changes. Florida Real Estate

Miami Realtor - Dean Isenberg

WASHINGTON – Jan. 21, 2010 – Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner David Stevens yesterday outlined the new set of policy changes created to strengthen FHA’s capital reserves.

The FHA proposed the following steps: increase the mortgage insurance premium (MIP); update the combination of FICO scores and downpayments for new borrowers; reduce seller concessions to three percent from six percent; and implement a series of measures to increase lender enforcement. U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan previewed the changes in December of last year, noting that the FHA would announce additional details before the end of January.

Announced FHA policy changes:

1. The mortgage insurance premium (MIP) will be increased to build up capital reserves and bring back private lending

• The first step is to raise the upfront MIP by 50 bps to 2.25 percent and request legislative authority to increase the maximum annual MIP that FHA can charge.
• If this authority is granted, the second step is to shift some of the premium increase from the up-front MIP to the annual MIP.
• This shift will allow for the capital reserves to increase with less impact to the consumer, because the annual MIP is paid over the life of the loan instead of at the time of closing.
• The initial upfront increase is included in a Mortgagee Letter to be released today, Jan. 21, and will go into effect in the spring.

2. Update the combination of FICO scores and downpayments for new borrowers.

• New borrowers will now be required to have a minimum FICO score of 580 to qualify for FHA’s 3.5 percent downpayment program. New borrowers with less than a 580 FICO score will be required to put down at least 10 percent.
• This change will be posted in the Federal Register in February and, after a notice and comment period, go into effect in the early summer.

3. Reduce allowable seller concessions from 6 percent to 3 percent

• FHA says the current level exposes the FHA to excess risk by creating incentives to inflate appraised value.
• This change will be posted in the Federal Register in February, and after a notice and comment period, go into effect in the early summer.

4. Increase enforcement on FHA lenders

• Publicly report lender performance rankings to complement currently available Neighborhood Watch data will be on HUD’s website on Feb. 1. This is an operational change to make information user-friendly and hold lenders more accountable; it does not require new regulatory action as Neighborhood Watch data is currently publicly available.
• Enhance monitoring of lender performance and compliance with FHA guidelines and standards.
• Implement statutory authority through regulation of section 256 of the National Housing Act to enforce indemnification provisions for lenders using delegated insuring process.
• HUD is pursuing legislative authority to increase enforcement on FHA lenders.

In addition to these changes, FHA says it will continue to review its overall response to housing market conditions, and continuing to evaluate its mortgage insurance underwriting standards.

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Miami-Dade Pending Real Estate Sales Drop Slightly....

Miami Foreclosures and Short Sales. Dean Isenberg - Realtor - 305-929-DEAN

Closed Sales Continue to Increase

Miami, FL – In Miami-Dade County, pending home sales decreased by 2.21 percent in December compared to the previous month, from 8,288 to 8,105 according to the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches (RAMB) and Southeast Florida Multiple Listing Service. This slight decrease can be attributed to the holiday season, which traditionally results in fewer home sales. Since March 2009, when RAMB began tracking local pending sales, pending home sales have increased 43 percent as buyers have taken advantage of record-setting affordability conditions, the first-time home buyer tax credit, and a wide selection of properties to choose from. Closed sales have increased each of the last 16 months, a clear sign of the strengthening market and indicative of stabilization.

Pending sales of condominiums in Miami-Dade County also experienced a negligible decrease in December, dropping half of a percent from 4,414 to 4,394. Pending sales of single-family homes dropped 4.21 percent in December from the previous month, from 3,874 to 3,711.

“The Miami real estate market has experienced a dramatic recovery over the last year and a half, posting record closed and pending sales increases coupled with strong declines in housing inventory,” said Terri Bersach, 2010 RAMB Chairman of the Board. “The outlook is positive for Miami real estate in 2010, as the recently expanded and extended homebuyers tax credit is expected to further boost sales. Market opportunities resulting from record affordability, low interest rates, and a second wave of short sales and foreclosures will also fuel increased sales this year. Additionally the always-strong international buyer market segment will remain a major force in the South Florida marketplace.”

Miami-Dade Pending Condominium Sales Increase 60 Percent in Nine Months

In the last nine months in Miami-Dade, pending sales of condominiums increased 60.4 percent, while pending sales of single-family homes rose a 26.2 percent. The total number of pending sales increased a significant 43 percent from March 2009 to December 2009.

Broward County Pending Sales

In Broward County pending home sales decreased 5.04 percent, from 7,264 to 6,898 in December. Pending sales of condominiums in Broward County dropped 2.33 percent from 3,871 to 3,780. Pending sales of single-family homes fell 8.13 percent in December from the previous month, from 3,394 to 3,118.

In the last nine months, Broward pending sales of single-family homes rose 23.3 percent, while pending sales of condominiums increased 64.8 percent. The total number of pending sales increased 43 percent from March 2009 to December 2009.

About RAMB

The Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating its 90th year of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of three organizations (the Residential Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches, the Realtors Commercial Alliance and the International Council of Greater Miami and the Beaches), RAMB represents over 12,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. RAMB’s official Web site is www.miamire.com.

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Sorting through the homebuyer tax credit.

South Florida Real Estate Information

WASHINGTON (AP) – Jan. 20, 2010 – If you bought a home in 2009, you could be eligible for a tax credit. Figuring out which one can be confusing.

There’s one credit for first-time homebuyers and another that primarily benefits homebuyers who owned a home before. But don’t mix it up with the first-time homebuyer credit in 2008, which actually was a long-term loan.

There are maximum income levels and maximum sales prices. And vacation homes or rental property don’t qualify.

“If you want to spend two hours reading the instructions and translating them and finding out whether you qualify, yes, it’s relatively simple,” said Jeff Schnepper, an MSN Money tax expert and author of “How to Pay Zero Taxes.”

Some questions and answers about the homebuyers tax credit:

Q. What’s the purpose of the credit?

A. Congress passed the tax credits in an effort to boost the struggling housing industry and fight recession. Indications are that it’s had an impact. The National Association of Realtors reported that November sales of existing homes were up 44 percent from a year earlier. Although new home sales dropped in November, figures from the Commerce Department show that they’re up 8 percent from the low in January 2009.

Q. How many people are claiming the credit?

A. “In all, 4.4 million households are expected to claim the tax credit before it expires,” Lawrence Yun, the Realtors’ chief economist, said in December.

Q. How many versions are there?

A. There are actually three.

The first credit, for first-time homebuyers, was really a long-term, interest-free loan that has to be paid back over 15 years. The maximum credit was $7,500 for a principal residence purchased between April 9, 2008, and June 30, 2009.

The second iteration made the first-time homebuyers credit a true credit – it doesn’t have to be paid back – and raised the amount to a maximum $8,000. It applied to homes purchased between Jan. 1, 2009, and Nov. 30, 2009.

The third change extended the eligibility dates to homes purchased through April 30, 2010. It also added a credit for long-time homeowners who purchased a new residence between Nov. 7, 2009, and April 30, 2010, but at a reduced value – up to $6,500.

Q. Do I automatically qualify if I purchased a house during those periods?

A. No. To qualify, the house has to be used as a primary residence. If purchased after Nov. 6, 2009, it cannot have cost more than $800,000. If you’re a long-time homeowner, you had to have lived in the same house consecutively for five out of the last eight years, though you need not have lived in or owned that house at the time you buy your new home.

For homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009, the credit also begins phasing out for individuals with modified adjusted gross incomes above $125,000, and for married couples filing jointly with incomes above $225,000.

Q. How does the Internal Revenue Service define a principal residence?

A. “Your main home is the one you live in most of the time,” the agency said. “It can be a house, houseboat, mobile home, cooperative apartment or condominium.”

Q. What if I’m living overseas and I buy a home there?

A. The home doesn’t qualify unless it’s in the United States.

Q. How do I claim the credit?

A. There’s a form, 5405, to fill out. You’ll also have to submit a copy of your settlement statement, usually Form HUD-1, with the names and signatures of all parties, the property address, the sales price and date of purchase.

To avoid refund delays, the IRS recommends that long-time homeowners who purchase a new home also provide documents to show they meet the requirement for consecutive years lived in their old house. These can include mortgage interest statements, or property tax or homeowner’s insurance records.

Q. Do I have to wait until I file my 2010 taxes to claim the credit for a home purchased before the deadline in 2010?

A. No. “You can choose to claim the credit on your 2009 return for a home you bought in 2010 that qualifies for the credit,” the IRS said.

Q. I purchased my home in 2008 and filed for a credit on my tax returns. Do I still have to pay it back?

A. Yes. When Congress did away with the repayment requirement, it did not do so retroactively.

Q. What if I purchase the property for business?

A. You’re not eligible. The house must be used as a primary residence to qualify.

Q. What if I want to keep my original house and use it as a rental property?

A. If you qualify for the credit as a long-time homeowner, nothing in the law requires you to sell the original house. However, you must make the new one your primary residence.

Q. What if I decide to sell the house I got the credit for or convert it to a rental property?

A. You will have to pay back the credit if you don’t keep the purchased house as your permanent residence for three years.


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Homebuilding forecast: Modest growth in 2010

Ft. Lauderdale Real Estate - Dean Isenberg Realtor

Miami – Jan. 20, 2010 – The fragile housing recovery should gather momentum this year as the economy strengthens, but high unemployment at least through 2011 will make for a slow turnaround, housing experts said Tuesday.

The panel of economists at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas agreed broadly on the outlook for the housing market and economy. Both, they said, had turned a corner, but there are slim prospects for a swift rebound.

“It won’t be a strong recovery, but it will be a recovery,” said David Crowe, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders.

His forecast calls for sales of new and previously occupied homes to weaken after tax credits for homebuyers expire in April. But 2010 sales of new homes will be up by more than one-third, he said, and almost 7 percent higher for resales.

Crowe also sees home prices remaining stable going forward, though some cities may still see some slight declines in the coming months.

“I believe we’ve seen the worst of the house price declines ... The stage is set for the consumer to return,” Crowe said.

He expects builders to ramp up construction this year, with newly built homes totaling around 700,000. That would be a 25 percent increase over his tally for 2009. While he anticipates the economy will add some jobs in the April-June period, he projects unemployment will peak this year at 10.2 percent and then fall gradually to around 8 percent by the end of next year.

But homebuilders’ fortunes have brightened in recent months. Low interest rates and an $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers helped stoke demand for homes. The incentive was scheduled to expire at the end of November, but Congress extended the deadline through April and added a $6,500 tax credit for current homeowners who move.

Still, recent figures have raised doubts about how strong demand will be in the coming months.

New homes sales tumbled 11 percent in November from October to the lowest level since last spring. The number of people preparing to buy a home in November also dropped.

That’s left many homebuilders nervous that demand is weakening. Homebuilders’ confidence, measured by an NAHB’s index, fell this month to 15. It was the second-straight monthly decline and the lowest level since June.

The index reflects a survey of 504 residential developers nationwide. Index readings below 50 indicate negative sentiment about the market.

David Berson, chief economist for mortgage insurer PMI Group, said he expects mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures to climb this year. But he anticipates that banks and other mortgage companies will continue to hold properties on their books, rather than dumping them on the market at depressed prices.

“That does mean it will be longer before we start to get a real recovery in home prices,” Berson said. “By the time we get to 2011, the majority of the states should have price gains.”

He projects home prices fell almost 13 percent in 2009 from the prior year. His forecast calls for home prices to decline about 5 percent early this year, but end the year flat.

Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft, meanwhile, said he sees home prices to decline 3 percent this year. His forecast calls for mortgage rates to remain below 6 percent this year.

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Federal Housing Administration to raise fees. Miami real Estate

Miami Florida Real Estate Services

WASHINGTON – Jan. 20, 2010 – The Federal Housing Administration is raising fees and tightening lending standards to shore up its strapped finances and avoid a taxpayer bailout.

The government agency has seen its losses rise with the foreclosure rate. Its reserves have sunk below the minimum level required by Congress. A healthy FHA is vital for the housing market because it insures roughly 30 percent of new loans, and is the largest backer of mortgages to first-time buyers.

The changes, which will go into effect in the first half of the year, “are among the most significant steps to address risk in the agency’s history,” FHA Commissioner David Stevens said in a prepared statement.

The FHA does not make loans, but rather offers insurance against default. Borrowers are willing to pay for the insurance because FHA loans only require down payments of 3.5 percent of the purchase price – and that didn’t change.

The new policies, to be announced Wednesday, are designed to bring more revenue into the agency, while at the same time keeping loans available.

Under the changes, homebuyers will:

• Pay an upfront mortgage insurance premium of 2.25 percent of the total loan amount, up from the current level of 1.75 percent. A borrower taking out a $200,000 mortgage would pay a $4,500 fee, for example, rather than the current fee of $3,500. Borrowers will still be able to wrap these fees into the total amount borrowed. FHA officials also plan to ask Congress to increase the maximum annual premium that FHA can charge.

• Need a credit score of at least 580 to qualify. Many FHA lenders already require a higher score, but there had been no standard requirement across the program. Borrowers with a score lower than 580 will need a down payment of at least 10 percent.

The changes come as borrowers with loans backed by the agency have increasingly been falling into default. More than 18 percent of FHA borrowers are at least one payment behind or in foreclosure, compared with 14 percent for all loans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mortgage lenders “will find the new rules painful but necessary,” said Howard Glaser, a mortgage industry consultant and former housing official during the Clinton administration.

There also have been fears that unscrupulous operators have shifted their business to the FHA after the subprime business went bust. Last week, the agency served subpoenas on 15 mortgage companies with suspiciously high default rates for FHA loans, part of a broad crackdown on dubious lenders.

The agency has already taken action against several problem lenders. One of the nation’s biggest mortgage bankers, Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Co. of Ocala, Fla., was banned from the FHA program in August and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Another mortgage company, Lend America, was kicked out in November.

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Plan aims to speed short sales

Plan aims to speed short sales

New rules curb closing surprises - Miami Real Estate 800-819-5466

Real Estate In Miami - 305-936-2489 - The "I-Team"

McLEAN, Va. – Jan. 19, 2010 – Buying a home should be a joyful experience, but all too often, the mortgage settlement process leaves consumers confused, angry and paying more than they anticipated.

The reason? Closing costs and fees that are significantly higher than the lender’s original estimates. Borrowers find themselves faced with two unappealing choices: Pony up or walk away and start searching for another house.

Now, after years of wrestling with different factions of the mortgage industry, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has adopted rules designed to prevent last-minute closing surprises. The rules, which took effect Jan. 1, will reduce closing shocks and save homebuyers money, says Timothy Dwyer, CEO of Entitle Direct Group, a title insurance company. In addition, he says, “You’ll be better informed and educated.”

The biggest change involves the good faith estimate, the form lenders give consumers when they apply for a mortgage. The good faith estimate isn’t new, but in the past, the document wasn’t particularly helpful to consumers, says Sylvia Alayon, vice president of operations at the Consumer Mortgage Audit Center. What has changed:

Consistency. Lenders are now required to use a uniform three-page document when they give prospective borrowers a good faith estimate, says Vicki Bott, deputy assistant secretary for single-family housing at HUD.

Lenders also are required to provide the document within 72 hours after prospective borrowers apply for a loan.

This will allow consumers to figure out a loan’s total cost, including fees, and compare loan offers on an apples-to-apples basis, Bott says. “We encourage consumers to shop for the best rates and fees, and not just the best rate,” she says.

Transparency. Many borrowers who bought homes during the housing boom later discovered that their loans contained hidden bombs that made their mortgages unaffordable. The new good faith estimate requires lenders to disclose features that could drive up costs. For example, the document requires lenders to disclose whether your interest rate will rise – as would be the case with an adjustable-rate mortgage – and if so, by how much. Lenders will also be asked whether the loan includes balloon payments or imposes penalties for paying the loan off early.

“All of these are really important questions,” says Helene Raynaud, vice president of housing for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. “It will be able to raise red flags for consumers.”

Trade-offs. Some lenders offer borrowers a lower interest rate in exchange for higher upfront costs -- or vice versa. A new table in the good faith estimate (see box) helps borrowers compare how different interest rates and settlement charges will affect monthly payments.

Reliability. Lenders are required by law to give mortgage applicants a copy of their settlement costs, known as a HUD-1, at least one day before closing. In the past, though, many borrowers discovered that the costs shown on the HUD-1 bore little connection to those provided in the good faith estimate.

The new rules will make it much more difficult for lenders to depart from their good faith estimates, Bott says. The new HUD-1 includes a line-by-line comparison to the good faith estimate, making it easy to identify any change in costs.

Lenders are prohibited from increasing costs they control, such as origination and processing fees. Fees for third-party services, such as appraisals and title insurance, can increase no more than 10% from those provided in the good faith estimate, as long as the borrowers use providers selected by the lender. The limit doesn’t apply if borrowers select their own third-party providers.

Other costs that aren’t subject to the 10% limit include the initial deposit for the borrower’s escrow account, daily interest charges and homeowner’s insurance.

HUD has published a guide for homebuyers, Shopping for Your Home Loan: HUD’s Settlement Cost Booklet. You can find it at www.hud.gov

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Only 8,405 in Fla. get mortgage modification.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Jan. 18, 2010 – Fewer than 3,000 South Floridians have a permanent loan modification under President Obama’s nearly year-old program to stem home foreclosures.

In the Treasure Coast, just 111 troubled borrowers have seen permanent relief from the $75 billion plan announced in February.

The dismal performance of the program marketed as a helping hand for the nation’s more than 3.3 million delinquent home loans was released Friday in a Treasury Department progress report.

Throughout Florida, which by every measure is one of the states hardest hit by the real estate crash, there are 8,405 permanent modifications. In Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties combined there are 2,987 permanent modifications.

Another 96,703 Florida loans are on trial modifications.

The Making Homes Affordable program gives incentives to banks to modify loans in three basic ways; reducing interest rates to as low as 2 percent, increasing the life of the loan, and reducing the principal owed on the loan.

“You keep hearing about this wonderful program the government is doing but it’s not working,” said Joel Bienvenu, who owns a home west of Boca Raton and has been trying to get a loan modification through Wells Fargo since August. “I keep getting excuses that they are just overwhelmed.”

Nationwide, 66,465 permanent modifications have been approved, less than 2 percent of the total loans that are 60 or more days delinquent. Another 46,056 permanent modifications have been approved by the lender, but not yet by the borrower.

The median monthly decrease to mortgages that received permanent modifications was $516, according to the Treasury Department.

From the beginning of the program, homeowners have complained about having to send lenders the same paperwork multiple times, while banks say borrowers provide the wrong documents or fail to meet the requirements for the permanent modification.

Anthony DiMarco, executive vice president of government affairs for the Florida Bankers Association, said Friday that lenders have been on a learning curve, but are improving.

“I think the industry is working hard,” he said. “You can’t ramp up a program like this overnight.”

Fort Lauderdale real estate attorney and foreclosure mediator Shari Olefson said the more than 1.1 million trial modifications offered to borrowers nationwide shows lenders are making an effort.

The fact that just 66,465 have become permanent points to a fundamental problem with the program, she said.

“The program itself is a failure,” said Olefson, author of Foreclosure Nation, Mortgaging the American Dream. “It’s trying to put a square peg in a round hole.”

To qualify for a modification, a person’s monthly housing expenses must be more than 31 percent of gross monthly income. But you also must prove that you can pay for the modification.

Olefson believes high unemployment and a steep loss in housing equity is keeping the plan from working.

“The whole program was crafted before we correctly identified the problem,” she said.

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HUD takes action to speed resale of foreclosed properties to new owners

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WASHINGTON – Jan. 18, 2010 – In an effort to stabilize home values and improve conditions in communities where foreclosure activity is high, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced a temporary policy that will expand access to FHA mortgage insurance to allow for a quicker resale of foreclosed properties. The policy change will permit buyers to use FHA-insured financing to purchase HUD-owned properties, bank-owned properties or properties resold through private sales.

“As a result of the tightened credit market, FHA-insured mortgage financing is often the only means of financing available to potential homebuyers,” says Donovan. “FHA has an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill its mission by helping many homebuyers find affordable housing while contributing to neighborhood stabilization.”

With certain exceptions, FHA currently prohibits insuring a mortgage on a home owned by the seller for less than 90 days. This temporary waiver will give FHA borrowers access to a broader array of recently foreclosed properties.

“This change in policy is temporary and will have very strict conditions and guidelines to assure that predatory practices are not allowed,” Donovan says.

Acquiring, rehabilitating and reselling foreclosed properties to prospective homeowners often takes less than 90 days in today’s market; and FHA’s 90-day rule can adversely impact buyers if a seller is unwilling to hold a property 90 days thanks to holding costs and the risk of vandalism.

“FHA borrowers, because of the restrictions we are now lifting, have often been shut out from buying affordable properties,” says FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens. “This action will enable our borrowers, especially first-time buyers, to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The waiver will take effect on Feb. 1, 2010, and be effective for one year, unless otherwise extended or withdrawn by the FHA Commissioner. To protect FHA borrowers against predatory practices of “flipping,” the waiver is limited to those sales meeting the following general conditions:

• All transactions must be arms-length, with no identity of interest between the buyer and seller or other parties participating in the sales transaction.

• In cases in which the sales price of the property is 20 percent or more above the seller’s acquisition cost, the waiver will only apply if the lender meets specific conditions.

• The waiver is limited to forward mortgages, and does not apply to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for purchase program.

• Specific conditions and other details of this new temporary policy are in the text of the waiver, available on HUD’s website:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/waivpropflip2010.pdf

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US Treasury sets guidance to simplify 'short sales' 800-819-5466

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The U.S. Treasury on Monday set long-awaited guidance on a plan for mortgage companies to speed "short sales" of homes and other loan modification alternatives to stem a rising tide of foreclosures.

The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program provides financial incentives and simplifies the procedures for completing short sales, a growing practice in which a lender agrees to accept the sale price of a home to pay off a mortgage even if the price falls short of the amount owed, according to an announcement on the Treasury's website.

Guidelines address barriers that have often sidelined short sales by setting limits on the time it takes a bank to approve an offer, freeing borrowers from debt and capping claims of subordinate lenders.

The incentives, first announced in May, expand on the government's Home Affordable Modification Program, known as HAMP, that has seen limited success in lowering payments for distressed homeowners. The Treasury earlier on Monday stepped up pressure on mortgage companies to make permanent the 650,000 trial modifications they have started. See:
http://www.financialstability.gov/latest/tg_11302009b.htm

"While HAMP program guidelines are intended to reach a broad range of at-risk borrowers, it is expected that servicers will encounter situations where they are unable to approve" or offer a modification, the Treasury said in its announcement.

Financial incentives for completing short sales or similar deed-in-lieu transactions -- in which the deed is simply transferred to the lender -- include a $1,000 payment to servicers, and a maximum of $1,000 to go to investors who sign off on payments to subordinate lien holders, the Treasury said. Borrowers would receive $1,500 in relocation expenses.

Short sales are favored by real estate agents and community groups over foreclosure because they can preserve the borrower's credit rating and leave the property in better condition than when a homeowner is evicted. While primary lenders typically realize steep losses, their recovery is typically far better than under foreclosure.

But short sales have been frustrating for borrowers and real estate agents, often hung up by negotiations with multiple lien holders and mortgage insurance companies. Real estate agents have complained that sales fall through as lenders bicker over the sales price, what they should receive from the proceeds, and whether the borrower will be held accountable for the debt in the future.

Among requirements, mortgage servicers have 10 days to approve or disapprove a request for short sale, and when done the transaction must fully release the borrower from the debt. It also prohibits mortgage servicing companies from reducing real estate commissions on the sale, a practice that has dissuaded many agents from taking short sale listings. In one of the most contentious issues gumming up negotiations between lenders, the guidance caps the aggregate proceeds to subordinate lien holders at $3,000.

Second lien holders in recent months have begun demanding more money from the first lender, seller, buyer or agent in exchange for releasing their claim, agents have said. Because primary lenders would face larger losses in a foreclosure, some subordinate lenders have felt empowered, the agents said.

The largest second-lien holders are Bank of America Corp, Wells Fargo & Co, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup Inc.

Second lien holders may proceed with a short sale outside of the Treasury program, if they felt the cap was too low, a Treasury official said in October.

"If there was a short sale program that didn't recognize the second lien holder position, it could have pretty damaging consequences for the industry," Sanjiv Das, chief executive officer of CitiMortgage, said in an interview last week.

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Foreclosures hitting more people with good credit. Miami Real Estate 800-819-5466

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The foreclosure crisis likely will persist well into next year as high unemployment pushes more people out of homes, pulls down housing prices and raises concerns about the broader economic recovery.

The latest evidence was a report Thursday that a rising proportion of fixed-rate home loans made to people with good credit are sinking into foreclosure. That’s a shift from last year, when riskier subprime loans drove the housing crisis.

The report from the Mortgage Bankers Association also found that 14 percent of homeowners with a mortgage were either behind on payments or in foreclosure at the end of September. It was a record-high figure for the ninth straight quarter.

The data suggest the housing market and the broader recovery will remain under pressure from the surge in home-loan defaults, especially as unemployment keeps rising. Lost jobs are the main reason homeowners are falling behind on their mortgages.

After three years of plunging prices, the housing market started to rebound this summer. That lifted hopes for the overall economy. But analysts say there are too many foreclosed homes that have yet to be dumped on the market and expect further price declines.

Among states, the worst damage is still concentrated in the states hardest hit from the start: Florida, Nevada, California and Arizona. Together, they accounted for 43 percent of new foreclosures.

South Florida Real Estate Services - Dean Isenberg - Turnberry Realty

One in four mortgages in Florida were either past due or in foreclosure, the most in the U.S. Nevada was close behind at 23 percent.

“There’s no indication in this data that foreclosures are going to abate anytime soon,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, who projects that nationwide home prices will fall up to 10 percent before bottoming next fall.

Driven by rising unemployment, prime fixed-rate loans to borrowers with good credit accounted for nearly 33 percent of new foreclosures last quarter. That compares with 21 percent a year ago.

Many laid-off homeowners might be able to survive on their savings for a while, but “the longer the economic situation stays in place, the less likely they are to hold on,” said Jay Brinkmann, chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association.

In markets where foreclosures already are high and still rising, prices likely will remain soft. That will cause developers to keep their bulldozers idle and prevent the industry from making a big contribution to the economy’s recovery.

“Builders only start homes when they can make money,” said John Burns, an Irvine, Calif.-based real estate consultant. “In a lot of areas, until prices go back up, construction doesn’t make any sense.”

The crisis has struck people like Betty Wilson of San Diego. She was laid off a year ago from her job at an insurance company.

Since then, Wilson has managed to pay her $1,090 mortgage bill from collecting unemployment benefits, renting out a room and dipping into savings. But money is running low. She fears she won’t make her payment for December.

Wilson, 56, said she has tried to get her mortgage company, GMAC Mortgage, to lower her 6.25 percent interest rate or give her a temporary break from payments. Many mortgage companies will let a borrower skip up to six months of payments, though they require that the money be paid back eventually.

After The Associated Press inquired about her case, a GMAC spokeswoman said Thursday that the company would offer Wilson reduced payments for four months, “while we continue to review her financials for a permanent solution.”

After a typical recession, foreclosures peak about six months after the unemployment rate does. But the process could take longer this time, in part because loan-modification programs and new state laws have prolonged the process. Unemployment, now at 10.2 percent, isn’t expected to peak until next spring or summer.

Another unknown is the effectiveness of the Obama administration plan to attack the foreclosure crisis. As of last month, about 20 percent of eligible borrowers, or more than 650,000 people, had signed up. But most of those enrolled have been chosen for trials lasting up to five months.

About 4 million homeowners were either in foreclosure or at least three months behind on their mortgage payments as of September, according to the mortgage bankers group. Even if some of them manage to stay in their homes, the market is likely to absorb a wave of new foreclosures. Those properties are concentrated in states like Florida and other already beleaguered areas.

Subprime loans with adjustable rates have fallen to 16 percent of new foreclosures, from 35 percent a year earlier. Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration also show rising signs of trouble. More than 18 percent of FHA borrowers are at least one payment behind or in foreclosure.

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s quarterly survey of 44.6 million loans is considered the most authoritative report on mortgage delinquencies. A separate report, issued monthly by foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc., is based on courthouse filings.

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Forecast hopeful with first-time homebuyers leading the way. Miami Real Estate 800-819-5466

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Aided by the homebuyer tax credit, the outlook for housing and the economy appears headed for a sustainable recovery, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).

“Given the success of the first-time buyer tax credit to date, and the need for qualified buyers to continue to absorb inventory that will include additional foreclosures over the coming year, we are hopeful about the impact of the expanded tax credit because it will stabilize home prices,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “In fact, the credit is working better than first projected – it now looks like we’ll have 2.3 to 2.4 million first-time buyers this year.”

The 2009 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers shows that first-time buyers accounted for a record 47 percent share of home sales over the past year, up from 41 percent in the 2008 survey. The share has risen steadily since a cyclical low of 36 percent in 2006.

Existing-home sales are expected to total 5.01 million in 2009, a gain of 2.0 percent over last year, and then are forecast to rise 13.6 percent to 5.69 million in 2010. “A steady draw-down of inventory will help home values to turn positive in 2010, but risks such as unemployment remain in the economy,” Yun says.

New-home sales are projected at 397,000 this year, recovering to 549,000 in 2010. Housing starts, including multifamily units, should total 564,000 units this year but grow to 752,000 in 2010.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will probably average 5.3 percent in the fourth quarter, rising gradually to 5.8 percent by the end of next year. NAR’s housing affordability index will set a record in 2009, averaging 30 percentage points higher than 2008. Affordability will decline from record highs next year but will remain at historically attractive levels for homebuyers.

“We’ve seen a steady downtrend in housing inventory for well over a year, and home prices appear to be in the early stages of stabilizing,” Yun says. “With expansion of the tax credit to additional buyers through the middle of next year, and no major unforeseen events impacting the economy, home prices should rise between 3 and 5 percent in 2010, but with wide geographic differences.”

He expects growth in the U.S. gross domestic product to be at a pace of 2.5 percent in the current quarter, with GDP up 2.8 percent in 2010.

The unemployment rate is close to peaking and is projected to ease to 9.5 percent by the end of next year.

“The size of the U.S. budget deficit is a concern going forward and carries the risk of higher inflation. At this point, that risk appears to be restrained,” Yun says. Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, is seen contracting 0.4 percent this year, then rising 1.6 percent in 2010. Inflation-adjusted disposable personal income is estimated to grow 0.4 percent this year and 1.2 percent next year.

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Buying a Home in Time to Get Credit - Miami Real Estate 800-819-5466

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House hunting usually slows down this time of year, as people put their searches on hold during the holidays.

This winter could be different, however, thanks to the extension -- and expansion -- of the first-time home-buyer tax credit.

"We're going to see far more interest in the fourth quarter than we generally do because of the tax credit," says Heather Fernandez, vice president of Trulia.com, a real-estate search engine. Traffic surged on the site on Nov. 5, the day Congress approved the credit extension, she says.

The new law extends the tax credit for first-time home buyers and opens it up to some existing homeowners as well: The credit is now up to $8,000 for first-time buyers and up to $6,500 for repeat buyers.

All buyers must have a binding contract on a house in place on or before April 30. The purchase must be for a principal residence and must close on or before June 30.

To be considered a first-time home buyer, an individual must not have owned a home in the past three years. And to be eligible, existing homeowners need to have lived in the same principal residence for five consecutive years during the eight-year period that ends when the new home is purchased.

Income limits have risen as well. According to the Internal Revenue Service's Web site, www.irs.gov, the home-buyer tax credit phases out for individuals with modified adjusted gross incomes between $125,000 and $145,000, and between $225,000 and $245,000 for people filing joint returns.

The inclusion of move-up buyers might inspire homeowners to take action and list their house if they've been putting it off, says Carolyn Warren, a Seattle mortgage broker.

"If people love their home, it's not going to entice them to sell," Ms. Warren says. "If they've had it in the back of their minds and really would like to move up, it might push them into doing it sooner than later."

If you're thinking of purchasing a home, here are five tips:

Don't procrastinate
Start your house search now. Getting an early start will give you a better chance of finding the right house before the credit deadline.

When first-time buyers thought that the credit would expire Nov. 30, people scrambled to find properties in September and October, says Pat Lashinsky, chief executive of ZipRealty, a residential real-estate brokerage firm. In some cases, "there wasn't inventory that fit people's needs," he says. In some markets, including Phoenix, Chicago and parts of California, for example, properties had multiple bidders, Mr. Lashinsky adds.

Before you start house hunting, get preapproved for a mortgage, says Eddie Fadel, a Miami-based mortgage banker. And do a realistic assessment of what you can afford.

Buyers who have to sell an existing home should price it aggressively from the beginning to drum up interest and get a buyer as soon as possible, Ms. Fernandez says.

Don't count on another extension
The credit won't be available forever, Mr. Fadel says.

"This is a medication for the housing crisis," he says, "Once the patient -- which is the housing market -- is cured, there will be no medication needed."

Be mindful of interest rates
Interest rates are low right now, but will likely rise next year, Ms. Warren says. Higher rates will affect your monthly mortgage payments, thus the affordability of the house you are buying.

"It's pretty universally accepted that rates will be higher next year," she says. "What is unknown is how fast and by how much."

Average rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages have been hovering around 5%. But when the Federal Reserve stops buying large amounts of mortgage-backed securities next year, interest rates could rise, Ms. Warren points out. The Fed plans to end its purchase program in March.

Communicate with your lender
Make sure you're speaking with your lender regularly to avoid any delays. If the lender asks for any additional documentation, turn it in as soon as possible, says Doug Heddings, a New York-based real-estate agent with Charles Rutenberg Realty.

And think twice before pursuing a short sale. That's where someone sells a home for less than what he or she owes on a mortgage, with permission of the lender. The process can be lengthy and unpredictable because the homeowner's lender has to approve any deal, Ms. Warren says, and it can get complicated when there is a second mortgage associated with the property.

Don't take shortcuts
Don't forgo any of the steps you would normally take just to make the tax-credit deadline. That means making sure the house is a good fit and is in the right location and getting a home inspection, Mr. Lashinsky says. Skipping steps could cost you in the long run.

"Don't let the tax credit get you to make a decision to buy a house that you wouldn't otherwise want to buy," he says. "Don't shortcut the process to get the tax credit."

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Fed again pledges to hold rates at record-lows. Great for Real Estate

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The Federal Reserve pledged Wednesday to keep a key interest rate at a record low for an “extended period,” signaling that the weak economy remains dependent on government help to grow.

The Fed said economic activity has “continued to pick up” and that the housing market has strengthened – a key ingredient for a sustained recovery.

But Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues warned that rising joblessness and tight credit for many people and companies could restrain the rebound in the months ahead.

“Economic activity is likely to remain weak for a time,” they said.

Against that backdrop, the Fed kept the target range for its bank lending rate at zero to 0.25 percent. And it made no major changes to a program to help drive down mortgage rates.

Commercial banks’ prime lending rate, used to peg rates on home equity loans, certain credit cards and other consumer loans, will remain about 3.25 percent, the lowest in decades.

Still, some credit card rates have risen over the past several months. In part, that reflects rate increases by lenders in response to escalating defaults on credit card loans. Lenders also pushed through increases before a new law clamping down on sudden rate hikes for credit card customers takes effect early next year.

On Capitol Hill, the House voted Wednesday to accelerate the enactment date of the new rules to protect consumers from many such surprise changes. Credit card companies would have to comply immediately, rather than starting in February, unless they agreed to freeze interest rates and fees. But the proposal’s chances in the Senate are considered dim.

The average rate nationwide on a variable-rate credit card is 11.5 percent, according to Bankrate.com. Lenders charge more and credit card customers pay rates higher than the prime because the debt they run up is riskier.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average at first held onto an increase of more than 100 points after the Fed’s announcement. But stocks eventually gave up most of their gains in a late-day slump. It wasn’t clear how much of a role the Fed’s statement played. Some analysts noted that investors are nervous as the release of the government’s October jobs report on Friday approaches.

In normal times, the Fed controls only short-term rates. But after the financial crisis erupted, the Fed began buying longer-term Treasuries. Its purchases kept those rates lower than they’d otherwise be.

This is good news for borrowers with auto loans, some student loans, 15- and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages and some adjustable-rate mortgages. But it hurts savers and people dependent on fixed incomes who would normally be enjoying higher yields.

On Wednesday, the Fed stuck with its pledge to keep rates at “exceptionally low” levels for “an extended period.” Most analysts don’t think the Fed would begin to boost rates until next spring or summer.

Fed policymakers “believe they need to keep rates low to ensure that the recovery doesn’t falter,” said Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors.

The central bank hopes low rates will encourage consumers and businesses to boost spending, which would invigorate the recovery. The Fed signaled that it can continue to hold rates low because inflation is all but nonexistent.

The Fed has now entered a new phase: Managing the recovery rather than fighting the worst recession and financial crisis to hit the country since the Great Depression.

The economy began growing again last quarter for the first time in more than a year. But much of that growth came from government-supported spending on homes and cars. The strength and staying power of the recovery are uncertain, especially once government supports are removed.

In such a fragile recovery, a rate increase by the Fed is unlikely anytime soon, said Chris Rupkey, an economist at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi.

“Growth does not mean a rate hike,” Rupkey said.

As with past rebounds, the budding recovery won’t likely stop the unemployment rate from rising. The rate, now at a 26-year high of 9.8 percent, is expected to hit 9.9 percent on Friday, when the government releases the unemployment report for October. The jobless rate could rise as high as 10.5 percent around the middle of next year before declining, analysts said.

At some point, once the recovery is firmly rooted, the Fed is likely to start signaling that higher rates are coming. One hint of an eventual rate hike would be the Fed’s changing or dropping its pledge to hold rates at record-low levels for an “extended period.”

It’s a delicate task. Boosting rates and removing supports too soon could short-circuit the recovery. On the other hand, holding rates low and keeping government supports intact too long could unleash inflation.

Though it didn’t change a program to help drive down mortgage rates, the Fed did say it will trim its purchases of debt from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to $175 billion, from $200 billion, because the supply of that debt has declined.

At its previous meeting in late September, the Fed agreed to slow the pace of a $1.25 trillion program to buy mortgage securities from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It decided to wrap up the purchases by the end of March instead of at year-end. So far, the Fed has bought $776 billion of the mortgage securities.

Its efforts to lower mortgage rates are paying off. Rates on 30-year loans averaged 5.03 percent, Freddie Mac reported last week. That’s down from 6.46 percent last year.

Though the Fed will slow its purchases of mortgage securities, rates for home loans should remain low – in the 5 percent range – as long as the purchases continue, analysts say.

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Tax credit extension passes House and Senate. Florida Real Estate

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WASHINGTON – Nov. 5, 2009 – The $8,000, first-time homebuyer tax credit has not yet been extended beyond its Nov. 30 end date, but it’s very close to gaining a longer life.

The extension was added as an amendment to an existing bill, HR 3548, that extends unemployment benefits. The U.S. Senate passed that bill on Wednesday and, after debate, the U.S. House passed HR 3548 this afternoon. It now needs only President Obama’s signature to become law, and the White House has indicated it will sign it, perhaps as early as tomorrow.

Until the president signs the bill, however, it is not law.

In addition to extending the tax credit for first-time homebuyers under the current rules, the bill adds a smaller tax credit for move-up homebuyers who have lived in the house for five of the past seven years. The bill also increases the income limits of homebuyers from $75,000 (single) to $125,000; and from $150,000 (married) to $225,000.

Florida downpayment assistance

After the president signs the bill and extends the tax credit, the Florida Homebuyer Opportunity Program – a downpayment and closing costs assistance program relating to the federal tax credit –automatically gets extended too. The state still has about $28 million available for homebuyers. The money is essentially a loan to first-time buyers; they receive it upfront, use it for a downpayment or other costs, and pay it back once they get their federal refund.

For more information on the Florida Homebuyer Opportunity Program, visit the Homebuyer Center on floridarealtors.org: http://www.floridarealtors.org/AboutFar/homebuyercenter/index.cfm

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Aventura Real Estate - Feds: More than 100 arrested for mortgage fraud.

South Florida Real Estate-

A federal prosecutor says a crackdown on organized mortgage fraud this year has yielded 105 arrests from Jacksonville to Fort Myers.

A. Brian Albritton, the U.S. attorney for Florida’s middle district, announced the results of the nine-month investigation at news conferences Tuesday in Fort Myers and Tampa.

Albritton said the fraudulent loans totaled more than $400 million and involved more than 700 properties.

Defendants include mortgage brokers, real estate agents, lenders, sellers and buyers. Albritton called the problem an “epidemic.”

Florida’s middle district includes a swath that extends from Jacksonville to Fort Myers and includes the Orlando and Tampa areas.

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Outlook for 2009 Miami Real Estate: It’s a buyer’s market !

Miami Real Estate - Now's the time to buy.

What’s the outlook for 2009? Florida Realtors® agree that it’s a buyer’s market! With lower prices and strong pent-up demand, Florida homes are highly attractive – especially to first-time and move-up buyers. Meanwhile, vacation residences continue to be warm-weather bargains to U.S. and international buyers.

Outlook for 2009: It’s a buyer’s market!
“We expect first-time homebuyers will be the largest segment next year,” says Ed Forman, president Watson Realty Corp., Jacksonville. “That includes a high percentage of single women buying their first property.”

The same pricing dynamics benefit working-age families in their 30s and 40s who may be moving into a starter home or looking for a move-up with more space for children, according to Mike Pappas, president and CEO, The Keyes Company, Miami. “For these buyers in particular, lower pricing is making Florida homes very attractive,” he says.

In many Florida markets, affluent buyers are picking up luxury properties as primary residences or second-homes – a trend likely to continue. “The high end of the Florida market has held up quite well,” says Brad Hunter, director, South Florida region, MetroStudy in Boca Raton.

International buyers remain an important component of the state’s market, especially in coastal areas like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Naples and Sarasota, as well as Orlando/Kissimmee. Florida Association of Realtors research studies show buyers from Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, South America and Europe generate more than 15 percent of residential transactions.

On the other hand, the traditional flow of retiree buyers to Florida remains uncertain in the year ahead. Slower economic conditions in the Northeast and Midwest – two prime feeder markets for Florida – may make it harder for retirees with modest incomes to make the big move to Florida. Many retirees are also faced with less purchasing power due to declines in their investment portfolio and may opt to stay put. However, the number of Baby Boomers reaching age 65 continues to increase and many of these prospective buyers will be considering Florida when the nation’s economic condition improves.

Market watch perspectives
If the opportunities for great value and investment potential are presented, will buyers hop the fence and buy? Experts weigh in.

Use these Web sites to get local stats and build your own market watch for prospective buyers and sellers.

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Feds: Chinese drywall reports still inconclusive. Miami Real Estate

Got Miami ? Miami Real Estate Services

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – Federal studies released Thursday cannot yet definitively link imported Chinese drywall to health problems or corrosion of pipes and wires that thousands of U.S. homeowners have been reporting for nearly a year.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is leading the multi-agency investigation, said it needs to further study the matter before it can consider a recall, ban or other solutions to help affected homeowners. Additional results from ongoing studies were due to be released next month.

“The expansive investigation and scientific work that has been done and continues to be carried out is all aimed at providing answers and solutions,” Lori Saltzman, a director in the CPSC’s Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction, said Thursday. “No connections have been made yet.”

Saltzman said the agency, which has so far spent $3.5 million on the studies, has received nearly 1,900 homeowner complaints during one of its largest consumer product investigations in U.S. history.

“We understand this problem has literally driven people from their homes,” she said.

Homeowners, however, were frustrated by a lack of answers.

“So many of us have been really waiting on these results released today to offer us encouragement, but in fact, we’re quite disappointed,” said Holly Krulik, of Parkland, Florida, about 45 miles north of Miami.

Krulik and her husband, Doug, along with their two young children, moved in with her parents about six months ago because she says the Chinese wallboard in their home was making them sick and ruining the house.

“We’re hanging on by a thread here. When is help going to arrive?” said Krulik, who will soon join hundreds of others who have filed lawsuits.

Thousands of homeowners like the Kruliks who bought new houses built with the potentially defective materials are finding their lives in limbo as the lawsuits against builders, contractors, suppliers and manufacturers wind through the courts.

During the height of the U.S. housing boom, with building materials in short supply, American construction companies imported millions of pounds (kilograms) of Chinese-made drywall because it was abundant and cheap. An Associated Press analysis of shipping records found that more than 500 million pounds (226 million kilograms) of Chinese gypsum board was imported between 2004 and 2008 – enough to have built tens of thousands of homes.

They are heavily concentrated in the Southeast, especially Florida and areas of Louisiana and Mississippi hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.

The defective materials have since been found by state and federal agencies to emit “volatile sulfur compounds.” Officials have also found traces of strontium sulfide, which can produce a rotten-egg odor, along with organic compounds not found in American-made drywall. Homeowners complain the fumes are corroding copper pipes, destroying TVs and air conditioners, blackening jewelry and silverware, and making them sick.

And some homeowners are reporting that their insurance companies are dropping or refusing to renew their policies based on the presence of the wallboard in their houses, putting them at risk of foreclosure.

The federal test results released Thursday largely confirmed what prior testing had found. The multiple agencies investigating, including the CPSC, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acknowledged the reported health symptoms are consistent with some sort of contamination. But the culprit is unclear.

The Chinese government is assisting with the investigation.

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First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit May Be Extended. Aventura Real Estate 800-819-5466

Aventura Real Estate - Miami Florida -

The current $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers is scheduled to end on November 30, 2009. An amendment to expand the tax credit, sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, is expected to be attached to a Senate bill extending unemployment compensation.

The new version would allow all home buyers -- not just first-time buyers -- who earn less than $150,000 as individuals and $300,000 as married couples to receive a tax credit up to $8,000. The cost of the new version of the tax credit is nearly $17 billion. The new tax credit would run through June 30, 2010.

However, shortly before we went to press, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan told the Senate Banking Committee that the White House hadn't make a decision about extending the tax credit and was looking at the costs.

In the meantime, home buyers continue to ask a lot of questions about how to apply the current tax credit.

Q: My daughter, who is a U.S. citizen, has lived in a foreign country for the past 23 years. So one could say her primary residence is not in the U.S. She and her husband recently purchased a home in the U.S. that will be used as a rental property. Will she be able to claim the first time home buyer tax credit?

A: Unfortunately, the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit (in its current incarnation) is only available for individuals who have not owned a home during the last three years and intend on using the purchased home as a primary residence.

Since your daughter intends on using the home as a rental, it will not qualify for the tax credit.

By the way, although the $8,000 tax credit has not yet been extended beyond its current sunset date of November 30, the new version being proposed does not provide a tax credit for investment property. It is only for those who are buying a home to live in.

Q: The closing on my house will occur at the end of October or the beginning of November. I should be eligible for the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit.

But here's the wrinkle: I will be inheriting a house in November when my father's estate comes out of probate. Will that make me ineligible for the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit? I plan to live in the house that I am purchasing.

A: The rules relating to the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit require you to be a first-time home buyer by the date of the closing. If you close on your home at the end of October and at that time qualify for the tax credit, you shouldn't have to worry about whether you're inheriting a house the following month. You need only comply with the other requirements.

To qualify for the tax credit, you must not have owned a home during the three years prior to the closing. You must live in the home you buy for three years and must use it as your primary residence.

Your modified adjusted gross income may not exceed $75,000 for single people and $150,000 for married couples. Above those numbers, the tax credit phases out. (Your adjusted gross income is basically what you would see at the bottom of the first page of your federal income tax return.)

To get the full benefit of the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, the sales price of the home must be at least $80,000. The tax credit equals 10 percent of the purchase price of the home, up to a maximum of $8,000.

Most importantly, you must close on the purchase of your new primary residence no later than November 30, 2009.

There are other rules that provide that the home must be located in the United States. Non-resident aliens are ineligible to obtain the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, and you can't buy the home from a close relative.

In answer to your question, if you inherit the home after you close on your primary residence, you should still be entitled to keep the tax credit as long as you live in the home you purchased for at least three years.

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Rates on 30-year loans rise to 5.03 percent - Miami Real Estate 800-819-5466

Miami Beach - Rates for 30-year home loans climbed to 5.03 percent this week, the third consecutive weekly increase.

The average rate inched up from 5 percent a week earlier, mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday. The last time the average was higher was the week of September 24, when rates averaged 5.04 percent.

Rates had hovered below 5 percent for nearly a month until last week. They hit a record low of 4.78 percent in the spring, but are still attractive for people looking to buy a home or refinance.

The rates have advanced despite action by the government to prop up the housing market and stimulate the economy. The Federal Reserve has pumped $1.25 trillion on mortgage-backed securities in an effort to lower rates on mortgages and loosen credit.

Rates on 30-year mortgages traditionally track yields on long-term government debt.

Still, lenders have tightened their standards dramatically, so the best rates are available only to borrowers with solid credit and a 20 percent down payment.

Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders around the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day, frequently in line with long-term Treasury bonds.

The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.46 percent from 4.43 percent recorded last week, according to Freddie Mac.

Rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 4.42 percent, up from last week’s 4.4 percent. Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages rose to 4.57 percent from 4.54 percent.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. The nationwide fee for loans in Freddie Mac’s survey averaged 0.7 points for 30-year loans. The fee averaged 0.6 points for 15-year, five-year and one-year loans.

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