Sunday, January 24, 2010

Maricopa County Tax Lien Auction

Tax-lien timeline
Year 1
January: A lien for taxes is attached to the property even though the amount of taxes due will not be determined until the following fall. The county assessor notifies each property owner of the property's assessed value.
August-September: The county Board of Supervisors approves the property-tax rate, and residents receive their annual property-tax bill.
October: The first half of the property-tax bill is due.
Year 2
April: The second half of the Year 1 property tax is due.
December: The county treasurer compiles a list of all parcels with delinquent property taxes for publication.
Year 3
January: The Treasurer's Office publishes the list in a newspaper and on the Internet.
February: An online auction is held to sell the tax liens to investors. Bidders compete for the best annual interest rate, bidding down from 16 percent in whole-digit increments (1 percent, 2 percent, etc.) Any liens not sold to investors are "struck" to the state but can be purchased later for 16 percent interest.
Year 6
February: A lien investor can seek a judgment for foreclosure of the tax-delinquent parcel in court if the investor still has not been repaid with interest.
Year 13
February: If no foreclosure action has been initiated 10 years after the date of purchase, the lien is extinguished.
Source: "Arizona Property Tax Lien Primer" by attorney Mark Manoil.

Read article to see how to invest:
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Friday, January 22, 2010

Arizona Housing Recovery pushed back to 2014

Arizona has lost more than 210,000 jobs in the past 24 months, according to Elliott Pollack, a Scottsdale-based economist.
"It will be 2014 before we get back to 2007's employment level in the state," Pollack told the crowd at the Arizona Biltmore Resort.
He said that he expects metro Phoenix's housing market to start improving near the end of 2012 but that it won't be until 2014 when the area's supply of available houses and demand for those homes are back in balance.

Read entire article:
http://kathleeninarizona.com/archive_details.php?arch=783

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Obama Admin. needs to do more to Prevent Foreclosure

USNEWS By Luke Mullins , On Tuesday January 19, 2010

Nearly a year after the Obama administration unveiled its ambitious housing rescue program, foreclosure tallies continue to break records. Foreclosure filings were reported on more than 2.8 million properties in 2009, up 21 percent from the previous year and 120 percent from 2007, according to RealtyTrac. With nearly 10 percent of mortgages now delinquent--which is also a new record--even more homeowners appear headed for foreclosure this year. "A massive supply of delinquent loans continues to loom over the housing market," RealtyTrac CEO James J. Saccacio said in a statement. "Many of those delinquencies will end up in the foreclosure process in 2010 and beyond."

The number of so called "strategic defaults" more than doubled, to 588,000, from 2007 to 2008, according to a study by Experian and Oliver Wyman. A separate 2009 survey found that more than a quarter of all existing defaults were strategic. Meanwhile, a growing number of academics are touting the financial benefits of walking away. "Homeowners should be walking away in droves," Brent T. White, a University of Arizona law school professor, said in a recent paper. "The financial costs of foreclosure, while not insignificant, are minimal compared to the financial benefit of strategic default."

The case for strategically defaulting is linked to negative equity, or owing more on your home than it is worth. With home prices at the national level having dropped roughly 30 percent from their 2006 peaks--and a great deal more in certain bubble markets--a considerable chunk of property owners are now in this fix. Nearly 1 in 4 borrowers currently have negative equity, according to First American CoreLogic. And rather than continuing to make payments on an investment that's now worth significantly less than what they paid for it, many borrowers are throwing in the towel.

Read more:
http://kathleeninarizona.com/archive_details.php?arch=782

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Mortgage News - FHA Making Changes

The FHA will raise the up-front Mortgage Insurance Premium, paid by borrowers, from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent as well as request legislative authority to increase the maximum annual MIP that the FHA can charge. This is the second time in two years that it has raised the premium.

In addition, in order for new borrowers to qualify for the 3.5 percent down payment program, they will now be required to have a minimum FICO score of 580. Borrowers with a lower score will be required to put down at least 10 percent.

The FHA will also reduce allowable seller concessions, or how much the seller can help the buyer, from 6 percent to 3 percent. The change will give borrowers a greater financial stake in their home purchases, as well as brings the FHA into conformity with industry standards on seller concessions.


Read entire article
http://kathleeninarizona.com/archive_details.php?arch=781

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Scottsdale Golf Clubs lower memberships

A lingering recession has caused some tough conditions for area golf courses throughout the valley financially, primarily due to the loss of golf members. Scottsdale country clubs have cut membership costs and opened their courses to non-resident players. Golfers are trading down luxury golf to more affordable courses.
Read more: http://kathleeninarizona.com/archive_details.php?arch=779

Monday, January 18, 2010

What Happens after Foreclosure?

What Happens After Foreclosure?
January 11, 2010 by Ilyce R. Glink

Summary: What happens to your credit after foreclosure? Millions of Americans have already gone through foreclosure or are facing foreclosure proceedings. How do you recover from foreclosure Your credit score will definitely take a substantial hit, and that will take a long time to recover from. It may be several years before your credit recovers and you can get financing for a new mortgage. While you are waiting, take the time to rebuild your credit score after foreclosure.

Read entire article:
http://kathleeninarizona.com/archive_details.php?arch=774

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Short Sale Fraud - Second lien holders asking to be paid off the HUD settlement statement

In order for a short sale with two loans to happen, the second lien holder has to drop the lien.
If they don't, and there's no short sale, the home goes to foreclosure and the first lien holder gets the house because second liens are subordinated debt to the primary loan.
In short, the second lien holder gets nothing. In order to get the second lien holder to drop the lien, the first lien holder generally negotiates some partial payment to the second lien holder. The second lien holder doesn't have to agree, but more and more are doing so.
That's all legal.
But here's what's not legal and what's apparently happening quite often recently. Since many second lien holders are getting very little, they are now allegedly requesting money on the side from either real estate agents or the buyers in the short sale. When I say "on the side," I mean in cash, off the HUD settlement statements, so the first lien holder doesn't see it.
"They are pretty clear and pretty upfront about the fact that if the first lender knows they are getting paid, the first lender will kill the short sale," says Brandt. "So these second lenders are asking for the payments off the closing documents, off the HUD statement, usually in a cashiers check prior to closing. Once they receive that payment, they will allow the short sale to go through, which according to RESPA laws and the lawyers that we have spoken to on the topic is not legal."

Read the entire story by Diana Olick:
http://kathleeninarizona.com/archive_details.php?arch=771

Highest Foreclosure Rates by State

Foreclosure Rates
Foreclosure filings, defined as a default notice, bank repossession or auction sale notice, were up almost 14 percent in December 2009 from the previous month, and showed an 15-percent increase from a year ago, according to Realty Trac's U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. In December 2009, one in every 366 households in the country had received a foreclosure filing.
1. Nevada
Rate: One in every 94 households
2. Arizona
Rate: One in every 132 households

3. Florida
Rate: One in every 158 households
4. Idaho
Rate: One in every 159 households
5. California
Rate: One in every 165
6. Utah
Rate: One in every 200 households
7. Michigan
Rate: One in every 225 households
8. Illinois
Rate: One in every 294 households
9. Georgia
Rate: 1 in every
10. Hawaii
Rate: 1 in every 330 households

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Real Estate Housing Market Predictions for 2010

All I want for Christmas is a crystal ball this year. When I hear reports that the housing market has hit bottom, or that the market is on its way up I start to feel a sense of hope just like everyone else. Unfortunately, there are so many other factors that I look at every time I hear this news. Such as:

Mortgage Delinquencies, The Shadow Market, Unemployment rates, Success rate of loan modifications, Number of Pending Foreclosures, Guidelines for Mortgage products, Mortgage Interest Rates, and the big one --HOW many people are willing to ride out this wave and not just walk away from their home(s) next year?

Here are my recent concerns:
-November reported the highest number of mortgage delinquencies in history.
-Pending Foreclosures are on the rise.
-Daily increases in Bank Owned inventory has started to hit the market.
-Reports of between 40% - 63.5% is the average negative equity in the Phoenix area.
-High unemployment rates and decreased pay for those that have jobs.
-Number of Individuals that can qualify for a mortgage


My wish this holiday season, is that everyone be blessed with much health and strength so we can work very hard together in preserving Homeownership.

Sometimes we just need a bit of humor



"Our new house has one down payment and 240 darn payments".

About Kathleen Mazzocco

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Scottsdale, AZ, United States
Kathleen has worked with a variety of clients and employees from across and outside of the country, and this has given her a firm grasp of all the details that need to be considered when buying a home in Scottsdale, Anthem, or other areas of Phoenix, Arizona. Kathleen is a AZ Corporate Relocation Professional, and Buyer's Agent. She doesn't just help you find the home you want, she also insures that you're settling in well and that you have all the information you need in order to enjoy the highest-quality lifestyle Arizona has to offer. Begin your plan moving to Arizona with Kathleen today. It's a buyer's market right now, so there are great opportunities for you to land the home of your dreams for much less than you ever imagined possible. Acquiring property foreclosures, short sales, and bank owned homes are ways you can save in today's market. As Certified Distressed Professional she can negotiate the best possible price and terms for you. Please browse through Kathleen's website and let Kathleen Mazzocco help you come home to Arizona,search the newest home listings at www.KathleenInAZ.com.