  Aschar76 Member Username: Aschar76 Post Number: 28 Registered: 11-2006 |
Beats being the Murder capital I think or is it? Job cuts and risky loans get the blame in the Detroit area, where about one in 80 homes started the foreclosure process in the third quarter. The fire-sale prices are hurting other homeowners, too. By Melinda Fulmer Empty houses with long, weed-choked grass, court orders pasted in windows, streets littered with "for sale" signs -- these sights are becoming a familiar part of the landscape in Detroit, where people are losing their houses at the fastest rate in the nation. Rising unemployment, a sliding real-estate market and risky lending are the culprits behind the Motor City's surge in foreclosures, analysts say. "It's the worst area in the country, in terms of the economy," says real-estate consultant John Tuccillo. More than 10,000 homes in the Detroit area entered some stage of foreclosure in the third quarter, a 42% jump from the previous quarter and a 121% jump from the same time last year, according to foreclosures listings and RealtyTrac, a data provider in Irvine, Calif. To put that number in perspective: One in every 80 houses in Detroit began the process of returning to the bank in that time -- a rate that is almost five times the national average. Real-estate agents and neighborhood activists say job cuts -- especially at the Big Three automakers, Kmart and the businesses that served them -- have begun to take their toll on the local housing market. Families that had held on for a year or two on one income are now out of money and out of options. "People were buying without a lot of cushion," said Tom Goddeeris, the executive director of Grandmont Rosedale Development, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing northwest Detroit. That meant when they were hit with a job loss or drop in pay, many buyers were unable to scrape together enough savings to make their monthly mortgage payments. Sliding real-estate prices in Detroit have complicated the situation, reducing the amount of equity people have in their homes, making it harder for recent homebuyers to get lines of credit or sell their houses for enough money to pay off their mortgages. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 775 Registered: 12-2005 |
Somehow while reading this all I could hear was Hi, I'm David Hall--Rock financial has a new program for blah blah blah.............." | ||
Mod Member Username: Mod Post Number: 71 Registered: 07-2004 |
We're #1! We're #1! | ||
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit Post Number: 826 Registered: 11-2003 |
Lets all go jump in our Toyotas and shop at Walmart! | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 10986 Registered: 10-2003 |
...and vote Granholm in for another term! | ||
Mrjoshua Member Username: Mrjoshua Post Number: 1045 Registered: 03-2005 |
My dealings with Rock Financial were...subpar to say the least. I found their approach to be misleading and unethical, and I'm sure that they preyed on lower income individuals who did not have any idea what they were getting into in purchasing what was likely their first home. If you do not have 6-12 months salary saved, you should not buy a house. | ||
Mind_field Member Username: Mind_field Post Number: 655 Registered: 10-2003 |
(Message edited by Mind field on December 06, 2006) | ||
Wirt Member Username: Wirt Post Number: 39 Registered: 12-2005 |
Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn #1 @ 1/80 houses in foreclosure, yet Warren-Farmington-Troy #29 @ 1/23 houses? Are the headlines misleading? http://realestate.msn.com/Buyi ng/Article2.aspx?cp-documentid =1349839 | ||
Wirt Member Username: Wirt Post Number: 40 Registered: 12-2005 |
That was 1/231 houses for Warren, etc. | ||
Dds Member Username: Dds Post Number: 46 Registered: 10-2006 |
This issue has very little to do with Granholm. As Mr. Joshua pointed out, consumers have been duped by interest only/ARM loans for a while. Especially when the interest rates were low. Interest rates skyrocketed, and the uneducated consumer was not financially prepared. If you do not have adequate equity, or a cushion for emergencies, you have no business investing in real estate. (Message edited by dds on December 06, 2006) | ||
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa Post Number: 650 Registered: 09-2005 |
Wow, Livonia really has gone down the toilet.  | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 9028 Registered: 10-2003 |
Aschar76 please read the copyright articles as pertaining to this site. In other words, post the source of your information. Here is the link for the post that Aschar76 posted. http://realestate.msn.com/buyi ng/Article2.aspx?cp-documentid =1349808>1=8895 Sorry Wirt, I didn't see the link you provided. (Message edited by GOAT on December 06, 2006) | ||
River_rat Member Username: River_rat Post Number: 245 Registered: 02-2006 |
Well, actually we are the Foreclosure Capital of the Country as well as the perceived Murder Capital. It won't change until we get rid of the same old, same old political, judicial, and law enforcement practices and people that have controlled the city for decades. This is really a clever plan by them to get property values as close to zero as possible, buy them for themselves with ill-gained corruption money and then make city city livable. | ||
Goose Member Username: Goose Post Number: 23 Registered: 02-2005 |
we only have to wait five more years to be blown away!!!! | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 10990 Registered: 10-2003 |
I would hardly say that interest rates have "skyrocketed." You can still get a 30 year loan at or below 6% interest. In contrast, in the 70's the interest rates for a 30 yr loan were around 12% or higher. Skyrocketing my ass. The economy of this state is to blame for foreclosures, not those offering financing. | ||
River_rat Member Username: River_rat Post Number: 246 Registered: 02-2006 |
Supersport, let me help you; it is not the economy of the state, it is the politicians we elect that are the cause of our economic decline. | ||
Aschar76 Member Username: Aschar76 Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2006 |
Goat, aka Billie In other words, post the source of your information. I included the Author's Name: By Melinda Fulmer covered that gomb Bye Bye | ||
Fightdetroit Member Username: Fightdetroit Post Number: 7 Registered: 11-2006 |
I will have 100% agree with Supersport on his/her comment. Interest rates as of right now are the best they have been in probably 2 years. There are thousands of people in Michigan that are in ARM's. This roller coaster of refinance booms we've been in is going to keep happening until people realize they need to stick with a long-term loan unless they plan on moving. But with the economy in MI being so bad people are trying to refinance and their homes just aren't appraising high enough. People need to wake up and stop looking at "rate rate rate" and do what's smart for their future. If you can refinance in to a long term loan for under 7% then you are in a good spot. Stop using your home as a freakin ATM machine because you can't stop putting money on credit cards. I am a mortgage banker for Quicken Loans/Rock Financial. I deny people everyday that expect to refinance/purchase that have absolutely nothing in the bank....but yet they have 45k + in debt on credit cards. I don't get it!!! People are so financially uneducated these days. Don't blame it on the lenders, blame it on people that are signing the papers at closing that have no idea what kind of loan they are getting into. Own your home, don't let your home own you. I agree with mrjoshua on his quote as well. If you don't have 6-12 months in assets, don't expect to refi/purchase any time soon. Educate yourself first! | ||
Spartacus Member Username: Spartacus Post Number: 165 Registered: 07-2005 |
Foreclosures are up nation wide. Everything I've ever read on the subject suggests that recent lending practices have greatly contributed to this trend. Fightdetroit-- why was Rock pushing ARMs when long term mortgage rates were at ALL TIME LOWS? Also, why do they advertise like crazy for interest only mortgages? Can we all agree that they are not appropriate for the vast majority of borrowers? | ||
Dougw Member Username: Dougw Post Number: 1465 Registered: 11-2003 |
Can't say that I'm surprised that we are the foreclosure capital at this point in time. The number of homes in foreclosure around my neighborhood is probably somewhere around 1 in 20, many of those because of mortgage fraud. | ||
Mudflap Member Username: Mudflap Post Number: 194 Registered: 08-2005 |
Hey Sparty, don't forget the no money down mortgage programs. People selling with no equity from the get-go have to cough up cash at the closing of their home to get out from underneath a mortgage. I am in Real Estate Sales, and 4 of the properties that I have sold in the last year are going to be foreclosed. The people got a little behind in payments, had no equity in the home to borrow in order to catch up, and can't pay closing costs even if they were able to sell in this shitty market. Giving the house to the Bank is the only alternative many people have. It is getting worse and worse out there... | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 1309 Registered: 01-2004 |
Yeah SS - no way Judas Granholm invented predatory lending. Geez, our credit card banks keep jacking our limits up higher and higher. Right now we could charge all our cards to the limit and the amount would equal my wifes yearly salary. (theyre pissed cause we dont use the cards anymore) People shouldnt be able to get so far into debt - and David Hall and Rock Financial are certainly one of the leaders of predatory lending. | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 9031 Registered: 10-2003 |
Aschar76, wouldn't it have been easier to just post the link? I am not aka Billie, so how's about shut your gob? | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 96 Registered: 10-2006 |
The Detroit Metro area was overinflated for decades because of the auto industry in my opinion. | ||
Dds Member Username: Dds Post Number: 52 Registered: 10-2006 |
I'm pretty sure my post said nothing about 30 yr long term, or anything long term. And the feds have raised rates the past 2 years, which pretty much screws the guy with an ARM. The wonderful ARM which was was the main marketing point for Rock the past few years. By the way, the average cost for a house in the 70's was around $50,000, and credit card debt was pretty much nonexistent. People were able to afford 12%. Also, there was this thing back in the Seventies ('73 and '79 to be exact) called recessions. The economy was in pretty much the same shape it is now. People weren't losing their houses left and right. What's to blame is uneducated consumers and finance companies that push stupid options. | ||
Fightdetroit Member Username: Fightdetroit Post Number: 8 Registered: 11-2006 |
Okay Mauser765...if Rock Financial/Quicken Loans are the leading predatory lender, then could you explain to me how Rock is the #1 Lender in Michigan and Quicken Loans is the #1 online lender for 4 years running?? My company doesn't even offer a bad loan. For all of you that agree with Mauser765....you've been burned before by a lender haven't you? Next time...READ EVERYTHING!!! Everyday I talk to client's who have NO IDEA what kind of loan they're in. How can you NOT know?? You need to educate your self on mortgages and how they work. This is the biggest financial decision in your life and people treat it like it's a car loan. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Spartacus- ARM's will be available even if long term interest rates are lower. They are designed for clients not looking to stay in that home very long. So if you plan on staying in your home for more than 7 years, take my advice and look past the low interest rates the ARM's offer and get a good ol' 30 year Fixed. You'll be better off later on! As for interest only loans....I could go on for days about these. These programs are designed for either: 1. Investment properties 2. Someone who buys a home that's more they can afford. 3. Someone who wants a low payment, but likes the option of paying principal whenever they want. There's a lot of options out there, you just need to find a banker that will educate you on the loan, not take advantage. Head's up (brokers do this). Davis Hall is a nice guy. Don't blame him just because you see him on the ads. He just works here, he doesn't write loans. Just so you know Rock/Quicken has no origination fees or pre-payment penalties. Pretty straight forward stuff if you know what you're getting into. The lesson is kids: Educate yourself and you won't get hosed! | ||
Dds Member Username: Dds Post Number: 53 Registered: 10-2006 |
Don't loan companies and banks inform people of something they can't afford anymore? When I bought my house back in '99. Standard Federal (now LaSalle) refused to finance a house to me that I couldn't afford based on my income and my credit rating and my equity. They made me narrow my search to houses that I could afford. If loan institutions have all of these tools available, and all these formulas for rating borrowers, why on earth would they lend to people who couldn't afford the property in the first place? | ||
Johnnny5 Member Username: Johnnny5 Post Number: 407 Registered: 06-2005 |
Homeowners aren't the only ones that are going to be hurt by these defaults. The banks are now stuck with overpriced foreclosed homes and a dead market. Now they have to pay the insurance, the interest, the taxes, the maintenance costs and the sales commission (If they sell). Bad deal for everyone involved. | ||
Futurecity Member Username: Futurecity Post Number: 390 Registered: 05-2005 |
^^ Maybe not the big name banks directly, but for a few extra percentage points on your loan, I think that there is a long line of creative "mortgage companies" that are just waiting to jack you, er, I mean "set you up" with a mortgage. | ||
Mrjoshua Member Username: Mrjoshua Post Number: 1056 Registered: 03-2005 |
Mortgage demand rises as rates fall, refinancing surges 12/6/2006 USA Today By Julie Haviv, Reuters NEW YORK — Mortgage applications rose sharply last week, as the lowest interest rates in more than a year prompted a surge in demand for refinancing, an industry trade group said Wednesday. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, including refinancing and home-purchase loans, rose 8.1% to 647.6 the week ended Dec. 1 from the previous week's 599. Borrowing costs on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, excluding fees, averaged 5.98%, down 0.15 percentage point from the previous week, lowest since the week ended Oct. 7, 2005, when it stood at the same level. Interest rates were also below year-ago levels of 6.32%. Dean Maki, chief U.S. economist at Barclays Capital in New York, said the mortgage bankers' indexes tend to be volatile but lower rates have enticed consumers, which will benefit the U.S. housing market. "The decline in mortgage rates and the slowing in home price appreciation, along with the buildup in inventories, has led to a much better situation for home buyers through increased affordability as well as more inventory to choose from," he said. "Households are saying on surveys that home buying conditions have improved notably, and that has coincided with the stabilization in home sales." Fueling the rise in mortgage applications last week was a 13.7% jump in the MBA's seasonally adjusted index of refinancing. The refinance share of requests rose to 50.1% from 46.9% the week before, highest since April 2004. Demand for home purchase loans was also robust. The MBA's seasonally adjusted purchase index, widely considered a timely gauge of U.S. home sales, rose 4.9% to 426.6, highest since May. However, the purchase index was substantially below its year-ago level of 495.1. The indexes also point to stabilization, with the sharp weakness in home sales and housing starts seen so far this year expected to ease in coming months, analysts say. While mortgage lenders benefited from the increase in demand for home loans last week, home builders are still feeling the pinch of the slowdown in the country's once-soaring real estate market. "Housing construction is extremely weak at present and is currently shaving more than a percentage point from gross domestic product growth," said Maki. "Home sales, on the other hand, appear to be stabilizing." The gap between some fixed- and floating-rate loan rates is slim. Fixed 15-year mortgage rates averaged 5.66%, down from 5.86%, lowest since January. Rates on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to an average 5.79% from 5.87%, lowest since March. The narrowing gap between fixed and adjustable loans has been luring consumers to fixed-rate loans. The ARM share of activity fell to 23.9% of applications from 24.5% the previous week, lowest since October 2003. The MBA's survey covers about half of retail residential loans. Respondents include mortgage banks, commercial banks and thrifts. | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 115 Registered: 09-2006 |
Gee, too bad DeVos didnt get in, he would have fixed all this by now ... | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5250 Registered: 02-2004 |
Today we Detroiters, suburbanites and our leaders in the Michigan Legislature are dialogue the problem rather than doing something about it. | ||
Titancub Member Username: Titancub Post Number: 22 Registered: 08-2006 |
All lenders became too aggressive with their levels of financing that they were comfortable with (see record levels of interest only and no money down mortgages). Thats why foreclosures and defaults are up throughout the US and not just the MI area. It seems that the lenders were being overcompetitive and somewhat irrational rather then necessarily being predatory. | ||
Fortress_warren Member Username: Fortress_warren Post Number: 296 Registered: 10-2006 |
"The economy was in pretty much the same shape it is now. People weren't losing their houses left and right." Dds, If you had been around during the 74-75 and 80-83 episodes, you'd realize people would have thought they had died and gone to heaven to have the economy we do today. Especially in Metro-Detroit. 74-75 we had 10% unemployment, 10% inflation. Mortgages jumped to 10% from the 6% they had been for years. 80-83 was worse, 16% unemployment in M-D, 12% inflation, 18% mortgages at the end of 82. It basically sucked for 11 years, 73 to 84. 77 and 78 looked pretty good, but only by the low standards of the previous years. The rest of the country is actually doing pretty good, it's the auto and new housing parts that are having a tough time. Housing cause they overbuilt, and autos, well you already know about that. | ||
Fightdetroit Member Username: Fightdetroit Post Number: 9 Registered: 11-2006 |
Dds to answer your question - We absolutely will not finance a home to someone who can't afford it. But most sub-prime lenders will...they are the sharks. They have little to no guidelines and aren't required to follow Fannie Mae guidelines. Most people on the west coast got into homes on negative amortization loans. Those are the people that thought their homes were appreciating 20% per year and now all of the sudden the market is flat and their payment/interest rate keeps adjusting every month. They are literally stuck in that loan. Their debt to income ratios are so high that they barely get approved on an interest only product. What to do? Back to my original point....EDUCATE YOUR SELF! | ||
Detroitrulez Member Username: Detroitrulez Post Number: 14 Registered: 12-2006 |
educate "your self" or "yourself"? And as to what, predatory lending practices? This is like a bad margin call for the US of A as far as I'm concerned. yeah, people are stupid, but the predatory lenders aren't exactly the ones with clean hands. There is a big backlash coming on this...can already see it with the payday loan stuff. | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 393 Registered: 08-2006 |
I think Mortgage lenders are going to to be the new great nemesis, like lawyers were in the last Century. I can see it now. What's the difference between a dead skunk in the road and a dead mortgage lender in the road? The skunk has skid marks leading up to him. | ||
Fightdetroit Member Username: Fightdetroit Post Number: 10 Registered: 11-2006 |
Do you know how many people I deny everyday? If I am such a "predatory lender" why wouldn't I do a loan for them? I could write dirty loans all day but they would end up falling out and I'd be fired. To answer your question Detroitrulez, I absolutely think you should educate yourself against predatory lenders and brokers. Why wouldn't you? It's obvious that you've been hosed before, next time do your homework! Nice joke cambrain, did you think of that all by yourself? | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 1316 Registered: 01-2004 |
"Davis Hall is a nice guy." Yeah, but "Davis" still makes some horrible ass commercials. And when "Davis" eats in Royal Oak he invariably treats the waitstaff at the restaurants there like crap. Shitty tipper too. (Message edited by mauser765 on December 08, 2006) | ||
Jelk Member Username: Jelk Post Number: 4076 Registered: 10-2003 |
A Quicken hack complaining about adjustable rate mortgages is like a drug dealer complaining about heroin addiction. Dude, do you even pay attention to your company's marketing campaign? You guys have been pushing adjustable rate mortgages with a vengeance. Ahh, it's good to be back. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 7460 Registered: 12-2003 |
Fightdetroit, I'd suggest watching the documentary The Corporation, available from Google video the next time you've got about three hours to bend or stretch your brain a bit. Sometimes even the most ethical, honest, and moral people can get caught up in a system that is corrupt to its core...but since they only see THEIR piece of the puzzle, it is not obvious to them. Cheers! | ||
Dds Member Username: Dds Post Number: 58 Registered: 10-2006 |
Fortress_warren: I was around. Not in Metro-Detroit, but the heart of the rustbelt. It was that era that made my parents force me to promise not to enter into the auto industry. My point was in response to Sport's insinuation that apples and oranges can be compared. The 12% rate in the 70's cannot be compared to the 6% rate of today. Mostly because, on average, housing cost 1/4 what it does today. And that it's ignorant people spending money they don't have and not the economy (which as you said is better now than in the 70's) that is the major reason behind foreclosures. If the economy was such crap in the 70's, how come we didn't see record numbers of home foreclosures then? I don't remember people losing houses. I remember them moving south to follow the jobs (mostly Texas to the oil fields and chemical plants). In my opinion, economic times are similar. We have more plants slated to close in the next 3 years, but now there are no other jobs available for them. People are just dumb with their money in this day. Fightdetroit: thanks for the clear explanation. | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 403 Registered: 08-2006 |
Let's not forget that back in those days a layoff was a temporary one. Most people knew they were going to get their jobs back when things righted themselves. These days it gets worse and worse, and we hear "Sold more Buicks is China than in the US". | ||
Wcpo_intern Member Username: Wcpo_intern Post Number: 1880 Registered: 04-2004 |
fightdetroit, I was on a planning commission and we received many many complaints from folks that had to come to the realization that they lived on private roads and that neighborhood organizations could control certain things so my favorite quote from the chairperson was: People put more research into buying a toaster than they do into buying a house. How true it is. Sounds like you work for a Mortgage company, namely Rock Financial, and I'm looking to buy a new house, likely in the spring, when I can use my bonus to boost my down payment and have the credit cards paid off. In my last purchase, I let my ex-wife talk me into buying more than I wanted which was still way below what the mortgage company would have allowed. E-mail me at schemanske2002@yahoo.com so I can talk to you about the price range I should realistically be looking at and what the rate would likely be. | ||
Fightdetroit Member Username: Fightdetroit Post Number: 11 Registered: 11-2006 |
Dds - you are correct. People are dumb with their money these days. I completely agree! | ||
Dougw Member Username: Dougw Post Number: 1470 Registered: 11-2003 |
At least David Hall isn't as annoying as those webpage ads for lowermybills.com with the dancing couple. Ugh. |
