American Home Mortgage New York

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.

''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''

Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.ht ml?res=9C0DE7DB153EF933A0575AC0A96F95826 0

I think this shows that most people in the financial world knew what was going to happen long before it happened. Those who were in charge though didn't care. They just rode the wave and pocketed the cash while it happened. Everyone knew that it would end sometime, but hopefully it would end after the big wheels cashed their chips and paid off their beach houses in Maui. Of course, this isn't the entire picture of the economy, but this is kind of what happened across the board. It's the American way to live beyond Your means. Just look at pop culture... "pimp my ride" and "cribs" and the music videos... Everyone has to have luxury, whether they can afford it or not. And as long as people are buying banks will be lending until it culminates into something like this. Those at the top knew. Those in finance knew. If this kind of information had been put on MTV or torrented with the newest games or movies, it might have made a difference. The people who are reading the New York Times already knew, so I figure this made little difference. Nothing will stop extravagant spending. Not even financial crisis. We have to quit inhibiting this type of activity by giving unworthy people money that have no intentions of repaying it.

2009-06-30 13:05:36 by mhaiducek

Video of the friends I made at Homegate (American Home Mortgage)

If you think Bush caused our economic crisis then have you read this article put out by the New York Time article?

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending
By STEVEN A. HOLMES

Published: September 30, 1999

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, theFannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.

''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''

Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescuesimilar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''

Under Fannie Mae's pilot program, consumers who qualify can secure a mortgage with an interest rate one percentage point above that of a conventional, 30-year fixed rate mortgage of less than $240,000 -- a rate that currently averages about 7.76 per cent. If the borrower makes his or her monthly payments on time for two years, the one percentage point premium is dropped.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, does not lend money directly to consumers. Instead, it purchases loans that banks make on what is called the secondary market. By expanding the type of loans that it will buy, Fannie Mae is hoping to spur banks to make more loans to people with less-than-stellar credit ratings.

Fannie Mae officials stress that the new mortgages will be extended to all potential borrowers who can qualify for a mortgage. But they add that the move is intended in part to increase the number of minority and low income home owners who tend to have worse credit ratings than non-Hispanic whites.

Home ownership has, in fact, exploded among minorities during the economic boom of the 1990's. The number of mortgages extended to Hispanic applicants jumped by 87.2 per cent from 1993 to 1998, according to Harvard University 's Joint Center for Housing Studies. During that same period the number of African Americans who got mortgages to buy a home increased by 71.9 per cent and the number of Asian Americans by 46.3 per cent.

In contrast, the number of non-Hispanic whites who received loans for homes increased by 31.2 per cent.

Despite these gains, home ownership rates for minorities continue to lag behind non-Hispanic whites, in part because blacks and Hispanics in particular tend to have on average worse credit ratings.

In July, the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed that by the year 2001, 50 percent of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's portfolio be made up of loans to low and moderate-income borrowers. Last year, 44 percent of the loans Fannie Mae purchased were from these groups.

The change in policy also comes at the same time that HUD is investigating allegations of racial disc

Yes we know that it was the democrats that are always for any handout program, it was their fault. They are and their followers are like immature school kids on the playground, always saying "no he did it". never owning up to anything, only misplacing the blame.

Now they want more stimulus packages, I thought they criticized the Republicans for the same thing?. Their own ignorance and lack of boundaries will be their own demise. They cannot survive without us balancing them, I am looking forward to a great fall!.

President Bush did do a great job protecting our country Bon Bon, you were right. I saw a clip of him waving, and I got tears in my eyes. I waved back at the t.v. and said goodbye, we will miss you. Our country will miss the last Godly man they will ever see in office. Boy does his face look like an angel compared to the devil they are gonna put in there.

Queentut I look forward to your questions, please be diligent, don't give up the good fight. It is you and your tenacity and service to our country that is the glue that holds us all together.

2008-11-08 08:18:05 by Mrs Queentutt

According to the national Realtor association home sales are up 17.4% in the last two months.

--quote--
November home sales leap -

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- After surging 10% in October, sales of existing homes jumped again in November, growing 7.4% compared with October to an annualized rate of 6.54 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors.

"This clearly is a rush of first-time buyers not wanting to miss out on the tax credit," said NAR's chief economist, Lawrence Yun.

November was originally going to be the last month in which sales to first-time homebuyers would qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $8,000. However, that deadline was extended through June.

In addition, the tax credit was expanded to cover people who already own a home. They can qualify for a $6,500 tax credit if purchase a new house before the end of June. That should encourage "trade-up" buyers.

The strength of sales in November surprised the industry. A panel of experts compiled by Briefing.com had forecast month-over-month sales growth of just 2.5% to 6.25 million from 6.1 million a month earlier.

The sales total was also a huge improvement over a year ago. Sales rose 45.7% over the paltry annualized rate of 4.49 million units during November 2008.

The contribution made by first-time buyers is evident in a separate survey NAR conducted of its members. They estimate that 51% of sales in November were by newcomers to the market, up a point from 50% in October. Normally, first timers account for about 40% of sales.

Also propelling sales higher were rock-bottom interest rates. The average for a 30-year, fixed-rate loan during the month was just 4.88%, down from 4.95% in October and 6.09% a year ago.

With rates that much lower, homebuyers can save more than $150 a month on a $200,000 mortgage.

The industry expects home sales to slacken December, partially because of the tax credit's originally scheduled demise. That caused some buyers to push up their closing, stealing sales from December.

However, sales will not fall off a cliff, though, according to Walter Molony, a NAR spokesman. "The psychology seems to be turning around," he said. "Potential buyers, who had been staying on the fence, now believe we're at or near the market bottom."

One X-factor, however, is the vast numbers of homes that may come to market over the next few months. There is a large "shadow inventory" -- homes owned by banks and mortgage companies -- that have not yet been put up for sale. It could be as many as 1.7 million units, according to First American CoreLogic.

In addition, another spate of foreclosures could be hitting the market as a number of option-ARM mortgages are set to default.

All that may drive prices down, according to Shari Olefson, author of "Foreclosure Nation: Mortgaging the American Dream." And the impact of these renewed price declines could again alter the market psychology.

"People think that prices have bottomed," she said. "I don't think they have. People will see price declines and that will discourage them from buying."

Mike Larson, a real estate analyst with Weiss Research has preached all through the bust that price declines are what will "fix" the housing crisis.

"We needed to see prices fall to make ownership competitive with renting again, and to restore the normal relationship of house prices to income," he said. "That has now happened and you're seeing buyers come out of the woodwork as a result."

Still, they will have to come out in large numbers to offset the inventory overhang in some of the worst markets, according to Olefson. In the Florida condo market, for example, there is a 35-to-40 month supply of units at the current rates of sale, she said.

Prices still almost certainly have further to fall

--quote--

source:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/22/real_est ate/november_existing_home_sales/index.h tm

home sales were down again in November - and there are millions more homes that will probably be foreclosed in the next yr or two, which will keep house prices down - the real estate market has years to go before most homeowners (including me) have positive equity again

2009-12-23 20:18:28 by shyone

New York Times

By VIKAS BAJAJ
Little by little, millions of Americans surrendered equity in their homes in recent years. Lulled by good times, they borrowed — sometimes heavily — against the roofs over their heads.

Now the bill is coming due. As the housing market spirals downward, home equity loans, which turn home sweet home into cash sweet cash, are becoming the next flash point in the mortgage crisis.

Americans owe a staggering $1.1 trillion on home equity loans — and banks are increasingly worried they may not get some of that money back.

To get it, many lenders are taking the extraordinary step of preventing some people from selling their homes or refinancing their mortgages unless they pay off all or part of their home equity loans first.

Equity loans are a large part of the current crisis. Many of the 100% funding programs that have been used in the last 4 years were home equity loans.

These are part of the current federal investigation that is ongoing.

Keep in mind that the "Banks" that are referred to in much of the news are not your local bank but banks that deal in buying large blocks of mortgage backed securities. They are the ones that are being hurt by the crisis and posting huge losses.

Unfortunately for local and community banks, they are being painted by the same brush. Many community banks, such as the one I am with, never made a single sub-prime loan. Yet our stock has taken a hit even though we have remained as profitable in 2007 as we were in 2005 & 2006.

I hope this helps.

2008-03-30 19:09:02 by Reba K

...i dont have much money to work with but would like something small and in a descent neighborhood. i already pay 1700 a month in rent and think i could get a comparable mortgage. I live in staten island, new york. Im very middle income and feel that home ownership is something ill never have (and that it is only available for the rich or the very poor it seems) There has to be a way i can still achieve the American Dream even if it is a modest house though grants or government incentives. Id even move into a fixer upper.

So tired of rent,
thanks!

yes there often are programs to help first-time buyers or buyers of a certain income level. In my state (wisconsin) we have "Wheda".

Take a look at this organization for Staten Island:

http://www.nhsofstatenisland.org/

Also, look at the other groups on this page- I'd suggest you call a couple of them and ask for advice and more information.

http://www.nhsofstatenisland.org/links.a sp

2008-01-24 11:00:46 by runninggirl1979