Foreclosure Problems
Stocks fell today, and this is more technical than anything else. Bonds, Gold, Oil and gasoline all went sideways.
The Euro continues to fall about 1/2 to one cent per day – a steady drip of lost value. Is this going to stop? Some experts think it will stop soon, and reverse course. We must wait and see.
In the news today…..
Bernanke gets appointment – getting 70 to 30 vote as reappointment Head of FED. Not a rousing endorsement of performance, but he did make it over the line. I predicted Bernanke would make it, and now it await Geithner’s fate….
New home production – is about 350,000 homes per year. This compares to a “normal” production of 1,000,000 to 1,200,000 homes per year. We are at a very low rate of production in the USA. The Shadow Inventory is predicted to be 1,700,000 homes right now, and will come on the market. The Shadow Inventory of used homes will weigh on the sales of new homes. In one to two years, home production will need more land, and will start buying lots, as they are working their way through their land inventory right now. The prices of homes have fallen to a “norm” in the rent to home price ratio. This is good news, but prices will fall further in 2010.
Swiss UBS – deal with the US IRS fell apart yesterday. A Swiss court ruled that the deal was unconstitutional to the Swiss Constitution on Bank Secrecy. Interesting isn’t it? Now the lawyers should have a field day. A bunch of Americans were identified by UBS to the IRS, and the IRS went after them. Can you sue UBS in Switzerland? Who knows.
Foreclosure problem spreading - One in eight Las Vegas homes went into foreclosure in 2009 as cities in four Sun Belt states (NV, FL, CA, AZ) accounted for all top 20 foreclosure hot spots, according to RealtyTrac’s 2009 Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report. California accounted for nine of the top 20 metro foreclosure rates, followed by Florida with eight, Nevada with two and Arizona with one. Less expected was a massive jump in Provo UT and Boise City, ID – which both saw foreclosures up more than 100% from 2008. “While it was expected that cities from states with the highest levels of foreclosure activity would top the charts, there is evidence that we’re entering a new wave of foreclosures, driven more by unemployment and economic hardship than what we’ve seen over the past few years,” RealtyTrac said.
SEC allows Money Market Fund NON-Redemption – In a nearly unanimous vote, Money Market Funds now have the ability to suspend redemptions, courtesy of the SEC’s just passed 4-1 vote. This explains the negative rate on bills: at this point, should there be another meltdown, money market investors will not, repeat not, be able to withdraw their money purely on their own desire. As the SEC noted: “We understand that suspending redemptions may impose hardships on investors who rely on their ability to redeem shares.” Too bad investors’ hardships considerations ended up being completely irrelevant.
Joke of the Month…..
The SEC (and this is true) requires that public companies disclose to the public what “global warming” can do as a risk to their company.
Here are the last numbers for today:
Dow Jones 30 Industrial – 10,120 (down 116)
10 Year Treasury Bond – 3.66% (up 0.02%)
Euro – $1.3968 – falling, falling, falling….
Gold – $1086 (up $1)
Oil – $73.88 (up $0.21)
Gasoline – $1.92 (down $0.01)
Hi Tom; got a letter emailed that talks about MERS that is a bit disturbing and wonder if you know anything about it…not a clue what the author’s authority is…STARTS BELOW…THANKS
This top part was an article sent to Mr. Hanson who was doing the Hope For Homeowners program with HUD counselors here in the Rogue Valley. This program has gotten no permanent MODS to my knowledge after 10 months of shuffling 100’s of folks through it. We went through the course and did what they said. Mostly Mr. Hanson was teaching us how to understand what the steps were that the bank would put us through to take our home. Really no HOPE at all.
I have not met the gentleman (Dennis) who wrote this letter or article but plan to. He is stating what our research is telling us. I’ll keep you informed as to my progress of meeting Dennis and interviewing him. Nancie
Mr Hanson;
This morning I submitted the letter that follows to the Mail Tribune for consideration as a guest editorial. I thought I would give you a heads up.
I believe I have an unique viewpoint, and have information that you have not previously considered regarding MERS and foreclosures.
Many years ago as a young man I was a principle in a concern that supplied North Slope DEW (Defensive Early Warning) stations in the far north of Alaska. Extreme weather flying.
Long story short I developed a close relationship with a fellow pilot and principle, we oft flew together, and were oft weathered in. His family had numerous political and intelligence ties, as does mine.
The contract expired, I took the money and ran, bought a house, started a family, started a small business here in Oregon. He took a job for a Mexican cartel doing ADIZ penetrations (Air Defense Intercept Zone), was smuggling in large amounts of controlled substances with obvious complicity in elements of both ours and the Mexican government. Some things one really dosnt want to know…
Our careers being incompatible we lost touch until a chance encounter at LAX a few years ago.
He has done quite well for himself, and is now a senior vice president for MERS. During an afternoon and evening at a MERS owned multimillion dollar LA beach house I elucidated some very interesting facts on how MERS operates, how the money flows, and for whose benefit.
MERS will not ever negotiate once being in a position to foreclose. There is absolutely no motive. Every one of these homes will be foreclosed upon unless unusual remedies are taken. Their object is clear title via sheriffs sale. One must unravel enough fraud to injunct, then unravel more thru discovery. Certain discovery disclosures will not be made by MERS. Ask the right questions, and they want things to go away, and quickly. They know their game is out and they will offer title. Unfortunately this means it is extraordinarily difficult to get the fraud on record. Who is gonna refuse clear title to make a point?
It is in essence a quasi legal conspiracy, and they excel at the game of shell. Due to the chain of securitization, more aptly perhaps the interwoven web, many mortgages that dont exhibit MERS as beneficiary on the trust deed still have MERS firmly in the drivers seat. 50 million American mortgages. See it yourself on their web site.
One must look at the money trail, follow the money, to make sense of it. Contrary to popular belief, one can unravel the various financial instruments in coherent fashion. Do you really believe the commonly held belief that these instruments defy understanding? Manmade creations that no man can understand? Is that even a logical position?
Understanding the game is fundamental to winning, and we are on the same side. I support your efforts to help people keep their homes.
Offer of an hour with a chalkboard still stands. You will not hear a sob story. My modest properties are free, clear, and protected. Im not asking for advice. At yesterdays Building Hope meeting I offered documents of a rather interesting case that involves a local persona who has made every payment, yet is in MERS foreclosure, and the documents make a very compelling and interesting story. This is but start of a trend as things continue to unravel. This case will have pleadings filed within a week locally. I had hoped for your objective examination, as a means of illustration, but the venue was inappropriate as I now realize.
Note that several parties that I am associated with have used this information to obtain quiet title action, and have prevailed, pro se even.
Hit me up if you are interested.
Dennis
Submission to Mail Tribune follows: Will watch and see if this gets published
Like many Rogue Valley residents I have viewed the multiple advertisements for the Building Hope Seminars, and having an unique exposure to the inside workings of foreclosure whilst having several close associates in the process of foreclosure I decided to attend to see what I could learn and share.
Perusing the organizations sparse and poorly updated website produced frustration yet calling the first of multiple phone numbers listed yielded prompt knowledgeable human attention.
The seminar is presented in three parts; Budgeting in Financial Crisis, Steps to Preventing Foreclosure, and the segment I attended last night, Consumer Rights During Foreclosure.
Upon arrival I was struck both by the efforts expended and organizational skills exhibited; and by the large number of attendees. The event organizers, while nearly invisible to the casual eye, have obviously expended considerable effort to provide a quality information presentation. The sense of mutual caring and concern was palpable and pervaded the entire room.
After a brief introduction local real estate attorney John Hanson began his presentation. Hanson, who obviously and self admittedly is woefully unknowledgeable in the macroeconomic factors that are fueling the foreclosure debacle repeatedly counsels the attendees that banks wish to avoid foreclosure. Mortgage Electronic Registrations Systems Inc, who is named as beneficiary on 50 million American mortgages (in perspective there are but 300 million Americans) will not deal, will not modify, will not negotiate on a default, an important point that Hanson utterly fails to address. None of the methods he espouses will have any effect on the ultimate outcome.
MERS, a private corporation owned by the same fine folks listed as owners of the Federal Reserve Banks, along with the illustrious names of the owners of the “too big to fail” have already been made whole via the 1.5 trillion dollars in bailout money. Foreclosures are but their gravy, what is behind the current record profits (and bonuses) in our major banks. MERS even is currently foreclosing on properties in the Rogue Valley where the lender has made every payment; and that is not a typo.
Hanson, while obviously sincerely trying to help his audience but by accepting the commonly held, but false belief that the trail of collateral debt obligations, default swaps, mutual risk obligations and other “exotic” financial instruments are beyond human understanding does his attendees in MERS proceedings a huge disservice. MERS has every incentive to foreclose, zero incentive to negotiate, zero history of negotiation; logically so if one undertakes to follow the money and understand the money trail.
While seemingly unaware of the financial and political exigencies regarding MERS Hanson presented almost an hour of general, focused, and appropriate information on the foreclosure process and in developing strategies to cope with the process. His presentation was well organized, very appropriate for a layman, and delivered in a very sincere and credible manner. Multiple audience questions were addressed, personal questions were answered as well as could be hoped for given the volume of participants.
Hanson’s presentation was followed by an excellent presentation on bankruptcy by local attorney Joe Charter. It is an option to stay in your home and retain up to 50 thousand dollars of equity via the procedures he outlines. It is perhaps the best option for many who find themselves in foreclosure and financial distress.
Both presenters took numerous questions from the audience, and the presentation remained very active for about an hour and a half.
My impression is that this organization has excellent motivation and genuine concern, and is doing everything in their power to present the facts to our citizens. Other than the glaring exception outlined above I felt that there was a great deal of quality information expressed, especially to those who are not experienced in the process of bankruptcy. The seminar should not be regarded as a panacea, but rather a starting point, a staging point to understand your options, formulate a plan, and avail oneself of the appropriate resources, which are thoroughly covered in this seminar.