The Current Foreclosure Crisis : A Nonprofit Funded By The Government

The bursting of the housing bubble, known more colloquially as the 2008 mortgage crisis, was preceded by a series of ill-fated circumstances that culminated in what has been considered to be the worst financial downfall since the Great Depression. After experiencing a near-unprecedented increase in housing prices from January 2002 until mid-2006, a phenomenon that was steadily fed by unregulated mortgage practices, the market steadily declined and the prior housing boom subsided as well. When housing prices dropped to about 25 percent below the peak level achieved in 2006 toward the close of 2008, liquidity and capital disappeared from the market.

Foreclosure in America has been a rising and prominent problem recently, and has destroyed many Americans hopes and dreams. Over 2.3 million homes were foreclosed in 2008, and an estimated four million homes will be foreclosed by the end of this year. Despite the efforts of many banks and lending companies, over half of homes will foreclose that have received their help. I believe that we have only started in the right direction in solving the foreclosure crisis. Giving money and lowering mortgage rates will help, but I believe we should find out why Americans are in this situation in the first place. We are being too stereotypical when we think the only reason someone is foreclosing is because of irresponsible payments or buying a home

In the gleeful times of 2005, my parents decided, like so many others, that it was time to “upgrade.” They sold our smaller home on the other side of town, which had appreciated nicely, and bought a 3700 square foot behemoth in a town with already exorbitant property taxes. My younger brother and I were thrilled to finally have a basement, our own rooms, and even a concrete basketball court in our backyard! All eight-year-old me knew was that things were going to be a whole lot more comfortable from there, and my optimistic parents seemed to think the same.

The foreclosure crisis that took over the United States a few years ago left many people facing economic hardships. This crisis happened because there was a huge housing bubble that was unsupported by actual home values. The bubble began bursting in spring of 2008 and the crisis culminated in mid-2009. Many lenders went out of business and many home owners began losing their homes. When the government became aware of this problem and began to implement new programs, it was already too late for many homeowners. Those homeowners are not at a point where they might be considering buying a new home. The housing crisis has created new rules, regulations governing the mortgage industry, and has also created a new agency dedicated to consumer protection. This consumer protection agency is called the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. These dramatic changes have helped to create more responsible lending. The improving market conditions such as low housing costs and competitive interest rates are allowing those affected by a foreclosure to become homeowners again. Prospective buyers have a multitude of programs available to them, so even those with less than clean slate have several options.

The insolvency seen in the Housing Market manifested in the large number of stagnant foreclosures caused a dramatic decline in housing prices, which resulted in many homeowners owing more money on their houses than they are worth. Market-level insolvency is caused by capital flight in a specific market in response to a scare during a decrease in solvency. During the scope of this recession, the initial, progressive decrease in solvency was caused by a negative Net Capital Outflow in conjunction with the cash-vacuum produced by the US Budget Deficit, and the scare was caused primarily by the failure of several significantly-sized corporations and a rapid increase in foreclosures caused by the loss of a large number of jobs.

I often used to watch a show called “Extreme Makeover” where a team of builders would come to a neighborhood, build a need worthy family a beautiful new home, and then just give it to them. “Wow! What a lucky family,” I would say. “How fortunate.” However, as time went by, that same family would be in the news again. Why? The house was in foreclosure. The people had gone to the bank and taken out a mortgage against the home, then spent all the money they got for it on other things.

The past decades have dictated our economic policies; the housing market was fed by the politicians instilling the thought that every person should be a homeowner. According to a speech by President William Clinton in 1995, he boasted about making homeownership a reality, “The goal of this strategy, to boost homeownership to 67.5 percent by the year 2000, which would take us to an all-time high”(Wooley). As a result of political ploys like this, banks and lending institutions came up with products such as the 107% financing, interest only loans, negative amortization programs which allowed loans to start at a 1% interest rate, sub-prime credit packages for those homeowners only 1 day out of bankruptcy, and the no document qualifier

The mortgage crisis we are experiencing in the United States today is already ranking as among the most serious economic events since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Hardly a day goes by without a story in the newspaper or on the cable news stations reporting about the increase in the number of foreclosures across the United States. The effects of this crisis have spread across all financial markets, where in the end all of us are paying a price for this home mortgage crisis. When the housing market collapsed, so did the availability of credit which our economy depends upon. The home mortgage crisis, the financial crisis and overall economic crisis all need to address by the

In these days of economic upheaval, rising unemployment, increasing bankruptcies, and car and credit card loan defaults, perhaps nothing is more frightening than the rising rates of home foreclosures. Owning a home has long been considered the cornerstone of the Great American Dream, and now for many that dream has turned into a nightmare, from which there seems no escape. The combination of predatory lending practices and consumers who have for to long lived beyond their means has created an escalating problem. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers.

The foreclosure crisis in America has impacted everyone- even those who don’t own homes. Our nation is currently struggling with high unemployment, a relatively illiquid credit market, and a deficit that raises serious concerns about the value of the US Dollar in the not too distant future. With interest rates already at historic lows and the government pursuing an unprecedented policy of quantitative monetary easing, options for government intervention are limited. While there is no simple solution to this problem, I think that we must look at the reasons the housing market went into crisis, and based on that develop a regulatory system that will allow us to avoid another situation like this in the future. If Americans believe

According to Desmond, Arleen is not alone in her dilemma. A great many Americans are being evicted in light of the fact that they cannot pay the rent (Desmond, 2016,p 4). Like Arleen, many poor families are spending the majority of their income on rent and utilities. In fact, using estimates from The American Housing Survey (AHS), 1991-2013, Desmond finds that, in America, most poor renting families use over half of their income on housing; and, roughly one quarter spend more than 70% of their income to pay rent and utilities (Desmond, 2016, p 4). Aside from the fact that Arleen’s monthly welfare stipend of $628 has remained stagnate for years, housing costs have soared. Due in part to the foreclosure crisis, and the deluge of millennials into the rental market, the demand for rental stock has risen.(Sisson, 2016). At the same time, escalating building and labor expenses, and declining subsidies, have helped to slow new construction. Thus, demand for rental housing is exceeding supply, resulting in escalating rent prices. Furthermore, the razing of older public housing projects and defunding of government assisted housing has pushed poor families into the private rental market (Sisson, Patrick may 19, 2016). As a result, most poor families in America today live unassisted in the private housing market. In fact, in 2013, 67 percent of poor renter households did not receive federal housing assistance (Desmond, Matthew, 2015). One day, Arleen stopped by the Housing Authority

I have a unique perspective in that I have gone through the foreclosure process twice since 2009. I have experienced firsthand what it is like to seemingly lose everything, to feel as low as I have ever felt, to be embarrassed and mortified beyond belief

“Shit happens” is probably what most of these foreclosed homeowners hear after they were forced to leave their comfy home. Even though the economy is unpredictable, not a lot of the victims are satiable by such a vague expression that has caused them to lose their property. It’s a harsh comment, but the economy has turned into something that we have little influence over. One of the worst feelings is having minimal control over the consequences and outcome. Some people are afraid to make the same home-buying decision again as a result, because what’s stopping the economy from taking another shit on them again? The answer is probably nothing, but what are some actions these homeowners can take to ease into settling down in a home again? Foreclosure victims can try to improve their credit score and it could get them that approved private loan in return if needed. Saving money is also a general option for those that tend to spend a lot on luxury retail goods. Another option can be utilizing the rent-to-own option to have that ‘homey’ feeling as soon as possible. Some people can also test their patience and attempt to wait it out until the economy exits the lavatory.

However, the original homeowners would be allowed to live in their home, although the title ownership was reassigned. If the homeowners were unable to seek employment or stable income after two years, then the house would be sold to B-b-B. Upon title transfer, the homeowners still have an option to rent to own their property or live in homes provided by B-b-B based on family size. Requirement to live in a B-b-B home would be to attend Job training workshops (i.e. Engineering, Secretarial, Construction, Nursing) or matriculate at an Accredited University. In addition, if the individual has a disabling condition, substance abuse disorder, mental health or physical disability, then their income would be provided by the government and he/she would not have to attend any Job training workshops. It is also important to note that to guarantee that the individual is completing his/her goals in a timely manner, a case manager will be assigned to every twenty cases.

Brooklyn, NY – December 30, 2009 Foreclosures continue to rise drastically across the United States due to the recession, and have effected, and continue to affect thousands of families and individuals every day. One aspect we must take into consideration is that most people are not informed of what foreclosure means, or the process, even those who are homeowners. I believe that one step to preventing foreclosure is to educate first-time homebuyers. In addition, first-time homebuyer programs should not only assist potential buyers with financially preparing them to buy a home, but to keep the home once