Foreclosures Per Capita | February 2010

According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac, foreclosure filings topped 300,000 for the 12th straight month last month as 1 in every 418 U.S. homes received a foreclosure filing.

It's a small improvement from January and a just 6 percent increase over February 2009.

On a per-capita basis, foreclosure ...

In Pictures: The Severity Of The Foreclosure Crisis Depends On Where You Live

Foreclosures stories dominate the national housing news. It seems at least one foreclosure-related story makes its way to the front page or the nightly news every week.

But for as much as the foreclosure filing statistics can be astounding -- over 300,000 homes were served last month alone -- the prevalence ...

Simple Real Estate Definitions : Short Sale

A "Short Sale" is when a home seller sells his home for a lesser amount than what is owed on his mortgage, and the mortgage lender agrees to accept the lesser amount in lieu of a full payoff.

By way of example, a Short Sale may be appropriate for a ...

RealtyTrac's 2009 Foreclosure Report Gives Reason For Optimism

Like real estate, it appears that foreclosure activity is a local phenomenon, too.

As reported by RealtyTrac.com, more than half of all foreclosure-related activity in 2009 came from just 4 states:

1. California
2. Florida
3. Arizona
4. Illinois

More than 1.4 million filings made in 2009 are attributed to the above ...

Winning the Bid on a HUD Home

In Pursuit of a Winning Bid

For the last eight months I have been working with a first time home buyer in the $80,000 price range.  Based on her criteria, the area she wanted to live and price of the average home in the area, we knew it wouldn ...

Buying a HUD Home in Indianapolis

HUD Homes are a Good Value

HUD homes in Indianapolis generally represent a great value for the home buyer's. Since the inception of the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers, HUD owned homes have  literally been "flying off the MLS active list", with many being sold in ...

WHY Banks Are Losing Money

This is from the STUPID FILE of things banks do on short sales and bank owned properties. There are certainly enough stories to complete a library and yet, just when you thought you read the one to beat all stories, another comes along that makes you scratch your head in ...

Facing Foreclosure in Indianapolis

Losing the American Dream

Buying a home is the "American Dream" and a huge investment which is normally not taken lightly. I doubt many people who sign their loan documents and open the door to their new home, think "well, if I can't make it, I'll just let ...

Indianapolis Foreclosure Statistics

Recently, I was asked to provide some data about the state of foreclosures in Indianapolis and how it is affecting the economy. It was an eye-opening excercise, but certainly not surprising.

While the data reveals the state of foreclosures in Indianapolis (Marion County), the depth of what the statistics doesn ...

WARNING - You Don't Need Their Help

It is part of my normal routine to contact lenders on behalf of my clients who are in the process of trying to obtain a short sale on their home. Today, one of the lenders I called had an intro message warning their clients about third parties who approach them ...