Archive for March, 2006

Ameriquest Settles For 350 Million Dollars For Unfair Lending Practices

Ameriquest has settled on a 3 year investigation on predatory lending practices for 350 million dollars with 50 million going to California customers. They have agreed to change their internal practices and not use high pressure sales tactics on its customers.

The judgment closes a three-year investigation into Ameriquest’s lending practices, which law enforcement officials [...]

21Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 0 comments | Continued

Real Living Inc Develops New Marketing Campaign Aimed at Women Buyers

Question: When marketing your home to sell, is it more important to focus on the man or the woman?
Answer: It is the woman, as she makes the decision on more than 80 percent of the consumer decisions for the household.
Then why do we still market real estate with men as the primary focus. Real Living [...]

21Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 0 comments | Continued

Housing Market to Dip in 2006, Bounce Back in 2007 According to Economists

Cathy Minehan, the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and David Lereah, the chief economist of the National Association of Realtors, told a group in Boston yesterday that the housing market will slow down in 2006 and into 2007 but then rebound at a slower rate later in that year. This is good [...]

21Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 2 comments | Continued

VantageScore: Why it is Not The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread But Will Be A Reality

VantageScore will end up being part of the credit landscape, but it will not be the be anything that FICO is not according to the Credit Bloggers. They have a great post explaining the genesis of VantageScore, why the 3 majors got together and created this product, and why these bitter rivals are working together [...]

20Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 0 comments | Continued

The True Eminent Domain Battle Ground – New Jersey

As New Jersey and other states around the country discuss in their legislatures how to best address eminent domain, the legislatures must make a decision. Are the rights of the homeowner or property owner more important to them than the opportunities for development and growth of their tax base? For a politician this is a tough question. For a New [...]

20Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 0 comments | Continued

So What Defines a Housing Bubble? I Think I Found an Answer

When we discuss the housing bubbles that are occurring around the country I find it hard to determine what the housing bubble is? Where is the line that defines the bubble and puts the idea from emotional to rational and practical. In an article in todays North County Times, they defined the housing bubble as [...]

19Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 3 comments | Continued

Indiana Leads Nation In Foreclosures

Indiana lead the nation with its foreclosure rate was nearly 1 percent. The Midwest has had the roughest time lately in the country as stagnant employment and rising energy costs have hit the region hard. The gulf region led to a national increase in defaults, but lenders have worked hard to help homeowners displaced to deal [...]

19Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 1 comment | Continued

Agents Falling Short On Disclosure

Agent disclosure has been an ongoing problem in real estate transactions probably since the the first real estate agent helped broker a transaction. Now, with a more complicated landscape for real estate purchases and sales it is more important for the agents involved to disclose in writing their roles before the process begins.
When we [...]

18Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 0 comments | Continued

Residential Mortgage Delinquencies Increase is No Surprise

News from the Mortgage Bankers Association tells that the mortgage delinquency rate increased this past quarter. With the uncertainty of the marketplace in parts of the country and many other factors impacting the pocketbooks of the American people, financial trouble is to be expected for parts of the population. It will be interesting to see how these [...]

17Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 0 comments | Continued

1.7 Million Dollar Mortgage Scam Nabs State Trooper and Others

The lure of the big hit combined with less stringent mortgage approval processes have lead to a rash of mortgage fraud across the country. Combine that with a hundred hucksters teaching the art of flipping homes has created an environment of fraud in real estate that is amazing. A group outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has [...]

17Mar2006 | Tom Royce | 0 comments | Continued