Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Credit Scores Getting Worse: Another Reason The Housing Market Will Decline Further and Then Stay Down

Credit Scores Getting Worse: Another Reason The Housing Market Will Decline Further and Then Stay Down

According to this article, Analysis: One-Third of Americans Highly Unlikely to Qualify for a Mortgage Today, 29.3% of Americans has a credit score under 620. This means that almost 1 in 3 Americans cannot qualify for a mortgage loan right now. This is yet another reason why the housing market will decline further: too many potential buyers are eliminated from the buyer pool due to poor credit. By the time this housing market decline is over the percentage of Americans with poor credit will likely increase to as much as 35% to 40%. In addition to that, nearly 50% of Americans will owe more than their home is worth (see SCARY STUFF: About half of U.S. mortgages seen underwater by 2011) and there is just no way buyers can come back into the market in a big way absent a substantial decline in home prices, which would allow new buyers into the market. Therefore, even when this housing market decline hits a bottom there will be no driver to push home prices back up resulting in more of a "thud and muddle" rather than a "V" recovery (also see: The Truth About Home Prices). As a result of this there are going to be a high level of foreclosures, short sales and other distress sales for the next several years.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Homeowners and Property Owners in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR, Expert and Real Estate Investor. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert and Real Estate Investor.

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Truth About Home Prices

The Truth About Home Prices
Median Single Family Home Price to Median Family Income Ratio Over Time (1/1989 to Present)


As you can see on the graph below, Median Single Family Home Price to Median Family Income Ratio Over Time (1/1989 to Present), the current Median Single Family Home Price to Median Family Income Ratio ("Ratio") is higher than at any point during the entire period evaluated except for the 2002-2008 housing bubble. The problem is that unemployment is higher that any time except for the prior few months. The question is : How can home prices, per the Ratio, be relatively higher than any non-bubble period when unemployment is extremely high and foreclosures are at record levels? The answer is: artificial government housing market propping. Once this market propping is over the organic (and true) housing market will become clear. That clarity will show that housing prices will decline as soon as this artificial government market propping ends see my previous blog post: Home Prices Headed Down.

In short, housing prices will continue to decline because current housing prices still do not reflect the current economic reality: the economy is poor, but housing prices remain "average". This simply does not make sense. This is not my opinion, but, rather, is proven by the facts. I analyzed the data in the NAR Home Affordability Index (HAI) from 1/1989 through 7/2010 and found that the Median of the Ratio of Median Home Price to Family Income is 2.92 and the Average of the Ratio of Median Home Price to Family Income is 3.07. Over this same period, the lowest reading occurred in 12/1990 at 2.654. Therefore, it is safe to say that from an historical perspective the typical price of a median home should be about 3 times the median family income. The 7/2010 reading was over 3 at 3.032 (i.e. over 4% higher than the historical median and about the same as the historical average). The problem is that we are not in a “typical” economic environment – we have record foreclosures that seem to persist and near 10% unemployment. Given that the lowest reading of 2.654 occurred in 12/1990 and that our current economic conditions are far worse than 12/1990, it is logical to conclude that the Median Home Price to Family Income Ratio should be below 2.654. If the ratio declines to 2.5, home prices will decline by over 21%. If the ratio declines to 2.5 and family incomes decline by just 5%, home prices will decline by nearly 28%. Given that personal incomes are declining and that a 2.5 ratio is probably a bit optimistic, I believe it is very feasible that home prices will decline by an additional 30%. As a result, there will be more short sales and foreclosures. See the graph below for a representation of the Ratio of Median Home Price to Family Income Over Time and how it compares to the Average and Median of that same Ratio.

The Truth About Home Prices - Median Single Family Home Price to Median Family Income Ratio Over Time (1/1989 to Present).

The graph shows that houses are still overpriced when compared to incomes. Keeping homes overpriced by artificially allowing more home buyers into the market and encouraging other home buyers to purchase more expensive homes (because of artificially cheap money) is completely irresponsible. Why should Americans be happy about being forced to overpay for homes (due to having to compete with home buyers who should not be home buyers, but only are do to the "government housing stimulus" described above) - that only leaves less money available for saving, investment, non-debt spending, etc. In short, it makes it harder and harder to get by on their current incomes. The American Dream is being killed by unnaturally high home prices, which are made possible by irresponsible government housing market propping. The government should just let home prices fall to where they should naturally be given the current economic situation (i.e. a lot lower than they are right now).

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Homeowners and Property Owners in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR, Expert and Real Estate Investor. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert and Real Estate Investor.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Home Prices Headed Down

Home Prices Headed Down


The situation is really sad and infuriating at the same time. I think we can all agree that artificially cheap and easy money (i.e. excessive lending) is what got us into this housing bubble (really a debt/lending bubble) mess to begin with. Therefore, it is incredibly foolish and irresponsible that the federal government (and some states such as CA) is trying to "solve" the problem by artificially propping up demand for homes by pushing the banks to lend more, bailing out banks, guaranteeing the trillions (yes TRILLIONS) in losses that will ultimately come from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, artificially keeping interest rates low by buying over $1.25 trillion in mortgage securities in order to encourage more borrowing, expanding FHA lending dramatically, giving out $8,000 tax credits to first time home buyers, etc. Homes are still overpriced when compared to incomes (see my personal research below). Keeping homes overpriced by artificially allowing more home buyers into the market and encouraging other home buyers to purchase more expensive homes (because the "money is so cheap") is completely irresponsible. Why should Americans be happy about being forced to overpay for homes (due to having to compete with home buyers who should not be home buyers, but only are do to the "government housing stimulus" described above) - that only leaves less money available for saving, investment, non-debt spending, etc. In short, it makes it harder and harder to get by on their current incomes. The American Dream is being killed by excessively high home prices and our all knowing and caring government is causing this!. Let me say this clearly: YOU CANNOT SOLVE A PROBLEM CAUSED BY TOO MUCH DEBT BY TAKING ON MORE DEBT. It is impossible. Instead, the government should just let home prices fall to where they should naturally be given the current economic situation (i.e. a lot lower than they are right now). The housing market is headed down as soon as the foolish government market propping ends.

There is 0% chance that any market is actually "stabilizing" since that implies an actual free market. "Temporarily Artificially Propped" is a more accurate description of our current real estate market. See my blog post from November 2009 (I correctly detailed the current state of the real estate market and accurately predicted what would happen after the tax credit and other government market propping expired): Our Phony Real Estate Market. Also, see my personal research below.

There is no way that home prices have reached a bottom. I analyzed the data in the NAR Home Affordability Index (HAI) from 1/1989 through 6/2010 and found that the Median of the Ratio of Median Home Price to Family Income is 2.92 and the Average of the Ratio of Median Home Price to Family Income is 3.07. Over this same period, the lowest reading occurred in 12/1990 at 2.654. Therefore, it is safe to say that from an historical perspective the typical price of a median home should be about 3 times the median family income. The 6/2010 reading was over 3 at 3.045 (i.e. over 4% higher than the historical median and about the same as the historical average). The problem is that we are not in a “typical” economic environment – we have record foreclosures that seem to persist and 10% unemployment. Given that the lowest reading of 2.654 occurred in 12/1990 and that our current economic conditions are far worse than 12/1990, it is logical to conclude that the Median Home Price to Family Income Ratio should be below 2.654. If the ratio declines to 2.5, home prices will decline by nearly 22%. If the ratio declines to 2.5 and family incomes decline by 5%, home prices will decline by over 28%. Given that personal incomes are declining and that a 2.5 ratio is probably a bit optimistic, I believe it is very feasible that home prices will decline by an additional 30%. As a result, there will be more short sales and foreclosures. See the graph below for a representation of the Ratio of Median Home Price to Family Income Over Time and how it compares to the Average and Median of that same Ratio.

National Association of REALTORS Home Affordability Index data showing that homes are really not affordable by historical standards.


Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Homeowners and Property Owners in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR, Expert and Real Estate Investor. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert and Real Estate Investor.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Homeowners Spending Their Mortgage Payments?

According to this Diana Olick article on CNBC.com, Mortgage Defaults May Be Driving Consumer Spending, recent studies show that "Americans are now far more likely to pay their other bills first before their mortgage (which is a big turnaround historically speaking)." As a result, the thought is that many of the nearly 7.4 million homeowners who are not paying their mortgage payments (defined as the total number of delinquent first mortgages plus REO properties - see the most recent mortgage performance data current as of March 31, 2010 in the LPS Mortgage Monitor: April 2010 Mortgage Performance Observations published by Lender Processing Services, a provider of mortgage processing services, settlement services, mortgage performance analytics and default solutions) may actually be spending money that would normally go toward making the monthly mortgage payment on consumer goods and services (i.e. food, clothing, car payments, medical expenses, entertainment, travel, etc.). The article mentions that Paul Jackson, publisher of Housingwire.com, wrote an article, For Consumers, Time to Shop (Until the Mortgage Drops), in which "he describes a case study of someone who applied for the government's Home Affordable Modification Program. The person had an $1,880.00 monthly mortgage payment on which they'd defaulted, but said person's monthly bank statement showed payments to a tanning salon, nail spa, liquor stores, DirecTV bill with premium charges, and $1,700.00 in retail purchases from The Gap, Old Navy, Home Depot, Sears, etc." Jackson goes on to say "Even if you assume that just half of the current 7.4 million currently delinquent mortgages fit this sort of ’spending profile’ (that is, they are spending their mortgage) and you assume a $1,000 median monthly mortgage payment for most U.S. homeowners — you get a $3.7 billion boost per month to consumer spending. It’s certainly enough spending to matter in the overall scheme of things." I find this truly scary, but I do believe that this is happening. In fact, I think this behavioral trend will become even more common as housing prices continue decline leaving more and more homeowners (I use that term loosely since until you have more equity than you have debt on your home the bank "owns" more of the home than you do) in position where they owe more than their homes are worth (i.e. underwater or negative equity). Frankly, I think this behavior is the result of a rather logical decision making process. If you were an underwater homeowner who owned a home and you had a choice between paying your mortgage (when you know you will never see that money again) and buying goods and services that you can enjoy now, what would you do? This is all a matter of economics and mathematics and in that vane paying for a declining asset (i.e. the home) makes no sense. As a result of this you can bet that foreclosures and short sales will continue to occur at high levels for the next several years.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Homeowners and Property Owners in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN).  If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert and Real Estate Investor.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Foreclosures Continue to Increase

Foreclosures Continue to Increase

According to this Diana Olick article on CNBC.com, Foreclosures Are Rising, foreclosures continue to increase (i.e. more properties are going to foreclosure auctions) due to the failure of the various loan modification programs (many borrowers do not end up qualifying for permanent modifications and many borrowers default on modifications even if they are granted) and the huge backlog of seriously delinquent loans (over 5 million), which are now making their way toward becoming foreclosures. Basically, foreclosures are going to remain extremely high for the next few years, and, as a result, seriously stress the banks' asset managers. Therefore, the banks are going to need to liquidate their excess non-performing assets via short sales.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert and Real Estate Investor.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Short Sales Will Increase

Short Sales Will Increase

According to this Diana Olick CNBC article, Let the Short Sales Begin, the Obama Administration's Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Plan (aka HAFA) (effective April 5, 2010), which is offering financial "incentives to borrowers, servicers, investors and second lien holders" to encourage short sales, plus the coming wave of foreclosures (shadow foreclosures, Option ARM and related foreclosures) will result in a substantial increase in the number of short sales. I absolutely agree. The question is whether the increase will be enough. The article goes on to state that the "Administration increased the incentives such as "doubling the amount of cash to $3000 offered as borrower "relocation expenses" and juicing the payoffs to the others as well. Of course they want to push short sales because of course they know that their modification program isn't working as planned." That is no surprise. Very few people I talk to are granted loan modifications and even the ones that are know that the loan modification it is a band-aid, not a solution.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert and Real Estate Investor.

Monday, April 5, 2010

How To Stop Foreclosure

How To Stop Foreclosure

Homeowners and real estate owners who are in foreclosure, or who have received a letter from their mortgage lender's attorney stating that the foreclosure process will begin, or have received a notice of default frequently ask me how they can stop the foreclosure. Therefore, I listed the best ways to stop a foreclosure action below depending on whether you want to keep your home or investment property.

Options if you want to keep your home or investment property:
  • Mortgage Refinance - If you have not missed a payment yet you still may be able to refinance into a more affordable loan. You should investigate this option as soon as you know that there may be financial trouble as this option will only remain viable for a short period of time. If your home is worth substantially less than the mortgage(s) you need to refinance this option will not work.
  • Loan Modification - Contact your mortgage lender as soon as you miss a mortgage payment and ask about their loan modification options. Don't expect much help, though, as most loan modification requests are not approved.
  • Loan Forbearance - If you are denied for a loan modification due to your financial issue being temporary you may be able to get a loan forbearance agreement with your lender. Basically, forbearance is a temporary reduction in your mortgage payment (usually 3-6 months) where the part of the payments that you did not make (i.e. the difference between the normal payments and the reduced payments) is added to the final forbearance payment. Due to the large final payment, this option most likely only a temporary way to stop foreclosure. However, getting the foreclosure stopped is absolutely necessary so that you can review other options (see below).
Options if you do not want to (or or not able to) keep your home or investment property:
  • Short Sale - A short sale is a sale of real estate where the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off the liens on the real estate (usually the mortgage(s), tax liens and unpaid HOA and condo fees). This is the best way to proceed in that you can frequently, but not always, get the mortgage debt(s) fully satisfied and get released from any future obligations. A short sale is also less damaging to your credit than the other options. If you decide that a short sale is your best option I highly recommend that you chose a REALTOR who specializes in short sales (i.e. not a traditional REALTOR, or neighborhood expert), or a short sale investor. In either case, you need someone who knows how to close short sales since they are very different than regular real estate sales.
  • Bankruptcy - If you have a lot of unsecured debt (i.e. personal loans, credit cards, unpaid bills, collection accounts, etc.) and just need to buy time to evaluate other options a bankruptcy could work for you. Please know that bankruptcy will not save your home. It will only delay the foreclosure unless the lender wants to work with you. Due to the complex laws which regulate personal bankruptcy, you will need to contact a bankruptcy attorney.
  • Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure - Basically, a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure is where you deed your home directly to your mortgage lender in exchange for them stopping the foreclosure. While this option is better than foreclosure, at least from a credit score standpoint, it will usually not get you released from the debt and probably will not work if you have other mortgages on the property.
Please note that all the options above will be slightly more difficult for real estate investors than they are for homeowners.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Homeowners and Property Owners in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Housing Headed For Trouble

Housing Headed For Trouble

As a short sale specialist, my listings usually sell very quickly. However, since March 2010 began my short sale listings are selling more slowly than they did previously. I attribute this to the first-time home buyer tax credit since those buyers were the primary buyer pool in my market Middle Tennessee. I think this is particularly true for most markets in the US where the tax credit had a substantial short term impact (particularly in lower priced markets where the $8,000 tax credit is a fairly substantial percentage of the sale prices). Now that the first time home buyer tax credit is nearing expiration, those tax credit buyers are, apparently, not willing to buy new short sale listings (they will still buy pre-approved short sales that can be closed in 30-45 days with a reasonable degree of certainty) since there is no guarantee that they will be able to close by 6/30/2010 (the expiration of the tax credit). Therefore, the only way to sell these short sale listings is to lower the price. These increasingly lower priced short sale and pre-foreclosure listings will put downward pressure on new construction and other retail priced listings.

The next phase of the great real estate meltdown is beginning to unfold as I predicted it would over 1 year ago (see my blog post from 11/2009 for a detailed breakdown of the drivers of the real estate market: Our Phony Real Estate Market). Unfortunately, the tax credit was nothing more than a temporary band-aid solution (really a gimmick) that will ultimately result in the tax credit buyers ending up in foreclosure at a very high rate since they are underwater the moment of closing (most put little to nothing down and have very little cash reserves) and will be even more so as the market declines. The buyers who purchased short sales and foreclosures as substantial discounts will likely be fine. That is why I only sell those types of properties. Unfortunately, home buyers who purchased new construction or other retail priced listings will be in trouble in the next few years. The main problem is that the entire US economy was built on debt. Consumer spending, which was 70%+/- of the entire US economy, was built largely on consumer debt (think credit cards, home equity loans, HELOC's, personal loans, etc.). Without this debt there can be little to no growth in consumer spending, and by extension, little to no growth in the US economy, until personal incomes increase at least enough to pay down current debt and still leave enough to spend more. Given that unemployment still hovers near 10% (the real number is about 16%) this will not happen anytime soon. It is just a matter of simple accounting. In addition to the end of the tax credit buyer ear there is the Option ARM foreclosure wave coming. As a result, there will lots of foreclosures and short sales over the next 5-10 years.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Housing Prices Declining Again

Housing Prices Declining Again

According to this Real Estate Economy Watch article, Fear Seen Driving Prices Lower than Last 20 Years, the housing markets in most US cities "will see prices fall below the lowest levels of the last 20 years" according to the House Price Forecast from University Financial Associates (UFA) in Ann Arbor Michigan.

The article quotes Dennis Capozza, the Dykema Professor of Business Administration in the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and a founding principal of UFA, as saying the "Detroit metro was the canary in the coal mine this cycle, with falling house prices arriving earlier than in other metros. Other metros that have already or will soon converge to pre-bubble real prices include Las Vegas, Phoenix, the inland California metros and many south Florida metros."

Overall, the UFA's forecast "would take the national median price of a home in most markets below $101,000, the national median in 1990, according to the Census Bureau." This prediction comes after other recent data which shows that housing prices are headed downward again. This will result in more short sales and foreclosures as underwater homeowners and real estate investors walk away from their upside down (i.e. negative equity) homes and properties.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

White House Admits Housing Will Not Recover Anytime Soon

White House Admits Housing Will Not Recover Anytime Soon

I read this Economy Watch article about the March 2010 US Unemployment Rate in which the White House basically admits (at least in a round about way) that the US housing market cannot rebound to anywhere near peak 2005-2007 (depending on the market) price levels until at least 2017. The article doesn't actually say this, but it states "The White House does not expect the rate to return to its healthy-economy level of 5 percent until at least 2017." Based on the fact that a healthy (i.e. low) unemployment rate is required to drive housing (employment has long been one of the major drivers of housing), one can only logically conclude that housing prices cannot improve to peak levels until unemployment also does the same. Therefore, the White House's 2017 "healthy-economy" unemployment rate prediction is also basically a prediction for the housing market as well. Given that political predictions usually appear to be "spun" for political gain I a guessing that 2017 is an optimistic estimate.

There are those like myself that remain "bearish" on the economy for the next several years. However, despite this many people are still "bullish" on the US economy due to the "economy always having bounced back." Unfortunately, I believe that this time is different (in a bad way) due to the following:
  • Absurdly high levels of private and public debt that is near peak levels.
  • Ill advised government deficit spending that is only adding to the already enormous debt. Think healthcare (aka Obamacare), Cap and Trade (aka Cap and Tax), etc.
  • The US's rapid movement toward socialism.
  • Unlike previous recessions, US manufacturing is basically dead and not likely to come back.
The issues above (i.e. combination of the huge debt, accelerated deficit spending and movement to socialism) will result in the US government having to hike taxes significantly, which will in turn reduce the incentive and ability to earn a profit so businesses will hire less workers, fewer business will be started, fewer businesses will be expanded and more businesses will close or merge resulting in less jobs.

I think many people will be "surprised" and "shocked" when all of this ends badly. They will then be "uncertain" about the future, etc. However, my view is that the near future (unforseen natural disasters, etc. aside) is little more than a small extension of the past and present, and, as a result is already set to a large degree based on the events and actions in the past and recent past. Given that I am reasonably sure that the short term future is very dim for the US economy, housing and more. As a result there will be many more foreclosures and short sales over the next 5-10 years.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance for Real Estate Investors, Home Builders and Developers in Nashville TN and Middle TN. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, or Middle Tennessee real estate investor, home builder, condo developer or real estate developer who cannot pay the property/project mortgage payments (due to the poor economy, adverse financing conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), have already defaulted on the mortgage, or are already in foreclosure, or owe more than the property/project is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/project). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (property owners, real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Nashville TN and Middle TN REALTOR Successfully Closes Murfreesboro TN (Rutherford County) Short Sale

Nashville TN and Middle TN REALTOR Successfully Closes Murfreesboro TN (Rutherford County) Short Sale

Jim McCormack, a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee REALTOR and Short Sale and Foreclosure Real Estate Expert, recently closed a Short Sale listing in Murfreesboro TN (Rutherford County) for $110,000 despite the bank valuing the property at $136,400 and an imminent foreclosure date. The sellers were very happy and relieved to be out from under this home that they could no longer afford.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance in Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee or La Vergne Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Nashville TN and Middle TN REALTOR Successfully Closes Spring Hill TN (Williamson County) Short Sale

Nashville TN and Middle TN REALTOR Successfully Closes Spring Hill TN (Williamson County) Short Sale

Jim McCormack, a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee REALTOR and Short Sale and Foreclosure Real Estate Expert, recently closed a Short Sale in Spring Hill TN (Williamson County) for $140,000. Jim, a short sale specialist, listed the property and represented the sellers. Jim was able to close the short sale even though the sellers were current on their mortgage payments, were getting divorced and the bank valued the house at a substantially above market price. The sale closed despite the original buyer backing out of the contract due to the bank rejecting their lower offer. Jim was able to obtain short sale approval for the 2nd buyer in less than one week. The sellers were very happy and relieved to be out from under this home that they could no longer afford.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance in Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee or La Vergne Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Nashville TN and Middle TN REALTOR Successfully Closes Murfreesboro TN (Rutherford County) Short Sale

Nashville TN and Middle TN REALTOR Successfully Closes Murfreesboro TN (Rutherford County) Short Sale

Jim McCormack, a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee REALTOR and Short Sale and Foreclosure Real Estate Expert, recently closed a Short Sale in Murfreesboro TN (Rutherford County) for $140,000. Jim, a short sale specialist, was brought into the sale transaction immediately after the listing REALTOR obtained an executed purchase agreement. Jim obtained short sale approval in about 4 weeks, which is very fast. The sale closed despite the original buyer backing out of the contract due to financing issues. Jim was able to obtain short sale approval for the 2nd buyer in less than one week. The seller, who had to make a $2,100 cash contribution at closing to reimburse their lender's PMI company, was very happy and relieved to be out from under this home that they could no longer afford.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance in Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee or La Vergne Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

FDIC OneWest Deal Harming Homeowners

FDIC Is Harming Financially Distressed Homeowners and Taxpayers Via Shared Loss Agreements Such As The One With OneWest (Formerly IndyMac)

Please view this ThinkBigWorkSmall video:

The Indymac Slap in our Face. 02.08.10

FDIC Is Harming Financially Distressed Homeowners and Taxpayers Via Shared Loss Agreements Such As The One With OneWest (Formerly IndyMac)

The video emphasizes what I have been saying (see FDIC Hurting Distressed Homeowners, IndyMac-OneWest Harming Homeowners and FDIC Hurting Homeowners: Case 1) about the IndyMac/OneWest Shared Loss Agreement with the FDIC. In short, that agreement is seriously hurting financially distressed homeowners and taxpayers by promoting foreclosures. To add insult to injury, as the video states, the FDIC is now going to the US Treasury to obtain more money, some of which will presumably be used to fund more crooked deals like this one. This only further my belief that the only good government is a small government. Our government is far too expensive and too big to monitor and prevent legalized theft like this Shared Loss Agreement. It is particularly infuriating that George Soros, the huge Democratic campaign contributor and main funder of MoveOn.org, is profiting handsomely from this deal via his large stake in OneWest. I thought George Soros, being the big time Democrat and huge supporter of Obama, cared about poor people? Get real. I guess it pays to buy your own president. I will look for one the next time I go grocery shopping. So much for "compassion" and "caring". It is all a lie. What a disgrace!

If you are a Middle TN homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

NAR Housing Affordability Index Useless

NAR Housing Affordability Index Useless
REALTOR Group's Housing Affordability Index Says Housing Has Never Been Unaffordable

According to this Seeking Alpha article, What's Wrong with the NAR Affordability Index?, the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Housing Affordability Index (HAI) is utterly useless. The article states "housing never dipped into the level of unaffordable over the entire giant housing boom. This is mind bogglingly astonishing. If the affordability index failed to show housing was unaffordable during 2005-06, when would it ever show that?" In short, according to the NAR Housing Affordability Index (since 1989 when the HAI was created) housing has never been "unaffordable" (see graph below). This is absolutely absurd. How can prices fall so much from 2005 levels and those 2005 levels not be seen as unaffordable? It makes no sense and neither does the NAR HAI - it is absolutely useless.

NAR Housing Affordability Index Useless - Says Housing Has Never Been Unaffordable

As the graph indicates, a NAR HAI reading of under 100 means homes are relatively unaffordable. As you can see, the NAR HAI never goes below 100 so it means that NAR wants people to believe that homes have always been affordable. Therefore, when you hear NAR say "homes are affordable and interest rates are low, etc." please dismiss it as fools gold. It is a worthless statement. Unfortunately, the latest wave of buyers that purchased homes, particularly the first time tax credit buyers, fell victim to this nonsense and, as a result, many of them will be the next round of short sales and foreclosures.

If you are a home buyer or real estate investor in Middle Tennessee who is interested in purchasing a Fannie Mae foreclosure, a Freddie Mac foreclosure, bank foreclosure or REO, a short sale, home, investmenr ptoperty, condo, or other distressed real estate in order to get a great home or investment property at an attractive price without dealing with the difficult REO/foreclosure listing agents and you want aggressive and professional buyer representation, please contact me, or visit my website Search the Nashville Tennessee MLS and Middle Tennessee MLS - Find Nashville TN and Middle TN Short Sales, Pre-foreclosures, Foreclosures & REO's so that you can purchase foreclosed homes, short sale homes and other distressed real estate and properties in Nashville TN and Middle TN. I help home buyers in the Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Area (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN).

Monday, February 8, 2010

7.2 Million Delinquent Mortgages As Of December 2009

7.2 Million Delinquent Mortgages
7.2 Million Mortgage Loans In Default With An Estimated 1.0 Million REO's


According to this LPS Mortgage Monitor (a mortgage industry performance report provided by LPS Applied Analytics), LPS Mortgage Monitor: January 2010 Mortgage Performance Observations: Data as of December 31, 2009 Month-end and the Executive Summary, in December 2009 mortgage loan delinquencies and defaults increased significantly and foreclosures (REO's or bank owned properties) reached the one million mark.  The Executive Summary noted the following:

  • Delinquency rates have surpassed the 10% level; factoring in foreclosures, the total non-current rate sits at 13.3%.
  • Industry extrapolations indicate that over 7.2 million loans are currently behind on payments with an estimated nearly 1 million properties in REO status.
  • Average number of days delinquent for loans in foreclosure has increased 63 percent from January 2008 to December 2009, rising from 249 to 406 days delinquent.
  • Prime loans have experienced a worse pace of deterioration on a relative basis than subprime, FHA and all loans as a whole. Within prime loans, those with current unpaid principal balances between $417,000 and $600,000 have performed the worst.
  • The percent of “new” serious delinquencies (from the population of loans that were current as of year-end 2008) sits at 4.64%, higher than any other year analyzed for the same period. Extrapolated counts result in approximately 2.3 million “new” 60-day delinquent loans from December 2008 to year-end 2009.
  • Roll rates show the largest percentage increase in loans improving since the same period in 2008.
  • 2009 marks the only time during the last five years that the six-month deterioration ratio has dropped from September to December.
  • Foreclosure starts increased slightly in December – still the second lowest month in 2009 based on volume. Foreclosure sales were stable month over month and remain at relatively low levels.
  • 2009 vintage loans are performing better than loans from any of the prior five years and have been steadily improving as more origination months are added to the loan pool. However, more restrictive underwriting is driving this behavior rather than actual improved consumer behavior. Liquidity is still not available where it is needed most.
My opinion of the above information is as follows:

  • Most of the information above shows that mortgage loan delinquencies, and therefore, foreclosures, are getting much worse.  For example, the total percentage of delinquencies at 13.3%, the average number of days per delinquent loan, the continued deterioration of prime loans and the new mortgage loans serious delinquent rate of 4.64% are reasons to believe that things are getting much worse.
  • The information which shows a positive trend is, for the most part, artificially and temporarily skewed.  For example, the improved roll rates, the 6 month deterioration ratio showing improvement and the 2009 vintage loans performing better are all skewed by the fact that most of these new loans are made to buyers/borrowers who perceive that their home or real estate purchase was a "good deal".  Since most of these buyers/borrowers used FHA/VA/USDA Rural Housing loan programs (see my blog post Our Phony Real Estate Market) they have little to no initial equity.  Due to the continued housing market decline, huge numbers of these buyers/borrowers will soon be in negative equity positions, which will result in increasing mortgage loan default rates among these buyers/borrowers in the near future.  In addition to that the relatively low foreclosure starts in December 2009 were artificially held down by government mandated loan modification and foreclosure moratoria, which will go end soon with the result of foreclosures increasing again.
If you are a Middle TN homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN).  If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Nashville Tennessee and Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Homes Sales Plunge In December 2009

Homes Sales Plunge In December 2009

According to this MSNBC article, Home sales tumble as first-time buyers back off - December's drop is largest in more than 40 years, sales of existing (previously occupied) homes declined by almost 17% in December 2009, which is the largest such drop in over 40 years. 2009 overall saw home sales increase for the first time in 4 years (about 5% over 2008 home sales figures), but this came at a cost - home prices declined by over 12% in 2009, the worst such decline since the Great Depression.  Apparently, the December 2009 sales figures are 21% higher than the sales volume bottom of December 2008, but 25% lower than the December 2005 peak.  The article goes on to state that the housing market could worsen this spring when the the Federal Reserve ends its mortgage securities purchasing program, which has been artificially keeping interest rates low.  In addition to that the home buyer tax credit expires this spring (4/30/2010 to be exact).  According to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), first-time buyers accounted for about 50% of all home sales in November 2009, but only 43% in December 2009.  Given this information, I think the ending of the home buyer tax credit this spring is a legitimate housing market concern.  The article states "December's sales fell 16.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.45 million, from an unchanged pace of 6.54 million in November, the National Association of Realtors said Monday.  Sales had been expected to fall by about 10 percent, according to economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters."  I guess the proper technical term for this would be "oops".  In addition to the end of the mortgage securities purchasing program and the home buyer tax credit the problems of ever increasing foreclosures and 10%+ unemployment practically guarantee that housing prices will decrease in 2010.

Below are a few other highlights from the article:
  • Anna Piretti, senior economist at BNP Paribas, said "The numbers clearly indicate that the rebound in housing demand observed so far has been largely supported by government programs."  I agree, but I predicted this months ago - see my blog post Our Phony Real Estate Market.
  • Paul Dales, U.S. economist with Capital Economics, said "The report places a large question mark over whether the recovery can be sustained when the extended tax credit expires."  To me there is no "question mark" - there will not be a housing recovery any time soon.
  • Lawrence Yun, chief economist of NAR, "cautioned that the (housing) recovery will depend on whether the economy starts adding jobs in the second half of the year."  Really!?  While I have always known that jobs spur housing, this is the first time I have heard Yun say this.  See my blog post Real Estate Fiction where I quote Yun as saying "With home sales heading up and inventories shrinking, prices are stabilizing. These are the key conditions needed for housing to lead the economy into growth mode. Once that happens, jobs will follow."  This does not match Yun's latest statement that the housing market depends on jobs.  Which one is it Lawrence?
  • "The inventory of unsold homes on the market fell about 7 percent to 3.3 million. That's a 7.2 month supply at the current sales pace, close to a healthy level of about six months."  While this sounds reasonably positive it does not factor in all the "shadow inventory" that is lurking in the near future.  See my blog post Experts: More Rough Times Ahead for U.S. Economy to get a better idea of what I mean.
My conclusion remains the same: housing prices will continue to decline due to poor market conditions and lots of distress sales (short sales and foreclosures). Real estate and housing are simply showing the symptoms of the real problem: debt (more specifically - too much debt).

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance in Middle Tennessee. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee or La Vergne Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN).  If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Tennessee Unemployment Rises Again - US Unemployment Rises Again - Housing Slumps Again

Tennessee Unemployment Rises Again - US Unemployment Rises Again - Housing Slumps Again

According to this Tennessean article, TN jobless rate rises unexpectedly, the Tennessee unemployment rate spiked to 10.9% in December 2009 from 10.2% in November 2009. During this time the US unemployment rate also increased. According to the article the GM layoffs, sluggish holiday hiring and continued losses in construction and transportation jobs were the main causes of the spike in unemployment. The article quotes Bill Fox, an economist at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, as saying "Those are big losses in industries that had already experienced big losses. Bad weather and a weaker-than-expected housing market may explain the construction losses." This is all good information, but I fail to see how the spike in unemployment and weakening housing market were "unexpected". The economy is not recovering - there is no such thing as a "jobless recovery". There will be more foreclosures and short sales, which will be factors in pushing housing prices down further.

Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance in Middle Tennessee. If you are a Nashville Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee or La Vergne Tennessee homeowner, property owner, condo owner, real estate investor, home builder or real estate developer who cannot pay your mortgage payments (due to losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.), know that you will not be able to pay your mortgage, have defaulted on your mortgage, are already in foreclosure, or owe more than your home is worth, please contact me to discuss your options including a loan modification and a short sale (a real estate short sale occurs when the sale proceeds are not sufficient to pay off all the mortgages and liens on the property/home). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN).  If you do need to short sell your home or property, or you need a quick sale due to being in foreclosure, you can request short sale and foreclosure help and assistance on my website at Get Short Sale and Foreclosure Help and Assistance from a Middle Tennessee Short Sale and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert.

First-Time Home Buyers Fading

First-Time Home Buyers Fading

According to this Real Estate Economy Watch article, First-time Buyers Faded in Q4, the percentage share of home buyers that are first-time home buyers has been declining since the peak in October 2009. The cause of the October 2009 peak was the first-time home buyer tax credit, which got a large number of first-time home buyers off the fence. I have been saying that the extension and expansion of the tax credit would not produce the same results since most of the remaining firs-time buyers that did not buy when the original tax credit was announced either cannot buy now or won't buy now (at least without an even larger tax credit/incentive). Unfortunately, many of the first-time home buyers who purchased homes due to the tax credit will end up in foreclosure since most had little or no money for a down payment and as a result are already underwater. They thought they were getting a good deal, but were really duped into buying in the face of a declining market. This is just another case of fleeting government market propping which will ultimately fail - and result in more foreclosures and short sales. Be smart and buy only distressed properties (at a substantial discount) to guard against future price declines.

If you are a home buyer or real estate investor in Middle Tennessee who is interested in purchasing a Fannie Mae foreclosure, a Freddie Mac foreclosure, bank foreclosure or REO, a short sale, home, investmenr ptoperty, condo, or other distressed real estate in order to get a great home or investment property at an attractive price without dealing with the difficult REO/foreclosure listing agents and you want aggressive and professional buyer representation, please contact me, or visit my website Search the Middle Tennessee MLS - Find Middle TN Short Sales, Pre-foreclosures, Foreclosures & REO's so that you can find foreclosures, short sales and other distressed real estate and homes in Middle TN. I help home buyers in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Springfield TN, Gallatin TN and Mt. Juliet TN).

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Stop Foreclosure in Nashville TN - Short Sale and Foreclosure Help In The Nashville Tennessee Metro Area

Stop Foreclosure in Nashville TN - Short Sale and Foreclosure Help In The Nashville Tennessee Metro Area


Attention Middle Tennessee Homeowners, Property Owners, Condo Owners, Real Estate Investors, Commercial Real Estate Owners, Home Builders and Real Estate Developers - Get Expert Help and Assistance from a Middle Tennessee Distressed Real Estate, Short Sale, Pre-foreclosure and Foreclosure REALTOR, Real Estate Expert & Real Estate Professional - Get Middle TN Short Sale and Loan Modification Help and Assistance


This Middle Tennessee real estate blog is focused on helping homeowners (single homes, high end homes, luxury homes, executive homes & estate homes), condo owners, property owners, real estate investors, commercial real estate owners, home builders and real estate developers in Middle Tennessee who have defaulted in their mortgage payments, know they cannot pay their mortgages, are in foreclosure, and/or who need expert help and assistance with a real estate short sale (i.e. where the property value is worth less than the mortgage debt). My website is designed to provide assistance to and help, inform and educate financially distressed real estate sellers, short sale sellers and pre-foreclosure sellers and consumers on how to best solve their Middle Tennessee real estate problems in the quickest time possible. The articles and tools throughout this website are FREE, with zero strings attached.


My name is James W. McCormack (people call me Jim McCormack). I am a Middle Tennessee Distressed Real Estate, Short Sale, Pre-foreclosure and Foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert. I am a 10+ year real estate sales veteran and full-time real estate professional who specializes in helping people and businesses solve their real estate problems. I focus on distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures and investment properties in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). I am a Middle Tennessee distressed real estate, short sale, pre-foreclosure (preforeclosure) and foreclosure REALTOR and Real Estate Expert. I primarily help sellers (homeowners, property owners, condo owners, owners of high end homes and properties (estate homes, luxury homes and executive homes), real estate investors, commercial real estate owners, home builders and real estate developers) of distressed real estate, short sales, pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, investment properties, failed new construction projects and struggling commercial real estate developments located in and around Middle Tennessee. Reasons why you would need to do a real estate short sale include losing your job, having your income reduced, illness, health problems, adverse business conditions, slow sales, loss of investment property tenants, vacancy issues, lack of funds to complete the project, feuding business partners, etc.


This website helps you to search for and find houses, homes and real estate in Middle Tennessee including distressed homes and listings, short sale homes and listings, pre-foreclosure homes and listings and foreclosure homes and listings in Middle Tennessee (Rutherford County Tennessee, Williamson County Tennessee, Davidson County Tennessee, Robertson County Tennessee, Maury County Tennessee, Murfreesboro Tennessee, Smyrna Tennessee, La Vergne Tennessee, Eagleville Tennessee, Lascassas Tennessee, Rockvale Tennessee, Christiana Tennessee, Brentwood Tennessee, Franklin Tennessee, Nashville Tennessee, Belle Meade Tennessee, Nolensville Tennessee, Spring Hill Tennessee, Gallatin Tennessee, Springfield Tennessee and Mt. Juliet Tennessee).
I am a Middle Tennessee REALTOR and real estate expert who is here to help you out of your financially stressful situation. Please contact Jim to discuss your particular real estate situation or problems. Jim almost always return phone calls and emails within 1 business day.


I provide the following real estate services:

Specialty and Challenging Real Estate (Sales, Consulting & Leasing):
     1. Physically Distressed Properties (i.e. fixer uppers, rehab properties, handyman specials, etc.).
     2. Foreclosures.
     3. Pre-foreclosures (i.e. Notice of Default, etc.).
     4. Short Sales (i.e. where the sale price is not enough to pay off the mortgage(s) and other liens.).
     5. Bank Owned Real Estate (i.e. REO's).
     6. Divorce Sales.
     7. Estate Sales.
     8. Abandoned and Vacant Properties.
     9. Rental Homes and Properties (Leasing and Consulting).
    10. Lease Option/Lease Purchase Homes (Sales, Leasing & Consulting).
    11. Other Difficult Situations.


Commercial and Investment Real Estate (Sales & Leasing):
     1. Small Multifamily Properties (2-4 units).
     2. Apartment Buildings (5+ units).

I am a Tennessee Licensed Real Estate Broker, REALTOR and Real Estate Expert who will help guide you out of your difficult financial and real estate situation. Be wary of so-called "angel investors" who promise to help you by buying your home, etc. Some even promise to rent your home back to you, which is not permitted according to the terms of most lender short sale approval documents and letters. Even if you can rent your home back from the investor/buyer the terms of the lease frequently make it very difficult for you to abide by the lease terms resulting in the investor throwing you out of your home. These investors are not licensed and are not bound by any ethical rules. Their goal is to buy your home (cash or terms) for as little as possible and get the best deal they can without any regard for your situation. They do not care about what happens to you. You can avoid this by contacing me to help solve your Middle Tennessee real estate problems. See these links below for some things to watch out for with these so called "angel investors":
Quick Links



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You can find great local real estate information about homes, condos, investment properties, short sales and foreclosures in Middle TN (Rutherford County TN, Williamson County TN, Davidson County TN, Robertson County TN, Maury County TN, Murfreesboro TN, Smyrna TN, La Vergne TN, Eagleville TN, Lascassas TN, Rockvale TN, Christiana TN, Brentwood TN, Franklin TN, Nashville TN, Belle Meade TN, Nolensville TN, Spring Hill TN, Gallatin TN, Springfield TN and Mt. Juliet TN). Jim helps homeowners, condo owners, property owners and commercial real estate owners who are in foreclosure or who owe more than their homes, condos, investment properties or commercial properties are worth. Jim provides the latest news on foreclosures, pre-foreclosures, short sales, loan modifications, the overall real estate market and more. Jim McCormack is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.