Category Archives: finance

Foreclosure Update – Florida on the Rebound?

Posted on April 27, 2011 by gatearty

Online foreclosure resource, Realty Trac, has reported that the number of foreclosure filings is down a whopping 27% in the first quarter on 2011 when compared to 2010. The decrease in foreclosure was across the board and occurred in all … Continue reading →

Posted in bank, finance, florida, foreclosure, mortgage | Leave a comment

Taking a Dip

Posted on March 22, 2011 by gatearty

The “winning streak” had to come to an end at some point I suppose. Sales of existing homes fell in February after three straight monthly increases.  According to the National Association of Realtors, homes sold at an annual rate of … Continue reading →

Posted in finance, investing, mortgage, National Association of Realtors, real estate investing, real estate sales | Leave a comment

Underwater Homes

Posted on March 9, 2011 by gatearty

“Falling home prices at the turn of the year pushed more borrowers into a negative equity position, meaning they owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth.  In Q4, 23% of borrowers nationwide, or 11.1 million, were holding … Continue reading →

Posted in bank, finance, florida, foreclosure, mortgage | Leave a comment

Rates Go Down, Mortgages Go Up

Posted on February 24, 2011 by gatearty

Mortgage applications increased 13.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 18, 2011. The Refinance Index increased 17.8 percent from the previous week. Ongoing turmoil in … Continue reading →

Posted in bank, finance, mortgage, Mortgage Banker's Association | Leave a comment

A Farewell to ARMs?

Posted on February 15, 2011 by gatearty

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) used to be all the rage. They represented a whopping 70% of all mortgages issued during the real estate boom! Adjustable rate mortgages vanished during the real estate downturn, however, totaling a mere 3% of the market in 2009. Fast forward to present … Continue reading →

Posted in bank, finance, freddie mac, investing, mortgage, real estate sales | Leave a comment

Say Goodbye To Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac?

Posted on February 14, 2011 by gatearty

According to a Whitehouse aid, the Obama administration will issue a White Paper later this week recommending the gradual elimination of government-sponsored mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  It will include three different options for reducing the role government … Continue reading →

Posted in down payment, fannie mae, FHA, finance, freddie mac, mortgage | Leave a comment

Who HAMP Helps

Posted on February 2, 2011 by gatearty

The United States Treasury Department announced that more than a half million people have received assistance by way of permanent mortgage modifications utilizing the Home Affordable Modification Program, also referred to as HAMP. Some of you may be curious of … Continue reading →

Posted in bank, finance, HAMP, loan modification, mortgage | Leave a comment

What’s Lurking in the Shadows?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by gatearty

There is a healthy amount of real estate inventory currently on the market right now, but you may have heard media outlets refer to a “shadow inventory” that is still looming. What is shadow inventory? It represents the properties whose … Continue reading →

Posted in bank, finance, foreclosure, loan modification, mortgage | 1 Comment

What is a “FLIP” You Ask?

Posted on January 21, 2011 by gatearty

Some of you may have heard the term “flip” used before in real estate discussions. What is a flip? A classic real-estate flip involves the quick resale of a property at a significantly higher price than the purchaser paid. Typically … Continue reading →

Posted in down payment, FHA, finance, foreclosure, investing, mortgage, real estate investing | 2 Comments

Down Payment Assistance is Fashionable Again?

Posted on January 14, 2011 by gatearty

There are an increasing number of state and local governments nationwide that are now offering down payment assistance programs, grants, or low-interest & no-interest loans to first-time buyers or those who haven’t owned a house in a few years. There … Continue reading →

Posted in down payment, finance, HUD, mortgage | 4 Comments