The Housing Bubble

The Journal Gazette reports from Indiana. “More Allen County residents are putting their homes up for sale to avoid foreclosure, said broker Tony Chacon. That is adding to the large pool of homes on the market. Some Allen County houses are being sold for less than the outstanding loan balance, Chacon said. The houses that couldn’t be saved through short sales went into foreclosure. Indiana had 9,087 properties with foreclosure filings in the third quarter, according to RealtyTrac.”

“Many consumers who couldn’t afford houses before jumped into the market, thanks to low interest rates and unorthodox mortgages that didn’t require down payments, said Charlene Sullivan, associate professor at Purdue University. Some lenders pushed the envelope and lent money with little documentation of the buyer’s income. Then the lenders sold the mortgage contracts to Wall Street investors, avoiding the risk of foreclosure, she said.”

“‘It was almost like your dream money-printing machine,’ Sullivan said.”

“Colleen Maier doesn’t understand why the steady stream of potential buyers eager to tour her northeast Fort Wayne house has slowed to a trickle. Maier is caring for her daughters on her own while she waits for the Shearwater Pass house to sell. Her husband is staying with relatives in St. Louis and waiting for his family to join.”

“‘We really can’t afford two mortgages,’ she said, ’so I’m going to stay here till we sell this house.’”

“Jeffrey D. Fisher, director of the Benecki Center for Real Estate Studies at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business…said the problem likely will continue to affect the entire country.”

“‘Nobody’s immune from the housing market problems,’ he said.”

The Chicago Tribune from Illinois. “A growing foreclosure crisis has complicated their campaign and left for-sale signs and boarded-up houses in its wake. In Humboldt Park, the number of foreclosure filings has risen at an alarming rate, from about 150 last year to more than 1,000 this year, said Hector Gamboa, program development manager at the Spanish Coalition for Housing.”

“‘I walk two blocks and I see six houses for sale,’ said Melissa Rivera.”

The Grand Rapids Press from Michigan. “Home sales in the Grand Rapids area are on the rise compared to a year ago — but experts say that’s because sellers are dramatically dropping prices. Realtors say the 11.3 percent boost in home sales is encouraging, even if the average price has dropped 28.3 percent.”

“‘I think the message there is the sellers are understanding that they have to accept less,’ said Julie Rietberg, executive director of the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors, which released the numbers.”

“The growing number of foreclosures in the area are partly to blame for the price drop. Based on association statistics, about a third of the sales recorded last month were foreclosure properties.”

“It’s not what was originally envisioned. A planned twin tower isn’t going happen. And it’s a long way from being sold out. But Icon on Bond, the largest all-new downtown housing project since 1991, is done.”

“Since the initial occupancy permits for 601 Bond Ave. NW were issued in September, three people have moved in, including father-son developers Joseph A. and Joseph P. Moch.”

“Tami Walker, a sales representative for Icon, said 63 percent of the 118 units are sold, but that includes those only reserved with refundable deposits. Some were sold to investors during the construction phase with plans to lease or resell.”

“Walker said Icon’s entry to the market during a nationwide housing slump has not helped. ‘The majority of people coming in love the condos,’ Walker said. ‘They want to live here. But they have a house to sell before they can do that.’”

“Joseph A. Moch declined to comment on Icon. He has said he does not believe coverage of the development has been fair. ‘I don’t really have anything more to say to you,’ he said.”

The Detroit News. “Ryan Homes, which made its southeast Michigan debut in 2006, will finish building 10 houses for which it already holds permits before exiting the state entirely, according to real estate agents, company employees and government officials.”

“Ryan Homes began…two subdivisions toward the end of a housing frenzy in Detroit’s outer suburbs. But a perfect storm of regional job losses, continued migration out of Michigan and national residential real estate troubles has turned the once-lucrative homebuilding business into a bust.”

“Lawrence Yun, a senior economist for the National Association of Realtors… noted that the bad news may have a golden lining for the region. ‘Fewer homes being built will give those homes waiting for buyers a chance to clear out,’ Yun said. ‘Reducing inventory is a key factor in generating a real estate turnaround.’”

The Post Crescent from Wisconsin. “If you’re ready to buy a home, perhaps because of a growing family or because you have a down payment saved, waiting a year or two for the national news to be brighter might not be the best move.”

“This could be hype from local real estate agents, who make their living by selling houses, or even bankers, who make some of their money by providing mortgages, but it could be more than hype; it could be right.”

“‘There’s a lot of inventory (of homes for sale) on the market right now so you’ve got a lot to pick from,’ said Ann Spencer, senior VP at Associated Bank, a major mortgage lender in northeastern Wisconsin.”

“It’s worth mentioning that rates and house prices could go down in the future, although historically, Fox Valley housing has never dropped. K.C. Maurer, owner of a real estate brokerage firm and a 30-year veteran of the industry, can’t recall one such price decline. What’s more likely is that appreciation slows.”

“The Midwest suffers from the double whammy of a declining housing market and economic performance that lags much of the nation.”

“‘Perhaps Cleveland and Ohio aren’t at the top of the list, but that’s like standing on the deck of the Titanic and saying we’re not taking as much water as we did the last hour,’ said Mark Wiseman, director of Cuyahoga County’s Foreclosure Prevention Program.”

“‘We’re still getting over a thousand a month in foreclosure filings and sheriff’s sales,’ Wiseman said.”

“In Milwaukee, Trena Bond sees the risk become reality every day.’I see people who, for one reason or another, fall behind in their payments. Then they refinance,’ said Bond, executive director of Housing Resources Inc. Perhaps one-third of the people who come to see Bond can hold on to their homes. Many, she said, ‘just walk away’ from them.”

From GM Today in Wisconsin. “New data on foreclosures in Wisconsin show that even one of the state’s wealthiest counties is still being affected by weakness in the housing market.”

“In October, foreclosures in Waukesha County increased by 26 percent over the same month last year, according to (a) Web site. On a year-to-date basis, they’re up 46 percent in the county.”

The Journal Sentinel from Wisconsin. “Debts overpowered 2,280 Wisconsin homeowners in October, ForeclosuresWI .com reported Monday. October’s caseload, the highest monthly volume on record at the company, pushed the Badger State foreclosure tally to 17,013 in this year’s first 10 months. That’s 28% higher than the 13,256 a year earlier.”

“Worst of all is Milwaukee County, with 4,508 foreclosure filings in this year’s first 10 months, 53% higher than a year earlier. City of Milwaukee cases, meanwhile, have about tripled, reported Todd Weiler, public information coordinator for the city’s Department of Neighborhood Services.”

“‘A year ago, we had maybe 50 foreclosures a month. Now it’s up to 150 a week,’ Weiler said. ‘Last year, we had 750 sheriff’s sales. This year, we’ve already had 1,761.’”

“Preliminary findings show ‘a lot of loans made in ‘06 and ‘07 to people who couldn’t even afford the initial payment,’ said Catey Doyle, chief staff attorney for Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee. Typically, those mortgages passed through several hands before being bundled with other loans into securities ultimately purchased by big bank trust companies.”

“‘Everyone along the way says, ‘It’s not our fault, not our fault,’ the lawyer said.”

The Star Tribune from Minnesota. “As a rising tide of foreclosures washes over them, local governments are getting stuck spending more time dealing with the growing problem — and collecting less money because of it.”

“Police officers are chasing people out of more boarded buildings. Inspectors are issuing more citations for uncut grass or unshoveled snow. Assessors are having to more closely scrutinize housing to determine its market value.”

“Member cities complain most about the time involved in tracking down owners of the property. ‘It’s very difficult to locate who the owner is,’ said Laura Harris, a lobbyist for the League of Minnesota Cities. That’s because mortgage loans are resold among lenders and investors.”

“In Minneapolis, foreclosures are a dominant factor behind a doubling of vacant properties tracked by the city’s problem property unit. That’s jumped from 360 properties last December to 718 this week. And that number could hit 1,000 by the end of next year, according to Tom Deegan, who manages the unit.”

“Deegan estimated that 80 percent of those vacancies result from foreclosure.”

“The city has spent $1 million to board up properties this year. That cost can be assessed against the property, like unpaid water bills, but it can take years until the property is sold before the assessment is paid. Deegan said the city recovers maybe 60 percent of boarding costs.”