The Fallout of the Foreclosure Crisis
January 7th, 2010 by adminBuying a house you couldn’t afford, accepting a subprime mortgage from a lender, losing your job, or experiencing health problems are just a few of the reasons that people can end up in foreclosure. Regardless of the reason for their money troubles, thousands of people are losing their homes, damaging their credit, and facing the possibility of homelessness. While foreclosure can clearly have a huge impact on economic health, they can also threaten a person’s mental well-being. Depression, anxiety disorders, divorce, and violence are just some of the more insidious aftershocks that can be felt in communities all around the country.
As homeowners struggle to cover their mortgage payments, utility bills, childcare costs and food bills, the accompanying tension and anxiety can wear down a person’s ability to cope. Prolonged periods of stress and hardship can quickly turn into an anxiety disorder or to full-blown depression.
Depression is often characterized by physical and mental fatigue, lack of ambition, sadness, and worst of all?hopelessness. This lack of hope can make it extremely difficult to look at one’s situation with a clear head. Feelings of shame and failure can overwhelm a person and convince her that the situation will never get better. Negative thoughts can ambush her psyche, dispensing blame and criticism at every turn. She may think “I failed. Here’s proof that I can’t take care of myself. I’m a disappointment and a loser.”
Depression can also cause inaction. If a person has lost her job or has other personal problems mounting on top of the foreclosure, she may simply stop trying to pick up the pieces, and let the dark cloud wash over her. Her destructive thoughts will inhibit her ability to deal with her problems head-on. If she needs to find a better paying job or look for a place to live, the task may seem monumental. This paralysis inevitably leads to worse financial problems, leading to lower self esteem. Her reduced self esteem only makes it that much harder to move onward and upward, and so the cycle continues.
There’s also embarrassment and the feeling that no one will want to help her. Believing that she doesn’t deserve to be helped, she doesn’t contact the bank for assistance. She then misses the window of opportunity to save her home.
Along with depression, struggling homeowners may find themselves turning to food, alcohol or drugs to deal with the stress. Others will turn to gambling with the hopes that they will win enough money to get the house back. These self-destructive behaviors of course only exacerbate the problem, and can have a huge impact on families.
Anxious children, marital spats, separation, and divorce are all common side effects of the foreclosure problem. Unfortunately, things can escalate quite quickly from partners simply blowing off steam, to full-on domestic violence.
As the number of foreclosures continues to rise, the number of abuse cases quickly follow suit. One national survey has cited “financial issues” as a major contributing factor to the increase in violence in homes across America, and Brian Narney from the National Network to End Domestic Violence said that the financial stress in an economic crisis is “not a cause of domestic violence, but it can intensify it.”
While some people turn their frustration outward, others turn on themselves. With no hope on the horizon, some homeowners choose to end their own lives rather than endure any more pain.
There have already been a few cases of suicide attempts among homeowners facing foreclosure, including a 91 year old woman from Ohio who shot herself before facing eviction. There was also an Oregon couple who were days away from losing their home when they killed themselves and their three dogs via carbon monoxide poisoning.
A study conducted in Australia has determined that “economic trends are closely associated with suicide risk, with men showing a heightened risk of suicide in the face of economic adversity.” A California psychologist also noted that “one’s house is very much a projection of one’s self. To have a home taken away is tantamount to having part of yourself taken away.”
The picture is indeed bleak, but it doesn’t have to be. There are options available for homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payments, such as refinancing or getting an extension on their loan. If you’re facing possible foreclosure, it’s critical that you contact your lender right away. As for taking care of your mental health, there are resources available to help. See the continuation of the article, titled “Dealing with the Emotional Aftermath of Foreclosure” for more information.
Mortgage Crisis Amounts to Opportunity to Pillage for Some Gatekeepers
December 17th, 2009 by adminIf your mortgage is in default and you’re struggling to make your payments, be very careful about to whom you give money for the purpose of fixing your financial situation. Many people across the country have found that in their quest to find assistance for their dire financial situation, they have been completely victimized by fraudsters and con-men.
Some of the people involved with these scams have been real estate agents, lawyers, and mortgage brokers (among others); it seems like there is no restriction to which “profession” might stoop to taking advantage of the unfortunate homeowners who’re desperately trying to find a solution to their struggle to remain in their homes.
Many people across the country have unfortunately been taken in by “pay upfront” refinancing that results in the person who’s been given the money not helping the family renegotiate their mortgage and subsequently lost their homes plus any payment that they’d made to have their mortgages modified.
The US government has apparently had enough of people who’re struggling to remain in their homes and find work being taken advantage of and arrested forty-one people recently in a huge crackdown of mortgage scammers including lawyers and mortgage brokers from across four states. It is unfortunate that the very people whose job it is to help homeowners keep their homes are the ones who’ve turned their backs on them. Many government agencies worked together over many months to bring these fraudsters in; hopefully their arrests will save others from experiencing this kind of horrible betrayal.
Experts suggest that if you need to have your mortgage modified then make sure you work with reputable lenders and keep documentation of the process. You should not be required to pay money upfront for mortgage modification. Be wary of any “too good to be true” offers that you receive by phone; they may well be people looking for a free handout instead of the actual financial help that you need.
It seems that in this current climate of financial struggling and high unemployment, one of the most profitable money making endeavours is ripping off people’s money while they’re struggling to hold on to a roof over their head and that of their family. Hopefully law enforcement can keep up with the flood of ethically bankrupt gatekeepers who’ve gotten involved with these schemes.
Will Indian Real Estate Industry Shake in Dubai Crisis?
December 16th, 2009 by adminA widespread apprehension has spread across the real estate Indian industry as to whether the ongoing Dubai crisis will shake it. Reportedly, the real estate industry along with the oil and other major industries which control the financial nerve of the Middle East is in crisis and there is a fear in India that its it will have detrimental ramifications in the Indian Industry. However, the widespread apprehension notwithstanding, the investment and infrastructure development companies in India are savvy and sanguine that they will remain unaffected by the Dubai crisis. This is because, they aver and argue, the Indian property market has only very limited exposure to the Dubai market and it remains with its insular operations. Though their assertions and assumptions exude confidence, the real estate stocks along with the rest of the market at first dipped a little, though recovered later.
The apprehensions as to whether the Indian real estate Industry will shake in the Dubai crisis seem to be out of place when we consider the averments of industry veterans. They hold that the effect of Dubai on Indian market is two-fold. In the first place, some developers in Indian had plan to invest in Dubai. Secondly, The Government of Dubai and other Middle East infrastructure developers wanted to start project in India. However, Anuj Puri, chairman and country head of the international real estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj avers: “This would not have a major direct impact on India’s real estate market, which is largely locally driven.” Further, he adds “Dubai’s real estate market was not sustainable in the long-term, as it was not driven by end user demand.” The executive director of the Indian real estate major DLF, Rajiv Talvar says: “Our contacts with Dubai-based entities were minimal. Luckily for us, we do not have any exposure to that market. The one deal for which we were negotiating fell through.” “The plans to enter Dubai have been postponed for a while,” said a DLF spokesman.
Revelations of other Indian real estate majors as to whether real estate properties in India,industry will shake in the Dubai crisis are also hopeful. Pradeep Jain of Parsvnath Developers and Sanjay Chandra of Unitech triumphantly said that they have nothing to do with any Dubai-based entities. However, another construction major Omaxe’s subsidiary Rohtas Holdings (Gulf) are reported to be in the early stage of two residential projects in Dubai. Also, the Mumbai-based builder, Hiranandani Group is in the midst of the construction of the tallest residential project of the world, the 90-storey structure, 23 Marina Dubai. Hopefully, officials at Hiranandani say that the project has been very well received with only 15 percent of work remaining and 30 percent of the payment outstanding.
Foreclosure Plan Wrong for Evolving Mortgage Crisis
November 29th, 2009 by adminEven with loan modification programs now in place, the Obama administration’s housing-rescue efforts are increasingly ill-suited to address the changing nature of the foreclosure crisis, according to a report released by a watchdog panel. The report, from the Congressional Oversight Panel was created to oversee the government’s $700 billion financial bailout. This report concluded that the financial bailout plan isn’t set up to help the current drivers of foreclosures: borrowers with good credit who have lost their jobs and those with complex mortgage. Under the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, eligible borrowers who are behind on their mortgage payments can reduce their monthly payments. A companion program allows eligible homeowners to refinance their home loan if they have little or no equity in their home. But modifying loans for unemployed borrowers who are unable to afford even reduced payments will likely lead to even more foreclosures in the future.
The report was released one day after the Obama administration said it had met a key benchmark for the housing-rescue program by offering trial loan modifications to half of a million homeowners. HAMP The report stated that Obama’s program is targeting the housing crisis as it existed six months ago, rather than it’s current state. Even trial loan modifications might not lead to a permanent fix, and the homeowners who do receive a permanent mortgage modification will see payments rise after five years. This will likely lead to a foreclosure delay rather than prevention. Foreclosure efforts so far were designed to modify subprime adjustable-rate mortgages and other risky loans that were becoming delinquent as interest rates adjusted, dramatically increasing monthly payments. By reducing the interest rate or extending the loan over a longer term, monthly payments may become more affordable. The current wave of defaults is being driven by borrowers with good credit who have lost their jobs and can not afford to make any mortgage payments. Another category of troubled borrowers have complex home loans that can’t be easily modified without writing down the loan balance, which is unlikely due to the financial crisis.
There has been some motion generated by this report. The oversight panel, which approved the report on a 3-2 vote, called for the administration to update the strategy to address this new wave of borrower defaults. The Treasury Department said that they continue to study further ways to help unemployed homeowners. Senate Democrats introduced a bill to offer federal funds for states to offer mortgage assistance to unemployed borrowers. Policy makers are also considering proposals that would allow lenders to lower payments beyond the requirements of the HAMP program for unemployed homeowners. The vast majority of modifications have not included writing down loan balances, which many experts believe would lead to more successful modifications.
Predatory Renting Crisis In The Midst Of The American Foreclosure Crisis
November 7th, 2009 by adminSimilar to the housing predatory lending which fuels the foreclosure problem in America, is predatory renting. Predatory renting can be composed of several components, including:
The Australian Housing Affordability Crisis – Where Do First Home Buyers Stand?
October 22nd, 2009 by adminHousing affordability in Australia is reaching a crisis point with many individuals and families now finding the ?Australian dream? of owning their own home soundly out of reach. This has never been truer than for the first home buyer.
The average median house price in Australia is now around $412,000 a whopping 108% increase over the 1997 ? 2006 period with a corresponding 97% increase in the average home loan. It?s no wonder first home buyers are now contemplating a life time of renting.
The average first home buyer will now need to spend over 30% of their disposable income to service the minimum monthly repayments on a new home loan of around $2,332 a month. With rental prices for private housing rising sharply over the last couple of years the first home buyers capacity to save a deposit has been dramatically undermined and along with rising living costs the first home buyer is struggling.
The housing affordability crisis in Australia has come about because of a shortage of available housing and the excessive cost of raw land, long delays in planning approvals and the high cost of infrastructure to support community services. All of these factors are contributing to delays in residential construction.
A similar housing affordability crisis is occurring in the UK for first home buyers brought on by a prevalent housing shortage. The UK mortgage market has been pushing for longer fixed rate loan terms for periods up to 25 years as an immediate solution to ease the housing affordability crisis for first home buyers.
The impact on Australian First Home Buyers?
The emerging trend in Australia at the moment for first home buyers is a delay in home ownership with preference given to maintaining their lifestyle and being able to live in a suburb of their own choice rather than making sacrifices to purchase a home in a less desirable location. With rising debt, large deposit requirements and soaring house prices the first home buyer is opting to rent rather than face the uncertainty of being unable to meet the monthly loan repayments of a new mortgage.
Mortgage relief for the First Home Buyer?
Mortgage brokers like Altrust Finance, financial institutions and the Australian government are all working towards finding lending solutions to alleviate the current housing affordability crisis for first home buyers. Low doc loans and non conforming home loans are making it easier for families and individuals to own their own home. New shared equity schemes aimed at reducing the upfront costs of home ownership for the first home buyer as well as reducing loan repayments are emerging in the Australian mortgage market place. Non conforming loans, no deposit loans and family guarantee mortgages are all available to the first home buyer and are aimed at addressing the needs of the borrower. Australian mortgage brokers like Altrust Finance Group now have the flexibility to offer first home buyers a range of home loan options to beat the housing affordability crisis and purchase their first home.
