Monday, February 6, 2012
San Diego Union Tribune
The American Guild of Appraisers is digging into a federal rule it says has driven down the quality of home valuations, negatively affecting appraiser wages along with borrowers trying to get mortgages or refinances.
Read the full story
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jan/26/appraisers-say-feds-rule-has-hurt-their-pay-homeow/
Monday, January 23, 2012
San Diego Union-Tribune
The number of loan servicers taking part in a state mortgage-aid program continues to grow roughly one year after its launch. The Keep Your Home California program now has 55 participating mortgage servicers, up from 21 in June.
Read the full story
http://utsandiego.com/news/2012/jan/10/more-lenders-added-calif-mortgage-aid-program/
Thursday, January 19, 2012
If you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from the IRS requesting that you file a “tax refund request,” do not fall victim to this identity theft scheme.
Numerous people are receiving unsolicited email informing them that a $9,390.55 IRS tax refund is due to them if they complete a tax refund request form. The email code will be forged to appear as if it originated from a trusted source, usually the IRS or an IRS tax preparer, but viewing the “message header” or “message source” will reveal its origin to be something else, and the link will not lead to a trusted domain, but one controlled by identity theft criminals.
If you file a tax return and a refund is due, you will automatically receive your refund. You will never be contacted by the IRS, and there is no tax refund request form. Never disclose personal information to any unsolicited inquiry, as compelling as the story may be.
If you have questions or concerns about any IRS tax refund you may have due, you should access the official IRS “Where’s My Refund” online application at the following destination: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96596,00.html.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Los Angeles Times
The mortgage market told a sad story throughout 2011: Record low rates, but few people taking advantage of them to buy homes. The likely scenario in the new year, according to many analysts, is more of the same.
Read the full story:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mortgage-rates-20120103,0,2240865.story
Thursday, January 5, 2012
HUD recently announced the launch of the HUD Language Line, a telephone language service pilot that will offer live, one-on-one interpretation services in more than 175 languages. Accessible throughout the nation, the language line will help HUD staff to better communicate with Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals and families about HUD housing programs, services, and activities.
The pilot program will run through September 2012. HUD staff across the nation will be able to use the HUD Language Line to provide non-English-speaking individuals and families with information about fair housing, homeownership, lead abatement, housing assistance, and other HUD programs and services. When a person with limited English proficiency contacts the Department, the HUD staff person taking the call will contact the Language Line and speak with a live operator, who will connect the caller and HUD staff person with an interpreter who speaks the caller’s language.
HUD also offers a Limited English Proficiency website to promote equal access to housing programs by providing important HUD documents in 18 different languages. HUD’s expanded LEP website features factsheets, housing brochures and other HUD forms in Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese, Creole, Farsi, French, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, in addition to English.
The site offers brochures on fair housing, model lease agreements, information about HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), and Resident Rights and Responsibilities. The larger LEP initiative is in response to Executive Order 13166, which requires all federal, local and state agencies that receive federal funding to ensure that people with limited language skills have meaningful access to government programs and services.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Los Angeles Times
Newly initiated home foreclosures by large national banks increased 21.1 percent in the three months ending Sept. 30 as mortgage servicers lifted voluntary holds on such activity because of paperwork problems, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reported Wednesday.
Read the full story
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/12/home-foreclosures-jumped-in-third-quarter-federal-report-says.html
Monday, December 12, 2011
CNNMoney
The Census Bureau reported an annual sales rate of 307,000 new homes last month, up 1.3 percent from a downwardly revised rate of 303,000 homes in September.
Read the full story
http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/28/real_estate/new_home_sales/index.htm?iid=HP_LN
Monday, December 5, 2011
The Los Angeles Times
Americans’ confidence in the economy in November bounced back to its highest level since July, the latest sign that consumers are beginning to feel more cheerful about spending during the holiday shopping season.
Read the full story
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-economy-20111129,0,905798.story
Monday, November 28, 2011
Lower home prices and interest rates led to an increase in home affordability in the third quarter, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® reported.
Making sense of the story
Read the full story
http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-housing-affordability-20111111,0,6083426.story
Monday, November 21, 2011
Applications for home purchase loans dropped by 20 percent in October from September, even though mortgage rates in October held close to their lowest levels of the year. Compared with one year ago, applications for home purchases were unchanged.
Read the full story
http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2011/11/11/applications-for-purchase-mortgages-declined-in-october/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=WSJ_Real Estate_BLOGSDEVELOPMENTSFEED
