Category: <span>Real Estate and Mortgages</span>

Freeze Foreclosures! What’s next – Freeze credit card debt?

Bloomberg reports that US banking committee senators have asked regulatory bodies (FHFA) now controlling mortgage giants Freddie and Fannie to freeze foreclosures for 90 days in order to "provide immediate relief to many homeowners'' and let the companies "turn these non-performing loans into performing assets to minimize losses". Lawmakers and…

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac takeover and conservatorship – Impacts and Outcomes

The treasury along with the Federal Reserve and Federal Housing regulator (FHFA) announced a take over via conservatorship of the government sponsored entities of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Current actions will definitely provide a cushion, but long term structural reform is needed to ensure this does not happen again…

Pros and Cons of Reverse Mortgages – Is This The Right Option and Factors to Consider

Reverse mortgages are becoming an increasingly popular financing offering with our aging baby boomer population, looking for ways to unlock the value from their homes. Simply defined, reverse mortgages are a special type of home loan that lets a homeowner convert a portion of the equity in his or her…

The housing crisis and wealth decimation

"I just sold my house and lost $100,000...""I can't sell my house after 12 months, even after lowering the price by 30% ""I am going to go broke if I can't sell my house....""Why can't the government fix this housing crisis...""I thought a house was a safe asset that went…

Paying off Your Mortgage Early- What Would You Do With The Spare Cash

Not having to pay rent or a mortgage is one of the key steps to financial freedom. It frees up what is most likely your biggest expense and allows you to channel that money to other wealth building pursuits. I currently pay about $3500 a month in rent (including taxes), and have…

Why you should be angry with the 2008 Housing Relief Bill

Over the weekend, Congress gave final approval to the housing relief bill that is aimed at helping thousands of struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure and to temper falling home prices. It also includes provisions to assist institutions that operate in the mortgage market, namely the Government sponsored enterprises (GSE) Fannie Mae…

The Rental Squeeze – Average Rents in US Metro Areas Reach Record Levels in 2023

[2022 to 2023 Update] Bloomberg and Zumper recently published the most expensive areas for rentals and as expected New York, Manhattan in particular. topped the list. But as the tech industry wanes and biotech and pharma ascend, Boston jumped to number 2. The other cities are expected and continue to…

Repay Your Mortgage up to 7 Years Earlier By Making Extra Payments versus 401K or IRA Contributions

We all want to get out from under our massive mortgage debt. So what is the best way to pay off the mortgage quicker – and not significantly impact your ability to retire? The answer is a variation on the good old “Pay every two weeks instead of once a…

Category: Real Estate and Mortgages