Guidelines for condos could slow market

While it may seem simple to buy a condominium unit, government guidelines are actually making it harder to get mortgage financing reports the New York Times.

Stricter guidelines that govern which buildings are approved for conventional mortgages — rolled out by three government agencies in stages since December 2008 — are locking out thousands of buildings nationwide. States like Florida and Arizona are especially hard hit; mortgage brokers say that some buildings in the New York area have also been affected.

The guidelines and approvals come from Fannie Mae, the buyer of home mortgages; Freddie Mac, its smaller competitor; and the Federal Housing Administration, which insures loans. The rules were meant to help strengthen their balance sheets as they faced a surge of loan defaults in the condo market.

Condominium associations are being called upon more frequently to open their books to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA.

For instance:

Condo associations are required to set aside 10 percent of their budgets for maintenance and “reserves”; and new developments are ineligible for Fannie-backed financing unless 70 percent of their units have sold or are under contract (the threshold used to be 51 percent). Freddie Mac adopted similar guidelines last year.

Waivers are available but none are sure things. Fannie Mae does have a website that lists approvals as does FHA.

Read the full report, Stricter Lending Guidelines for Condos

For your next title order or

if you have questions about what you see here, contact

Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.

Vested Title Inc.

165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101

Fairfield, NJ 07004

Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 201-656-4506

E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com

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Court Voids Foreclosures by U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo

From the New York Times:

OK, so now we have Massachusetts court knocking foreclosure judgments out of the box.

The name of the game is balance the rights of lenders against defaulting borrowers.  Just what is that balance?

Read, Court Voids Foreclosures by U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo

For your next title order or

if you have questions about what you see here, contact

Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.

Vested Title Inc.

165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101

Fairfield, NJ 07004

Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 201-656-4506

E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com

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Final count of 2010 bank failures at 157

From Deposits.com

This year ended with 157 bank closures which was 17 more than failed last year. The number of bank failures grew considerably when the financial crisis began in 2008. The number of failures went from 3 in 2007 to 25 in 2008. It's hard for me to remember the days before 2008 when bank failures were rare.

Depositors with large savings have a little less to worry about in terms of bank failures. The FDIC $250K coverage limit became permanent when the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act became law in July. This same coverage limit also applies to NCUA-insured credit unions.

So, how does this translate to the average homeowner? 

The main issue for depositors when banks fail is the loss of the high interest rate on their existing CDs. By law the acquiring banks are allowed to lower the interest rates on existing CDs. Many of the acquiring banks did make use of this allowance. The depositors are free to close the CDs without a penalty, but in today's interest rate environment, it's impossible to replace those CDs with new ones with the same high rates.

To see a list of failed banks and the full report, go to Review of the 2010 Bank Failures and Their Effects on Depositors

For your next title order or

if you have questions about what you see here, contact

Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.

Vested Title Inc.

165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101

Fairfield, NJ 07004

Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 201-656-4506

E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com

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Homeowners overlook the powder room

Want to make an impression on your guests or that homebuyer? The powder room is a place not to overlook.

“Averaging just 4 feet by 5 feet, the first-floor powder room normally is the home's smallest oom.

“Yet it's much used and often treated as an afterthought during remodeling, or overlooked altogether.”

Here are some of the things you can do to maximize this minimal room:

Take advantage of wall space; upgrade the medicine cabinet; select a comfort-height toilet; furnish the room, and splurge on a granite or marble countertop.

Read more here.
 

For your next title order or

if you have questions about what you see here, contact

Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.

Vested Title Inc.

165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101

Fairfield, NJ 07004

Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 201-656-4506

E-mail vti@vested.com - www.vested.com

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When was the last time you got a bargain?

When did you last enter into a transaction where you a) got a steep discount on the price and b) the seller provided 100% financing? Well, read this story about the FDIC sales of two mortgage portfolios.

Real Money: The FDIC Sells Four Loan Portfolios Totaling $1.22 Bil.

For your next title order or

if you have questions about what you see here, contact

Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.

Vested Title Inc.

165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101

Fairfield, NJ 07004

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