Showing posts with label Foreclosure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foreclosure. Show all posts

What is a Zombie Foreclosure?

There has been a strange phenomenon happening in the real estate industry and I thought this would be a good time to warn you about it.


Many of my clients in Libertyville have been asking me about a strange phenomenon called Zombie Foreclosures. A Zombie Foreclosure is a situation that occurs when you have left your home and it has been foreclosed, but you are still on the title to the property. This is essentially a property that is in your name because the bank did not come back and repurchase the property in a sherriff's sale.

It's extremely important to figure out if you are still on the title to the property because it can prevent you from purchasing a new home. FHA rules state that you cannot make a new purchase until you are off of title for 36 months.

Don't let a zombie foreclosure drain the buying power out of you!

Zombie Foreclosures are difficult to detect and most loan officers will not take the time to do a thorough check for them. However, there is one way to find out, and that is by contacting the Recorder of Deeds Office and purchasing a copy of the deed for your home. You can also call your local title company here in Libertyville and have them search for your name (this costs around $75).

It's extremely important before going through the mortgage process to figure out if you have a Zombie Foreclosure because it could affect your buying power for years to come. If you need any assistance in this process or if you would like to learn more about Zombie Foreclosures, please feel free to contact me via phone or email.  

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving



Friends,

The 2018 holiday season has officially begun! We hope you are as excited
as we are.

We’d like to take a moment to express our gratitude to all of you this
Thanksgiving. We have mesome truly wonderful people, and we’re
proud to have helped so many reach their real estate goals over the years.


We wouldn’t be where we are today without all of your support.


Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner with all of your family and friends—
that’s what we plan to do!

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have
any real estate questions. We would be happy to help you.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Jan Leasure
Division President
Diamond Residential Mortgage
NMLS #213431
533 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Libertyville, IL 60048
Phone (847) 362-1335

jan.leasure@thedrmc.com

What Does Reduced Home Affordability Mean for You?

Home affordability is shrinking fast. Here’s what you should do to get ahead of the curve.

Home affordability is shrinking rapidly, according to research by Arch Mortgage Insurance. In the first quarter, affordability (defined as the size of the monthly mortgage payment needed to buy a home) dropped by 5%. This was mainly due to the increase in mortgage rates. As a consequence, more people are now stretched and taking on greater debt relative to their income. Other buyers are being pushed out of the market altogether. 

That's not all. Affordability is expected to drop an additional 15% to 20% by the end of the year. That's because home prices continue to rise, and the Federal Reserve is expected to ratchet up its reference interest rate, which often leads mortgage rates, three more times this year.

What does this mean for you?

If you're looking to sell, you won't have a hard time finding a buyer. Even with decreasing affordability, demand for homes still far outstrips supply. That means that this spring and summer might see an additional rush on the real estate market. It also means that right now might be a very good time to list your home if you've been thinking about selling for a while.

There’s no need to panic if you’re a homebuyer.

On the other hand, if you are thinking of buying a home, you might think that this news spells doom for you. However, there's no need to panic. While affordability is dropping, it is still well above historic averages (just like current mortgage rates). In fact, Arch Mortgage Insurance estimates that homes are now 15% to 20% more affordable than they have been in the period from 1987 to 2004. When rates go up, it will affect what your monthly payments will be on a new home. From this perspective, it makes sense to move now in case you've been looking to buy before rates rise further. 

So what's the next step? If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, give us a call. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you soon.