Are things getting better? The news certainly is not good, but the question is whether there is lemonade amongst the lemons …
 U.S. foreclosure activity in July 2008 increased 8 percent from the previous month and 55 percent from a year earlier, July 2007, according to the RealtyTrac Foreclosure Market Report released today.

Bank Repossessions (REOs) […]

Could things get worse? Well, according to a piece by Les Christie of CNNMoney.com, the answer may be yes.
Turns out, prime mortgages are starting to default at disturbingly high rates - a development that threatens to slow any potential housing recovery.
Here is yet another strong and very expert view who says — you bet: […]

Today, Bloomberg News reported that 100 of the world’s biggest banks losses from the U.S. sub-prime crisis, and the ensuing credit crunch, crossed the $500 billion mark as write-downs spread to more asset types.
Further exacerbating the situation we now see that auction-rate securities have begun adding to the losses as regulators and prosecutors force banks […]

Much of the news over the summer of 2008 has been negative, somewhat depressing, and duplicative. Unfortunately, our post today is much of the same, but there comes a time when there is just no way to avoid the news. The truth is that we need to know how to set our course in the days to come.
As reported […]

As just reported in InmanNews, shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac hit 17-year lows today (July 10, 2008) as investors’ fears about the companies’ ability to raise additional capital fueled speculation of the possibility of a government bailout.
Along these lines, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) has issued a statement on the […]

So you think title is typically not an integral part of your deal. Think again!
Here is a title story, of epic proportions, told to us InmanNews. Remember this scenario the next time someone poo-poos the importance of securing title, prior to a development deal.
Some Hollywood moguls who were ready to build a $282 million movie production […]

Here is yet another very significant indicia of the declining real estate market, as of April 2008, as reported by Inman News:
There has been a 28 percent decline in revenue which helped push title insurer LandAmerica Financial Group Inc. to a $24.2 million first-quarter loss, despite ongoing cost-cutting measures that include the elimination of the equivalent […]

Here is somthing to ponder. Is it possiblle. Will we still be talking about the mortgage meltdown and housing slump in 2018?
According to Matt Carter in his Inman Blog the answer is YES.
He highlights how analysts at JP Morgan say the credit crunch will affect the structure of financial markets and pricing for […]

I know. I too want to look for  positive news, but facts are facts, as they say.
Get a load of this news ….
In Jessica Swesey’s Blog on Inman News, she writes a mind blowing and incredibly scary article called: Hey subprime meltdown, I want my $143 back.
Check out these facts and projections:

The International Monetary Fundestimated […]

As reported in the Baltimore Business Journal today, Fannie Mae – the Washington, D.C.-based mortgage giant – is setting new rules about what mortgages it will buy.
These new underwriting guidelines will have a huge impact on the number of people who will get loans and the amount of business that flows through the real estate, banking, […]