Believe it or not, there are multiple levels of motivated sellers. In other words, there are sellers who are more motivated to sell investment properties than others. Which also means there are other levels of sellers who aren't as motivated, but are you hitting up all of them with your marketing? I set up a […]
As a serious, full-time real estate investor, you need to constantly have your feelers out for new methods to find good deals. I can almost guarantee that you won't be able to find a sufficient amount of deals just by looking on Zillow.com and your local MLS. There are a ton of different ONLINE methods […]
Are you getting into your real estate investing career and feeling a little stuck on where to find great properties to invest in? Does it seem like there isn’t really anything available in your market? That isn’t true and you just aren’t looking in the right places or looking at ENOUGH prospects. As my brother […]
How would you like to be able to find juicy real estate deals in under 60 seconds? HomeSteps.com is a totally free website owned by Freddie Mac Homes that you can use to help find potential homes to buy and sell. These are homes listed directly from Freddie Mac when they are ready to go […]
Discover a little-known method to make a killing investing in real estate – the answer might surprise you. The way to make a lot of money investing in real estate is by imitating Donald Trump, right? Wrong. Buying and selling hotels on the strip, developing a few golf courses, and building shopping […]
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are teaming up to form a new company that will focus on securitizing home loans. This is part of an effort to reduce the role that the government plays in the overall mortgage market. Together, Freddie and Fannie finance 2/3 of all new home loans in the US. According to […]
As of Nov. 1, the new short sale guidelines announced by Freddie Mac went into effect. These guidelines now ensure that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have the same rules regarding short sales. There are three main things to be aware of in these guidelines that are designed to speed up the traditionally long, slow […]
This one is hot off the presses, and we’ll be learning more as the days come. On Wednesday it was announced that, in a civil mortgage fraud lawsuit, the US is accusing Bank of America of “selling thousands of toxic home loans to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae that went into default and caused more […]
In northeast Ohio, the office of Cuyahoga county (which contains Cleveland) prosecutor Bill Mason is suing Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Finance Agency for $1.1 million in unpaid real estate transfer taxes. This is one of eight identical suits filed across the country. Mason claims in court documents that, “Freddie Mac’s failure to pay the […]
Beginning Nov. 1, the GSEs, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, will implement new short sale guidelines, designed to make the approval process easier for eligible borrowers. This is part of the Servicing Alignment Initiative that results in a decrease in documentation requirements. There are a number of additional changes included, all designed to ease the […]
There is another great housing foreclosure debate raging in governments – this time over the issue of eminent domain. Some local governments are throwing around the idea of condemning mortgages through eminent domain. It would work like this – a town or county “would seek court approval to pay a ‘fair market’ value to a […]
In February, the Federal Housing Finance Agency started a pilot program to solicit bids from qualified investors to buy 2,500 single-family Fannie Mae foreclosed homes. The sale pools were offered in geographically concentrated areas around the country. Investors were thoroughly vetted in a rigorous evaluation process on several factors, including financial strength, asset management experience, […]
Mortgage rates held steady once again, sitting at record lows. The 30-year fixed is at 3.66%), with the 15-year at 2.94% (both matching record lows previously set). These rates are helping keep home affordability in reach for many homebuyers or for those wanting to refinance. Experts don’t expect rates to go up anytime soon, […]
As of a couple of months ago, short sales accounted for nearly 15% of all home sales in the country. That number continues to grow as homeowners see short sales as a viable alternative to foreclosure. While foreclosures still make up ¼ of all home sales, that figure is down from the previous two years. […]
A couple of days ago, Freddie Mac released a survey that showed the 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 3.67%, a record low for the 6th consecutive week. This is down from nearly 4.5% one year ago. The 15-year fixed rate is down also, falling below 3%, while one year ago it was well over 3.5%. […]
More and more, Americans aren’t letting a foreclosure, bankruptcy or short sale prevent them from becoming homeowners again, and quickly. In year’s past, the only option seemed to be renting. But today, as rental prices are on the rise, they want to take advantage of low home prices. So where is the help coming from […]
RealtyTrac recently put together a list outlining which lenders/servicers move through the short sale process the fastest and the cheapest. The frontrunners? Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and FHA have the shortest timelines with 193 days, followed by Ally Financial at 321 days and PNC Financial at 353 days. The short sale timeline being used as […]
This is big news for real estate investors, specifically anyone who does short sales. As of June 15, real estate agents working on short sale offers with loans backed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae should expect to receive a decision on the short sale within 15-30 days. This is part of the overall process […]
Acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Edward DeMarco released preliminary findings from an FHFA analysis earlier this week, and stated, “principal reductions done under large incentive payments from the Treasury Department would save Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac enough money to begin an umbrella write-down program,” – up to $1.7 billion. Despite this, […]
I just got this article from Jerry Kayser, my broker at Sharp Concepts Realty and one of my SREC coaches, and I had to pass it along to you – this is really big news! Right now, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae own 3.3 million of the 11.1 million mortgages where borrowers own more than […]
Even though there are signs of hope in the economic recovery, the housing market still has a long way to go. Of the 55 million mortgage holders in the US, industry experts predict that as many as 10 million will default by 2018. While there have been some attempts by the government to reduce the […]
Attention private real estate investors: The FHFA recently released a 3-step plan to lessen the role of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in the mortgage industry and shift it to private investors. Since 2008, when Freddie and Fannie were placed in conservatorship by the US Treasury, they have received more than $180 billion in taxpayer […]
A report that was released recently is putting Freddie Mac in the spotlight again, and not in a good way. After reviewing public documents, NPR and ProPublica revealed that Freddie Mac has actually been betting against the homeowners they claim to be helping. “The investment division of Freddie Mac placed millions of dollars of bets […]
Origination fees. Title fees. Appraisals. Title insurance. Survey charges. Even postage. All these fees add up to the total cost of homeownership for the potential buyer. While we know those additional costs are there, did you know they are on the rise? On average, the origination fees (underwriting, processing) from lenders have increased over 10% […]
Officials at Freddie Mac have maintained that the new single-family business the company acquired in 2009 and 2010 “continues to demonstrate strong credit quality based on borrower credit scores and loan-to-value ratios.” The percentage of home loans going unpaid is steadily declining for the nation’s second largest mortgage company. Freddie Mac reported Tuesday that its […]
Did you see the latest report on the salaries paid to the heads of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in 2009 and 2010? You're not going to believe this one. "The heads of bailed-out mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae (FNMA.OB) and Freddie Mac (FMCC.OB) were paid fat salaries without proper written procedures or analysis, according […]
So I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news today but there’s some data I have in my hands that I must reveal to you. Read this carefully please. *Short Sale flips are tougher to do than ever. There simply aren’t enough people who can get bank loans to “cash you out” once you […]
Hey it’s Josh here. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I had a blast with my wife, kids and the family, really memorable experiences. We shared some awesome times, ate good food and opened a bunch of gifts. But with 2011 closing in fast, it is time to get back to business. During this […]
Good Morning, Jeff Watson did it again. Last night's webinar was historic. The updates on the election results and the impact on the lobbying efforts of the Investors Coalition he and John Grant shared were huge. It's proof that the fight to get our voices as real estate investors heard is definitely paying off. We […]
Josh here with a super important reminder. You don’t have much time left to join this very important Webinar that Jeff Watson is hosting TONIGHT at 8pm Eastern. Jeff is going to share the latest information and analysis on the recent 2010 election AND present a briefing on the latest lobbying efforts of the Investors […]
Good Morning, Back in July, a calculation was made as to how to frame the issues that concern real estate investors today. We framed the industry as a free market solution to the housing crisis, an industry that can protect taxpayers from Fannie and Freddie, and an industry that was ready to establish a permanent […]
Good Morning, A couple of months ago we shared some very important information with you about GSE Reform and the potential impact on all real estate investors. Jeff Watson let you know that he is working with a lobbyist to get our voice heard in Washington D.C. Well, our efforts are paying off and now […]
CEO Charles E. Haldeman Jr. said that foreclosure is the least attractive option from a secondary markets perspective and considers forbearance a viable option to keeping seriously delinquent borrowers in their homes. A full transcript of that conversation is in the October issue of HousingWire magazine. Haldeman said that forbearance, as an option in loss […]
Last night was HISTORIC. More than 700 people last night logged on to hear mission critical GSE reform updates from Jeff Watson and John Grant. If you weren’t on the webinar, you missed out on important industry updates that direct impact you as a real estate investor (and as a homeowner). Because of the importance […]
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae reform is inevitable. Together they have amassed trillions of dollars of assets, and billions of dollars of liability. The question is what is going to happen, and who is going to get what? How we buy and sell real estate in America will change forever. This just doesn’t impact real […]
My Partner Jeff Watson, and real estate investing industry advocate John Grant are holding an urgent industry update call this Thursday night at 8:30pm Eastern, 5:30pm Pacific. Their mission: to make you aware of and education you on the latest information regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and help establish a voice for real estate […]
At this very moment there are closed door meetings in Washington D.C. that will determine not only your fate as a real estate investor, but the future of the American Dream of homeownership. Real estate as we know it will change forever. (I don’t say this lightly.) Fortunately, we have advocates fighting for our voice. […]
Good morning, Before I get my day going, I wanted to take a minute and wish you a Happy Labor Day. For me, this weekend is all about family and friends - perfect in my book. Saturday morning I went out to breakfast with my family to celebrate my wife's birthday and we had a […]
The housing market’s shadow inventory continues to be the real unknown, and the real threat to recovery. It’s a scary thing, and helps paint the true picture of what is going on with real estate. Listen to this. The government doesn’t report on how many homes are held by the banks on their books or […]
Wow, we still have a long way to go before this whole housing crisis is striaghtened out. Homeowners are getting desparate, and getting more creative in how they deal with their underwater homes... Even after Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae increased their standards against mortgage fraud, a practice known as “buy and bail” is taking […]
This is something to keep you eyes on... ~ josh An Obama administration summit of housing industry leaders next week may yield clues on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , the two mortgage heavyweights that so far have sucked up close to $150 billion in taxpayer bailout funds. The administration has vowed […]
Next week’s housing finance forum is sure to be closely watched, and surely the model for home financing will change. Of course, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be the center of attention during the conference. The goal behind the conference is to gather input from industry stakeholders that will guide the Administration’s decisions in […]
Freddie Mac is asking the government for an additional $1.8 billion in aid following another big loss in the second quarter of the year. From April to June, Freddie reported a loss of $1.3 billion, up from $840 million at the same time last year. Freddie is losing money from bad loans it backed, many […]
The world of short sales is changing yet again. It is occurring in a behind-the-scenes way that most investors won't realize until months from now, and by then it is too late. That’s why it’s imperative that you plan on attending Jeff Watson’s foreclosure investor update Webinar on Thursday Aug. 12 at 7:00pm EDT. Register […]
There has been so much going on in the world of real estate investing and government regulations that Jeff Watson felt compelled to host a Webinar on Thursday Aug. 12 at 7:00pm EDT. You know Watson’s Webinars fill up fast, so register to reserve your spot now. Jeff will cover four main topics in this […]
Weekly Real Estate Kick-Off for August 2, 2010 Follow me on Facebook and on Twitter! August 2, 2010 - This Week’s Topics: Reasons Why The Housing Market Hasn’t Recovered Sidelined Sellers Impacting the Housing Recovery Treasury to Hold Conference on Fannie, Freddie Future Foreclosures Rising in Most Metro Areas Declaring Bankruptcy to Prevent Foreclosure Fannie’s […]
In case you missed Tuesday's webinar with Jeff Watson, or want to listen to it again, now's your chance! Hear Jeff and Josh's thoughts on the recent Freddie Mac newsletter that caused a stir in the real estate investing community! Simply click on the image below.
There are so many people on this call that even Jeff Watson keeps getting pushed off the call! Dial in again if you cannot hear him! Jeff is methodically picking a part the Freddie Mac Bulletin. That is why he is America's Top Short Sale Lawyer. Today's call is being recorded and will be posted […]
We have close to 2,000 people registered for the SREC vs. Freddie Mac webinar at 1PM. Unfortunately Go to Webinar can only handle 1,000 at a time. So dial into the call early to ensure your spot. Also if you are working with people in your business, there is still time for them to register […]
Just a reminder about our URGENT LEGAL TRAINING WEBINAR THIS AFTERNOON, TUESDAY, APRIL 20 at 1:00pm EDT with me, Josh Cantwell and America’s Top Short Sale Lawyer, Jeff Watson. I urge each of you to attend and register for the call here, because you need to know this information for the success of your short […]
Good Morning, Jeff Watson and Josh Cantwell here with an EMERGENCY UPDATE. In light on information that was released on Friday by Freddie Mac, Jeff put the brakes on his schedule to arrange an URGENT TRAINING WEBINAR tomorrow, TUESDAY, APRIL 20 at 1:00pm EDT. Click here to register for this important call. Here’s what’s going […]
