Thursday, September 30, 2010

S&P: $460B Shadow Inventory Will Take 41 Months to Clear

It's no secret that the volume of distressed residential properties is weighing heavy on U.S. housing markets and prolonging any meaningful recovery. Of even greater concern is the industry's growing backlog of homes that need to be liquidated and resold but have yet to make their way to the market. Standard & Poor's has just released a new report in which it estimates that the principal balance of this shadow inventory now stands at $460 billion and will take the industry about 41 months to clear.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

John Burns Says the Shadow Inventory Is Stepping into the Light

That dreaded shadow inventory of homes that has captured headlines and gripped the industry and market analysts with angst is beginning to make its way out of the darkness, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting. The firm says loan modifications were successful in delaying the inevitable foreclosure. But homes that have been stuck in that neverland of somewhere between delinquency and repossession are now winding their way through the foreclosure pipeline at a quicker pace and will soon come out the other end as a short sale or REO.

Friday, September 17, 2010

More Delinquent Loans Entering Foreclosure Process: LPS

Lender Processing Services (LPS) is offering a sneak peak at its upcoming mortgage market report, scheduled for release September 24. The company's study will show that the national home loan delinquency rate has retreated, while the foreclosure rate is on the rise. LPS says the numbers are a sign that more delinquent loans are entering the foreclosure process, as servicers pick up the pace working through their default backlogs. According to LPS, the country's inventory of pre-sale foreclosures stood at 2,038,000 at the end of August.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Investigation Finds Criminals Making FHA Loans

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has failed to root out several executives with criminal records whose firms continue to do business with the agency, according to the Center for Public Integrity. The Center's investigation found that more than 34,000 home loans have been issued over the past two years by FHA-approved lenders that have employed people who were convicted of felonies, banned from the securities industry, or previously worked for firms barred by FHA. Nine percent of these loans are delinquent.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Home Prices Edge Up in June, but Appreciation Already Slowing: S&P

Home prices rose in June for the third consecutive month - a precipitate of the homebuyer tax credit that sparked a flurry of purchase activity in the spring. Buyer demand, though, has now dropped off substantially, and it's a trend that will likely rob the market of the recent rebound in home prices. According to the S&P/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday, home prices rose 1.0 percent in June compared to May. While June itself was positive, growth rates have already decelerated in 14 of the 20 metros included in S&P's study.