Friday, December 14, 2012

Underwater Home Owners New Target of Scammers

Scammers are targeting home owners who’ve seen the value of their residence drop, which is prompting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to issue new warnings to underwater borrowers about widespread mortgage-modification scams.

Scammers try to dupe home owners by claiming to be affiliated with government agencies or programs. They make promises to obtain a mortgage modification on behalf of the underwater home owner. They will charge up-front fees for their service and usually instruct the home owner to stop paying their mortgage and not to contact their lender.

"It is absolutely unacceptable for unscrupulous con artists to take advantage of our nation's housing crisis by targeting home owners looking for help from the Troubled Asset Relief Program's Home Affordable Modification Program," says Christy Romero, special inspector general for TARP.

Home owners should beware of anyone contacting them pretending to be from a government program — such as the Home Affordable Refinance Program or the Home Affordable Modification Program — who try to charge them for a service. Government programs like HARP and HAMP do not charge for services related to counseling, refinancing, or modifying loans.

Source: “New Warning on Mortgage Mods: Demand for Up-Front Fees Is a Sure Sign of a Scam,” Credit.com (Dec. 13, 2012)

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Federal Agencies Investigate Misleading Mortgage Ads

Federal agencies are teaming up to investigate false mortgage advertisements across the country that are mostly targeting older Americans and veterans.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to a dozen mortgage lenders and brokers telling them to “clean up potentially misleading advertisements,” according to a CFPB release. The FTC is also investigating ads by home builders and real estate professionals.

“Misrepresentations in mortgage products can deprive consumers of important information while making one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives,” says Richard Cordray, CFPB director. “Baiting consumers with false ads to buy into mortgage products would be illegal. We will conduct a fair and rigorous investigation into these issues and will take appropriate action for any violations we find.”

The CFPB and FTC enforce the Mortgage Acts and Practices Advertising Rule, and these agencies are investigating companies that have released false information in mortgage-related ads that promote mortgage loans, refinancing, and reverse mortgages.

The CFPB and FTC have uncovered some of the following violations so far in their investigations:
  • Misrepresentations about government affiliation with some ads for mortgage products featuring seals or logos that look like the ads have been endorsed by government agencies.
  • Misleading information about interest rates and the terms to get those low rates.
  • Misleading statements about the costs of reverse mortgages.
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and “Feds Get Tough on Shady Mortgage Advertisers,” NBC News (Nov. 19, 2012)

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Call Hotline to Report Disaster Fraud

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is reminding the public to use a national fraud hotline to report any suspected fraud related to relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

In a statement Thursday, the Justice Department, the FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud said scams perpetrated by criminals are always a danger in the aftermath of a natural disaster and that people can alert authorities by calling a toll-free fraud center hotline that is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hotline is at 866-720-5721 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 866-720-5721 end_of_the_skype_highlighting .

The center was established in 2005 by the Justice Department to investigate, prosecute and deter fraud in federal disaster relief programs following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Nondelinquent Borrowers Soon to be Eligible for Short Sales

Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have issued new rules, which will take effect Nov. 1, that will allow short sales for underwater borrowers who have never missed a mortgage payment. Previously, Fannie and Freddie allowed only home owners who had missed payments to qualify for a short sale.

Eligible borrowers under the new rules will need to show a hardship to qualify for a short sale, however. Hardships may include unemployment or a death of a spouse.

Inman News points out one potential flaw to the new rule, however: The nondelinquent home owners who undergo a short sale will likely take just as big a hit to their credit score than if they had missed loan payments and gone into a foreclosure.

“Under current national credit reporting practices, those nondelinquent borrowers are likely to be treated the same for credit scoring purposes as severely delinquent owners who go to foreclosure after months of nonpayment, or who simply toss back the house keys and walk away in strategic defaults,” writes Ken Harney for Inman News.

Credit agencies use no special coding to indicate that a short sale was without delinquency. Therefore, home owners could see their credit scores drop 150 points or more after the short sale.

However, officials at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie, told Inman News they are “in discussions with the credit industry” to explore ways to fix the credit score problem for those who haven’t missed a payment but undergo a short sale.

Source: “Damage to Credit Scores Could Trip Up New Fannie, Freddie Short Sale Program,” Inman News (Oct. 23, 2012)

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Some Seller Seek Lowball Offers on Homes?

The latest mortgage fraud scam known as “flopping” has sellers who actually make their home look undesirable so that they can attract low offers from buyers.

Here’s how it works: The seller is underwater on their mortgage and wants to get the lender to agree to a short sale. The seller, working with an accomplice, seeks to get a super low price to sell their home in the short sale by making bogus damage claims. Once they get the bank to agree to a short sale, the home is sold to an accomplice who then quickly cleans up the home and resells it for a profit.

“Floppers,” as they’re known, average a $55,000 profit from the quick flips.

To get the low home price, some sellers will go to great lengths to make their homes look undesirable, even spreading possum urine around the house or turning up the heat and closing all the windows for several days, says Ann Fulmer, a mortgage fraud specialist with Interthinx. Floppers also have bene known to remove appliances and cupboard doors and even paint the ceilings so it looks like there’s been water damage in he home. When no sellers want the home due to the flaws, the sellers will point out to the bank the problems with the home and why the sales price needs to be lowered. Some scammers have even claimed their homes were contaminated as crystal meth labs in order to get a lower price.

Freddie Mac is cracking down on floppers, investigating suspicious cases, and has opened up a toll free number for others to report suspicious activity: 1-800-4fraud8 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE end_of_the_skype_highlight.

Source: “Latest in Mortgage Fraud: Flopping,” CNNMoney (Oct. 23, 2012)

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Strategic Defaulters May Be Pursued



The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s inspector general is urging the government-sponsored enterprises to pursue strategic defaulters — those who walk away from their mortgage even though they have the means to pay it. The FHFA argues in a new report that going after strategic defaulters could be a way for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to recover some of their losses.

For example, the report highlights that out of 35,321 deficiencies that fall into this category, the GSEs could stand to collect $2.1 billion from those who walked away from their mortgage. In 2011, the recovery rate for the GSEs was about $4.7 million, or 0.22 percent.

Deficiency management for the GSEs is not overseen by FHFA.

"With 1.1 million seriously delinquent mortgages looming on the foreclosure horizon FHFA's timely guidance on deficiency management process may help the Enterprises recoup future losses and protect taxpayers' investment in their financial health," according to the FHFA report.

Source: “FHFA Should Help Pursue Fannie, Freddie Strategic Defaulters,” HousingWire (Oct. 17, 2012)

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Wells Fargo Accused of "Reckless" Lending

The government has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Wells Fargo, alleging the nation’s largest mortgage lender has engaged in a decade of regular “reckless origination and underwriting” of government-backed loans.

The government’s lawsuit is the latest in its broad sweep against banks that cites the Federal False Claims Act, which targets lenders accused of misusing Federal Housing Administration loans. (The FHA does not make loans but insures loans that lenders make.)

Wells Fargo denies any wrongdoing and said it would “vigorously” defend itself against the government’s accusations. Company officials said they acted in “good faith and in compliance” with federal guidelines in their lending.

In February, Bank of America, which never admitted any wrongdoing, reached a $1 billion settlement involving False Claims Act fraud allegations with FHA-backed loans. Three other banks, in similar recent cases, also have agreed to pay $490 million.

Source: “U.S. Sues Wells Fargo for Faulty Mortgages,” The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 9, 2012)

530 Charged for Scamming Home Owners

After a yearlong probe, federal investigators say they’ve charged 530 people for allegedly defrauding more than 73,000 home owners who had fallen behind on their mortgage payments. The people charged are accused of allegedly duping the home owners into thinking that they could be rescued from foreclosure through the scammers’ fake rescue programs, investigators say.

The scams have resulted in 285 criminal cases of mortgage rescue scams and more than $1 billion in losses to home owners, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday during a news conference.
“These comprehensive efforts represent a historic, governmentwide commitment to eradicating mortgage fraud and related offenses across the country,” Holder said.

Scammers would make bold promises to rescue struggling home owners from foreclosure, such as promising that if the home owners paid hefty fees they would have investors purchase the mortgage or negotiate the loan on their behalf with better terms.

The cases are part of a crackdown by federal investigators on mortgage-related fraud and scams that target home owners, a growing problem, according to the FBI.

“Distressed-homeowner schemes have displaced loan-origination fraud as the most common type of mortgage fraud in many areas in the country,” says FBI associate director Kevin Perkins. Two years ago, foreclosure scams accounted for about 4 percent of the mortgage fraud cases in the country, according to the FBI. Today, the percentage has jumped to nearly 20 percent.

Source: “Foreclosure Scam: 530 Charged for Allegedly Defrauding 73,000 Homeowners,” The Associated Press (Oct. 9, 2012) and “Feds Charged 530 in Crackdown on Mortgage Scams This Year, Holder Says,” The Washington Post (Oct. 9, 2012)

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Scammers Post Fake REO Rentals on Craigslist

Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, October 09, 2012  

Freddie Mac’s fraud unit is teaming up with real estate professionals who list HomeSteps homes to sniff out bogus rental ads of REO properties — a growing problem, according to Freddie Mac.

“We’re hearing more reports about fraudsters trying to cash in on the housing crisis’s remaining foreclosed homes by advertising them as rentals on the Internet,” writes Freddie Mac in a recent blog post warning about the Craigslist REO rental scams.

The scam works like this: After a house is sold at foreclosure, a scammer then posts an ad online trying to rent out the home before the new owner moves in. Interest renters then contact the scammer about leasing the property, and they are asked to submit their personal credit information for the lease application as well as two months of rent.

It’s often not until the would-be renters try to move in that they realize they’ve been duped: The key to the house doesn’t work or they find the house is for sale or even that the previous owners are still living there. There have been some cases where scammers change the locks in the house and give the renters a working key. It’s the real estate listing agent who then often discovers the renters living there and the scam.

Freddie Mac and real estate professionals are working together to find the fake Internet rental ads. When they do, they are having the ads removed immediately. They’re also warning renters on how not to be duped from the ads, such as always verifying the home’s status through a listing agent or through county records.

Source: “Caveat Renter: Fraudsters Falsely Advertising REO as Rentals,” Freddie Mac Blog (Oct. 8, 2012)

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Home Prices Continue to Rise Over Last Year's Levels

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

More housing reports released on Tuesday showed home prices on the rise. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. home prices increased 3.7 percent from a year ago in the 12-month period ending in July. 
FHFA’s home price index is now at about the same level it was in June 2004. However, it’s 16.4 percent below the peak reached in April 2007. To calculate its housing index, the FHFA uses purchase price data on mortgages owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. 
Also on Tuesday, S&P/Case-Shiller released a report also showing home prices on the rise for the fourth consecutive month and at their highest level in nearly two years. S&P/Case-Shiller report measures home prices in 10-city and 20-city composite indices. In its 20-city index, S&P/Case-Shiller reported home prices up 1.2 percent compared to a year earlier. 
"The news on home prices in this report confirm recent good news about housing,” David M. Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, told The Wall Street Journal. “Single family housing starts are well ahead of last year's pace, existing home sales are up, the inventory of homes for sale is down and foreclosure activity is slowing. All in all, we are more optimistic about housing." 
Last week, NAR reported that the median price on existing-homes rose 9.5 percent over year ago levels. The median home price in August is $187,400. 
The increase to the sales price in August was the strongest since January 2006 when median home prices had risen 10.2 percent higher than what they were a year ago. 
The National Association of REALTORS® will release its pending home sales report on Thursday.
Source: “FHFA Home Price Index Now Equals 2004 Levels,” HousingWire (Sept. 25, 2012) and “Case-Shiller Shows Home Prices Rise Sharply Again,” The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 25, 2012)

Voting Obstacles for Foreclosed Home Owners

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

A new report from the Fair Elections Legal Network details the challenges that foreclosed borrowers face when determining where to vote in the upcoming election. 
Foreclosed home owners often must update their addresses and the documentation needed to prove their voting residence, which can be difficult if they have not yet acquired a new residence.  They also must complete these tasks before varying state voter registration deadlines. 
State voting laws pose additional challenges, with only 18 states allowing foreclosure victims to vote based on the address of their foreclosed home until a new residence is established.  Some states have implemented rules requiring voters to show a photo ID with a current address, but foreclosure victims without a permanent residence cannot prove residency in the state and are unable to obtain IDs. 
The report, along with state voting guides, is available online.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

More Home Owners Lifted From Underwater

Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, September 13, 2012

As values rise, more home owners are finding equity in their houses again, surfacing after being underwater on their mortgage for the past few years, according to the latest data from CoreLogic.

In the second quarter, 10.8 million, or 22.3 percent, of home owners owed more on their mortgage than their house is currently worth, which is down from 11.4 million — or 23.7 percent — in the first quarter, CoreLogic reported Wednesday.

Often, the fear among the industry with underwater home owners is that they will be much more likely to stop making their mortgage payments and walk away from their properties. However, the majority of underwater home owners — 84.9 percent — are up to date on their mortgage payments despite the decrease in the value of their homes, according to CoreLogic.

“The level of negative equity continues to improve with more than 1.3 million households regaining a positive equity position since the beginning of the year,” says Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “Surging home prices this spring and summer, lower levels of inventory, and declining REO-sale shares are all contributing to the nascent housing recovery and declining negative equity.”

The highest number of underwater home owners are in Nevada (59 percent), Florida (43 percent), and Arizona (40 percent).

Source: CoreLogic

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Home Prices Signal Recovery May Be Here

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- A sharp boost in home prices during the spring could signal a recovery in the long-suffering U.S. housing market, according to an industry report issued Tuesday.
  
The S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index, which covers more than 80% of the housing market in the United States, climbed 6.9% in the three months ended June 30 compared to the first three months of 2012.

"We seem to be witnessing exactly what we needed for a sustained recovery; monthly increases coupled with improving annual rates of change," said David Blitzer, a spokesman for S&P, in a statement. "The market may have finally turned around."

Two other key indexes covered in the S&P/Case-Shiller report also showed gains. The 20-city index was up 6% for the quarter and the 10-city index rose 5.8%.

National prices were up 1.2% compared with a year earlier, and the 20-city and 10-city indexes also gained year over year. It was the first time all three measures showed positive annual growth rates since the summer of 2010, when generous tax credits for homebuyers were in place.

There have been several positive industry reports over the past several weeks. In July, new home sales were 25% better than a year earlier; existing home sales gained 10% year over year; and developers applied for 30% more residential building permits.
  
The steep increase in home prices "feels really good after six years of straight down," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics.
  
He cautioned that the results may overstate the case for the housing recovery a bit. The mix of homes being sold has changed lately, with fewer repossessed homes on the market. Those sell at big discounts to conventionally sold homes and had been propelling prices downward.
  
The home price improvement is expected to have a positive impact on foreclosure rates, according to Michael Fratantoni, vice president for research and economics for the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Foreclosures have already been falling and could drop some more if the upswing in home prices continues.
  
As home values increase, home equity rises, and fewer mortgage borrowers will be underwater, owing more than their homes are worth. That will give them an asset to tap should they run into a tight financial patch.
  
An improving housing market will also give homeowners more confidence in the investments they've made in their homes.
  
"There has also been a lot of concern about strategic defaults," said Fratantoni. "That should ease now. When home prices go up, people have a financial incentive to hold onto their homes and they're less likely to walk away."
  
Rising prices are likely to push potential homebuyers off the fence, where many have been waiting out the price decline, according to Doug Duncan, chief economist for Fannie Mae.
  
"Their perception that we hit the bottom takes out the risk of buying into a falling market," he said. "That should increase demand, particularly if they also believe that mortgage rates have reached a bottom as well."
  
Each of the 20 cities covered in the report recorded a gain in June, compared with a month earlier. Detroit prices jumped 6% for the month, the most of any city. Minneapolis prices climbed 4.8% and Chicago prices rose 4.6%.
  
In Phoenix. home prices were 13.9% higher in June than 12 months earlier, the highest gain of any of the 20 cities covered.
  
Several cities were still in negative territory year over year, including Atlanta, where they were off 12.1%. New York prices were down 2.1% on an annual basis, and Las Vegas prices were 1.8% lower.
  
For Zandi, all the positive news on housing carries over to the rest of the economy.
  
"Housing is beginning to act as a tailwind for the recovery," he said. To top of page


Saturday, August 18, 2012

SEC Shuts Down $600 Million Online Pyramid and Ponzi Scheme

Washington, D.C., Aug. 17, 2012 – The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced fraud charges and an emergency asset freeze to halt a $600 million Ponzi scheme on the verge of collapse. The emergency action assures that victims can recoup more of their money and potentially avoid devastating losses.

The SEC alleges that online marketer Paul Burks of Lexington, N.C. and his company Rex Venture Group have raised money from more than one million Internet customers nationwide and overseas through the website ZeekRewards.com, which they began in January 2011.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in Charlotte, N.C., customers were offered several ways to earn money through the ZeekRewards program, two of which involved purchasing securities in the form of investment contracts. These securities offerings were not registered with the SEC as required under the federal securities laws.

The SEC alleges that investors were collectively promised up to 50 percent of the company’s daily net profits through a profit sharing system in which they accumulate rewards points that they can use for cash payouts. However, the website fraudulently conveyed the false impression that the company was extremely profitable when, in fact, the payouts to investors bore no relation to the company’s net profits. Most of ZeekRewards’ total revenues and the “net profits” paid to investors have been comprised of funds received from new investors in classic Ponzi scheme fashion.

“The obligations to investors drastically exceed the company’s cash on hand, which is why we need to step in quickly, salvage whatever funds remain and ensure an orderly and fair payout to investors,” said Stephen Cohen, an Associate Director in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “ZeekRewards misused the power of the Internet and lured investors by making them believe they were getting an opportunity to cash in on the next big thing. In reality, their cash was just going to the earlier investor.”

The SEC’s complaint alleges that the scheme is teetering on collapse with investor funds at risk of dissipation without its emergency enforcement action. Last month, ZeekRewards brought in approximately $162 million while total investor cash payouts were approximately $160 million. If customers continue to increasingly elect to receive cash payouts rather than reinvesting their money to reach higher levels of rewards points, ZeekRewards’ cash outflows would eventually exceed its total revenue.

Burks has agreed to settle the SEC’s charges against him without admitting or denying the allegations, and agreed to cooperate with a court-appointed receiver.

According to the SEC’s complaint, ZeekRewards has paid out nearly $375 million to investors to date and holds approximately $225 million in investor funds in 15 foreign and domestic financial institutions. Those funds will be frozen under the emergency asset freeze granted by the court at the SEC’s request. Meanwhile, Burks has personally siphoned several million dollars of investors’ funds while operating Rex Venture and ZeekRewards, and he distributed at least $1 million to family members. Burks has agreed to relinquish his interest in the company and its assets plus pay a $4 million penalty. Additionally, the court has appointed a receiver to collect, marshal, manage and distribute remaining assets for return to harmed investors.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Brian M. Privor and Alfred C. Tierney in the SEC’s Enforcement Division in Washington D.C. The SEC acknowledges the assistance of the Quebec Autorite des Marches Financiers and the Ontario Securities Commission.
# # #

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Fannie Mae Reports Net Income of $5.1 Billion for Second Quarter 2012

August 08, 2012
Pete Bakel
202-752-2034
WASHINGTON, DC – Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) today reported its second-quarter 2012 results and filed its quarterly report on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing provides condensed consolidated financial statements for the second quarter of 2012. The following documents are now available on Fannie Mae’s Web site at www.fanniemae.com:

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Gov’t Bars Fannie-Freddie From Reducing Principal

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal regulator is standing by its decision to bar Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from reducing principal for borrowers at risk of foreclosure, resisting pressure from the Obama administration.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced the decision Tuesday after months of considering the option.

The agency’s acting director, Edward DeMarco, has long opposed allowing Fannie and Freddie to offer principal reduction.

DeMarco said an extensive analysis by the FHFA found the potential benefit was too small compared with the costs and risks. The risks include as many as 19,000 borrowers strategically defaulting on their loans, according to the analysis.

About 1.4 million homeowners would be eligible for principal reductions from Fannie and Freddie.
The Obama administration immediately voiced its disappointment with the decision.
“I do not believe it is the best decision for the country,” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a letter to DeMarco.

Geithner said allowing Fannie and Freddie to do “targeted” reductions of principal for troubled borrowers would provide much-needed help to a significant number of troubled homeowners. He said that would help repair the nation’s housing market and result in a net benefit to taxpayers.

The government rescued Fannie and Freddie in September 2008 to cover losses on soured mortgage loans. Since then the FHFA, which is independent of the administration, has controlled their financial decisions.

U.S. taxpayers have spent roughly $170 billion to rescue the companies. It could cost roughly $260 billion more to support them through 2014 after subtracting dividend payments, according to the government.

The Treasury Department said in January that it would cover part of the cost if Fannie and Freddie could reduce principal when they modify mortgages for troubled borrowers. The department said it would use unspent housing rescue money from the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.

DeMarco acknowledged in a meeting with reporters that administration officials and others could disagree with the agency’s decision and interpret its analysis differently.

“Others could look at this and weigh these things differently,” he said.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Governor signs California Homeowner Bill of Rights into law

Excerpted from California Association of Realtors Newsletter

California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the Homeowner Bill of Rights to help struggling Californians keep their homes. This law aims to avoid foreclosure where possible to help stabilize California's housing market and prevent the other negative effects of foreclosures on families, communities, and the economy. The new law will generally prohibit lenders from engaging in dual tracking, require a single point of contact for borrowers seeking foreclosure prevention alternatives, provide borrowers with certain safeguards during the foreclosure process, and provide borrowers with the right to sue lenders for material violations of this law.

The Homeowner Bill of Rights has four major components:
  • Prohibiting “dual track” foreclosures that occur when a servicer continues foreclosure while also reviewing a homeowner’s application for a loan modification;
  • Creating a single point of contact for homeowners who are negotiating a loan modification;
  • Expanding notice requirements that must be provided to a borrower before taking action on a loan modification application or pursuing foreclosure; and
  • Allowing injunctions against foreclosure until violations are corrected and permitting civil penalties against servicers that file multiple, inaccurate mortgage documents or commit reckless or willful violations of law.
These new laws make California the first state in the nation to take provisions in the National Mortgage Settlement, which covered the nation’s five largest mortgage loan servicers, and apply those rules to all mortgage servicers.

The law will go into effect January 1, 2013. For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

A Simpler Mortgage Form For Home Buyers?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a redesigned mortgage form Monday that sets out to help home buyers better understand the cost and risks of getting a mortgage. CFPB is seeking public comment on the forms until Nov. 6.

"When making what is likely the biggest purchase of their life, consumers should be looking at paperwork that clearly lays out the terms of the deal," says Richard Cordray, CFPB’s director. "Our proposed redesign of the federal mortgage forms provides much-needed transparency in the mortgage market and gives consumers greater power over the exciting and daunting process of buying a home."

CFPB says the current two sets of disclosure forms — required by the Real Estate Settlement Protection Act and the Truth in Lending Act — that lenders give to buyers are confusing and often overlap information. The two forms will be replaced by “Loan Estimate” and a “Closing Disclosure” forms, which CFPB says will each have more distinct purposes.

Within three days of submitting a loan application, home buyers will receive a form that would contain a “loan estimate,” which includes the costs and risks of the loan and details information about the mortgage.
Then, three days prior to closing on the loan, home buyers will receive a “closing disclosure” form, which would contain the costs of closing on the mortgage.

Lenders would be banned from charging borrowers more for closing than the amount listed in the “loan estimate” form, according to the CFPB rules.

To weigh in on the forms, you can submit a comment at the CFPB Web site. CFPB will be accepting public comment on the proposed forms until Nov. 6.

CFPB also is proposing a rule to expand protections for “high-cost mortgages,” which are mortgages that CFPB considers as having high interest rates and fees. CFPB says the new guidelines would prevent lenders from charging balloon payments with these loans, which often require a large amount of money to be paid at the end of the loan. It would also remove a penalty for repaying a loan early with these types of mortgages.
View more of its proposed guidelines on “high-cost mortgages” at the CFPB Web site.

Source: “Government Agency Proposes Simpler Mortgage Forms,” Associated Press (July 9, 2012) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Foreclosure Whistleblowers Become Millionaires

Six Americans stand to collect up to $46.5 million for their part in helping to expose foreclosure abuses by the nation’s largest banks.

The whistleblowers helped the government expose how some banks used fraudulent documents to collect money from federal housing programs.

For their help in the lawsuits against the banks, these whistleblowers will be able to collect big paychecks due to the False Claims Act, “which allows private citizens to file lawsuits on behalf of the U.S. when they have knowledge that the government is being defrauded,” CNNMoney reports. Those who file the lawsuits stand to collect between 15 percent to 30 percent of the penalties assessed in the case.

For home owner Lynn Szymoniak, it was like winning the lottery. Szymoniak was served foreclosure papers in 2008. She helped prove banks had been using fraudulent documents to prove ownership of defaulted mortgages, for which the banks were then submitting insurance claims to the Federal Housing Administration. From the government’s $95 million award in a lawsuit, Szymoniak will get $18 million.

"I recognize that mine's a very, very happy ending," Szymoniak told CNNMoney. "I know there are plenty of people who have tried as hard as I have and won't see these kinds of results."

The other five whistleblowers came from within the industry, such as an appraiser who helped the government show that Countrywide Financial had been inflating home appraisals to collect higher claims from FHA. Other whistleblowers exposed banks overcharging veterans who had mortgages guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The whistleblower lawsuits helped lead to a foreclosure settlement, approved in May, between the nation’s five largest banks and state and federal officials. The settlement stems over banks’ errors uncovered in the processing of foreclosures. In the settlement, banks agreed to pay $5 billion in fines and about $20 billion in refinancing and mortgage modifications for home owners.

Source: “Whistleblowers Win $46.5 Million in Foreclosure Settlement,” CNNMoney (July 2, 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

Reverse Mortgage Spike Has Some Concerned

Reverse mortgages are gaining steam again, as more home owners 62 and older look to borrow against their home’s equity.

But the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns in a new report that reverse mortgages aren’t being used as they were originally intended by lawmakers. The watchdog group also says that these complex mortgages are confusing seniors who don’t fully understand the risks involved, and ultimately that misunderstanding could cost them their homes if they’re not careful.

“People are quite confused about reverse mortgages,” says Hubert Humphrey III, who heads the CFPB’s Office of Older Americans. “People need to better understand reverse mortgages. What is the best way to use them? What are the risks and what are the costs associated with it?”

One of the main points of confusion, the report finds, is that many home owners don’t even view reverse mortgages as a loan but as a way to get money out of their homes. However, reverse mortgages have monthly interest charges, fees, and other costs. These payments are added to the loan balance, which “over time the home equity decreases while the loan balance increases,” MSNBC.com reports.

The report says that these loans have changed quite a bit in the last few years. Reverse mortgages used to be mostly adjustable-rate loans, in which seniors could get money out of their homes by choosing monthly payments to cover everyday expenses or a line of credit for major expenses, or even a combination of the two. The report says that 70 percent of these loans now are fixed-rate and have a lump-sum payment.

“You take out that loan and get all of the money instantly,” Humphrey says. “And yet you have all of your life left to live and you may not have the resources you need when you really need it.”

A growing number of home owners who take out reverse mortgages are at risk of foreclosure because they are failing to pay taxes and insurance, the report shows.

The CFPB is considering recommending new federal regulations to reverse mortgages. You can find more information about reverse mortgages at its ASK CFPB database, fact sheet, or consumer guide.

Source: “Reverse Mortgages Confuse Elderly, Report Finds,” MSNBC.com (June 28, 2012)

Monday, June 18, 2012

Banks Profit From Helping Home Owners Refinance

By helping home owners refinance their mortgages into low interest rates, banks are finding unexpected profits.

Banks stand to earn as much as $12 billion in revenue this year by refinancing mortgages under the government program known as Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), Nomura Holdings Inc. estimates.

The government revised its HARP program last year to encourage more banks to refinance mortgages of underwater home owners, helping these home owners take advantage of record low interest rates and cut their monthly mortgage payments. But critics say the change in the HARP rules make it easier for borrowers to refinance their mortgages with their existing lender, who may not always offer the best rates.

"There's essentially a monopoly on refinancing," said Shaun Donovan, secretary of Housing and Urban Development. "Whoever holds their current loan, whoever is the servicer, they can charge them—and we're seeing this—very high fees."

The Wall Street Journal reports that some banks are charging HARP borrowers up to 0.53 percentage points more than the market rate on refinanced loans. Meanwhile, the Federal Housing Finance Agency says they charge around 0.1 percentage points, on average, for Fannie Mae borrowers.

Bank giants, such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, told The Wall Street Journal that they offer competitively priced refinancing options to their customers.

The Obama administration, however, is pushing lawmakers to make it easier for borrowers to refinance with different lenders.

Source: “Homeowner Aid Boosts Big Banks,” The Wall Street Journal (June 17, 2012)

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

HARP Refinances Surge in First Quarter; More Underwater Borrowers Helped


Washington, D.C. – The quarterly number of loans refinanced through the Home Affordable
Refinance Program (HARP) has nearly doubled since HARP 2.0 was rolled out in January,
according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) March 2012 Refinance Report.
HARP refinances topped 180,000 in the first quarter of this year compared to approximately
93,000 in the fourth quarter of 2011. The increased HARP volume is attributed to
enhancements to the program announced last fall. The enhancements include the removal of
the loan-to-value (LTV) ceiling for borrowers who refinance into fixed-rate loans and the
elimination -- or lowering -- of fees for certain borrowers. Only loans that are owned or
guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are eligible to participate in HARP.

Also in the report:

Refinance volume surged in the first quarter of 2012 in response to historically low
mortgage interest rates.

One in seven refinanced loans during the quarter was through HARP.

The number of loans refinanced through HARP in the first quarter of 2012 nearly
doubled compared to the number of loans refinanced through HARP in the fourth
quarter of 2011, driven by a sharp increase in the number of loans refinanced above 105
percent LTV.

In March alone, there were nearly 80,000 HARP refinances, a quarter of them on loans
with LTVs greater than 105 percent.

More than 4,400 loans with LTVs greater than 125 percent were refinanced since the
beginning of the year; over half these loans were refinanced in the states of California,
Florida and Arizona.

With this report, FHFA returns to separate reporting of refinance and other foreclosure
prevention data in an effort to make the refinance information available more quickly. Other
foreclosure prevention actions will continue to be reported in the monthly and quarterly
foreclosure prevention reports. The refinance report will be released on a monthly basis.

Link to Refinance Report

Friday, June 1, 2012

Lenders Try to Catch Borrowers' ‘White Lies’

Daily Real Estate News | Friday, June 01, 2012 

With lending standards extra stringent, some borrowers applying for a mortgage may be tempted to bend the truth slightly so that they can qualify for a mortgage. But lenders have a word of caution to those would-be borrowers: They’re watching you even more carefully nowadays.

“Little white lies,” as a Chicago Tribune article notes, can get mortgage applicants into big trouble, even if just inflating income by a tad, saying you’re going to make a home your primary residence when you plan to rent it out, or slightly exaggerating your job description.

There are "more fraud checks than ever, and it's on every loan, not just a sample," David Kittle, who chaired the Mortgage Bankers Association in 2009, told the Chicago Tribune.

A swell of mortgage fraud during the housing crisis has prompted lenders to become extra vigilant. The FBI estimates mortgage fraud costs about $3 billion a year.

As such, lenders are making more effort to uncover fraud before issuing a loan, instead of finding out after the fact. In 40 percent of the suspicious activity reports in 2011 submitted to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, lenders said they rejected the applicant for a new mortgage, refinancing, or short sale because they suspected fraud.

Lenders are doing more background checks to verify the information that applicants’ provide. Besides making phone calls to verify information, they’re using databases with a wealth of information to doublecheck information. For example, some sites they’re using can be used to verify salary data for the type of work the applicant does, reveal any judgments or liens against other properties the person may own, or even reveal hidden relationships between the buyer and seller. The IRS also is providing electronic copies of borrowers’ tax returns to lenders to help verify income.

"There are tons of databases available to validate the information you give us. ... You can't lie about income anymore," Becky Walzak, a quality assurance consultant in Deerfield Beach, Fla., told the Chicago Tribune. "There are too many ways we can find out whether or not you are telling the truth."

Source: “Lenders Sniffing out Dishonest Applicants,” Chicago Tribune (May 17, 2012)

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Short-Sale Process Expected to Speed Up in June

Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The short-sale process is expected to get shorter starting June 15. New guidelines issued under the Federal Housing Finance Agency will require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to give home buyers of short sales notice of their final decision within 60 days. The new guidelines also will require the mortgage giants to respond to initial short-sale requests within 30 days of receiving an offer from a potential buyer.

The speedier process is expected to be a boost to the housing market, Michael McHugh, president of the Empire State Mortgage Bankers Association, told the New York Times. Home buyers and sellers often have to wait months before they receive a decision from a lender on an offer for a short sale. Some deals fall apart just from the long wait alone.

Short sales have been increasing in recent months, as many lenders find them more appealing than foreclosures, which can be much more costly and take longer to remove from their books.

Short sales now outpace foreclosure sales in many parts of the country. Short sales represent more than 14 percent of existing-home sales, according to CoreLogic housing data from March, the most recent month available.

McHugh says that a faster short-sale process may be particularly helpful in speeding the recovery in judicial states, where foreclosures must go through the courts before they are approved. For example, in New York, judicial foreclosures can take a year or longer to be approved. Now short sales may be viewed by defaulting home owners as more of an option in avoiding foreclosure.

“There should be a significant improvement in the turnaround,” McHugh said regarding housing markets with judicial foreclosure processes.

Source: “Speeding Up Short Sales,” The New York Times (May 24, 2012)

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Mortgage Giant Offers Another Sign of Stabilizing Market

Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, May 10, 2012

Fannie Mae, which backs the most loans in the country, announced that it would not need taxpayer aid to cover losses for the first time since the federal government took control over the mortgage giant in 2008.

Fannie posted a profit in the first quarter of the year, reporting a net income of $2.7 billion compared to a $6.5 billion loss they reported in the first quarter of 2011.

“We expect our financial results for 2012 to be significantly better than 2011,” says Susan McFarland, Fannie Mae’s chief financial officer. “As our serious delinquency rate declines and home prices stabilize, we expect to reduce our reserves, which combined with revenue from our high-quality new book of business, will drive our future results.”

Several analysts say there are signs of the housing market stabilizing: The decline in home prices is slowing, more Americans are buying homes than a year ago, and housing starts have climbed in the last year.

Freddie Mac, also a government-sponsored enterprise and mortgage giant, recently reported a profit as well — a $577 million quarterly net income for the first quarter.

Source: “Fannie Mae Profit Signals a Stabilizing Housing Market,” The New York Times (May 9, 2012)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

B of A Starts Writing Off Borrowers Mortgage Debt

More than 200,000 underwater home owners with mortgages through Bank of America may be eligible to have a reduction in the amount they owe on their loan, which could possibly trim their monthly payments by up to 35 percent.

Bank of America has sent letters to home owners who may be eligible to take part in a program to write-off a portion of underwater home owners’ mortgage principal, reducing it by, on average, $150,000 each.

The bank’s move stems from the $25 billion settlement, which it and four other of the nation’s largest lenders reached earlier this year with federal and state officials over past foreclosure mishandlings. Bank of America agreed to reduce some home owners’ mortgage principles as part of the settlement.

Home owners eligible for the principal write-offs must be “underwater” (owing more on their mortgage than their property is currently worth), have a loan owned or serviced by Bank of America, and be at least 60 days behind on their mortgage payments as of the end of January. In order for the mortgage reductions to be made permanent, home owners must make at least three on-time payments.

“To the extent principal reduction and other modification tools help us turn mortgages headed for possible foreclosure into long-term performing loans, it will be positive for home owners, mortgage investors and communities,” says Ron Sturzenegger, a legacy asset servicing executive.

Source: “Bank of America Starts Mortgage Reduction Effort,” The New York Times (May 7, 2012) and Bank of America

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Costco Sells Mortgages to Shoppers

Add to your shopping list: Get a mortgage.

Costco shoppers will now find that they not only can buy their groceries in bulk at the warehouse retailer, but they can also shop for a mortgage too.

Costco announced that it will offer a full-service mortgage lending program on its Web site with First Choice Bank and 10 other lenders. The site gathers quotes from various lenders.

The warehouse retailer has been testing out offering mortgages for a year in some of its locations. Its lending partners have issued more than 10,000 mortgages to Costco members so far.

"I went in to buy some bottled water, big bags of chips, cereal, and some Nutri-Grain bars that I eat on my route," one Georgia shopper told CNNMoney. "I saw a home loan brochure on my way out and picked it up."

The shopper said he went onto the Costco site and was able to get mortgage rates from four lenders, as well as estimated closing costs and terms. He was able to refinance his mortgage and lower his monthly payments by $500 per month.

"We've always known that our members wanted more financial services," says Lauren Kutschka, Costco's manager of financial services, who adds the warehouse retailer also offers health and auto insurance and stock brokerage services. Costco next plans to add auto and student loans to its mix.

Source: “Now on Sale at Costco: Mortgages,” CNNMoney (April 26, 2012)

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Storm Chasers Scammers Prey on Homeowners

Following a violent storm or tornado, home owners are left to pick up the pieces and find ways to put their homes back together. And insurance executives and legislators are warning storm victims to beware of contractors who try to get home owners to sign costly contracts before the insurance adjusters arrive.

These insurance executives are being dubbed “storm chasers” or “storm scammers,” who offer quick, costly deals to desperate home owners, USA Today reports.

Several states are considering or already have passed legislation to prevent these “storm scammers” from duping vulnerable home owners following a storm. For example, Iowa lawmakers are considering a bill that would “void repair contracts signed when the contractor represents himself as working for an insurance company, promises to rebate a deductible, or fails to give customers a disclosure about how to cancel the contract,” the USA Today reports. Lawmakers also recently added a provision for consideration to make it so that such contractors can be prosecuted under consumer fraud law. Minnesota, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, and South Dakota have already passed similar bills to protect home owners after storms.

"There are some very good contractors who set up their businesses to be able to respond to storms, but there are good ways to do it and bad ways to do it," Bill Good, executive vice president of the National Roofing Contractors Association, told USA Today.

To help safeguard against being scammed, home owners need to make sure the contractor is licensed in the state (if it’s required in their state) and not sign any documents that authorize a contractor to negotiate directly with their insurance company, Good says.

Source: “States Fight Back on Shady ‘Storm Chaser’ Contractors,” USA Today (April 16, 2012)

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Foreclosure Scams Rise Nearly 60%

Mortgage foreclosure scams — which seek to dupe struggling home owners with offers to save them from financial troubles — have soared nearly 60 percent this year. Scammers are increasingly using federal programs, like refinance programs such as HARP and HAMP, to try to trick home owners, reports the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF), a nonprofit group that helps home owners avoid foreclosure.

“Every new government initiative spawns a slew of foreclosure avoidance scams, often from the same cast of characters doing business under various names to avoid easy detection and identification,” says Colleen Hernandez, CEO of HPF.  “Most of these scams involve individuals supposedly offering mortgage foreclosure avoidance assistance that trained HPF counselors provide at no cost. Sadly, with most scams, no meaningful services are ever provided.”

About half of the reported scams to HPF tend to involve claims of specialized “legal services” from attorneys or individuals to help home owners avoid foreclosure.

The HPF warns that scammers also are using the HPF logo and brand to try to dupe home owners in foreclosure rescue scams.

“The only way distressed home owners can be certain they are dealing with a trained HPF counselor is by calling 888-995-HOPE,” Hernandez says.

Source: Homeownership Preservation Foundation

Monday, April 9, 2012

Judge OK's $26B Foreclosure Settlement

A federal judge granted final approval to a landmark $26 billion settlement over foreclosure processing errors, clearing the way for the nation’s five largest lenders to begin unraveling aid to home owners. The settlement includes guidelines for banks in compensating home owners who may have been wrongfully foreclosed upon as well as mortgage modifications — including principal write-downs — of up to 1 million home owners.

The settlement was first announced more than a month ago but awaited a judge’s final approval. The settlement is between the nation’s five largest mortgage lenders and the attorneys general of 49 states and the District of Columbia. The five lenders part of the settlement are Bank of America, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Ally Financial.

Here's a breakdown of how the settlement money will be allocated:
  • At least $17 billion will go toward modifying mortgages of delinquent borrowers. The modifications may include principal reductions to mortgages of up to $100,000 or more for 1 million home owners who are underwater or delinquent on their loans. 
  • About $3.7 billion will go toward refinancing mortgages for home owners who are current on their payments. This aid is estimated to help about 750,000 home owners. 
  • $5 billion will go toward banks’ paying fines to the states and federal government for the foreclosure errors. A portion of that will go to funding compensation to home owners who lost their homes to foreclosure due to errors. They stand to receive payments of $1,500 to $2,000. 
The banks have also agreed to adopt stricter standards in processing foreclosures to avoid future errors.
As long as the banks abide by the terms of the settlement, they will have immunity from future claims by the state governments for wrongdoings in the processing of foreclosures.

Oklahoma is the only state that did not participate in the settlement agreement. In early February, the state reached a separate agreement with the nation’s five largest lenders for an $18.6 million settlement.

Watch this video to get more info on the mortgage settlement.

Source: “Court Approves $26 Billion Foreclosure Settlement,” CNNMoney (April 6, 2012)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Bank of America Outlines Limited Pilot Test of Mortgage to LeaseTM Program


Preselected Customers May Turn Over Deed, Eliminate Mortgage Obligation, but Remain in Their Homes as Renters


Bank of America Press Release 

CALABASAS, Calif. – Beginning this week in targeted hard-hit markets, Bank of America will offer a limited number of mortgage customers who are facing foreclosure an opportunity to remain in their homes, but transition to tenant status, through a pilot program called “Mortgage to Lease.”

“When homeowners are struggling to make payments, owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth and face certain foreclosure, one of their greatest anxieties is the transition process they face in moving from their home,” noted Ron Sturzenegger, Legacy Asset Servicing executive of Bank of America. “This pilot will help determine whether conversion from homeownership to rental is something our customers, the community and investors will support. This program may have the potential to further round out the broad set of solutions we offer our customers in need of assistance.”

To maintain test controls, the Mortgage to Lease pilot will be conducted strictly on a solicitation basis; there will not be any opportunity for customers to volunteer or apply for consideration. Fewer than 1,000 customers will be invited to participate in the first phase of the pilot. Initial outreach has begun to preselected customers in test markets in Arizona, Nevada and New York, three states hit hard in the housing downturn. The pilot population will include customers who meet all of these requirements:

·          Have loans owned by Bank of America.
·          Are delinquent for more than 60 days.
·          Have exhausted modification solutions or have not responded to alternatives to foreclosure, including short sale and deed-in-lieu.
·          Have high loan balances in relation to their current property value.
·          Face considerable risk of ultimate foreclosure.
·          Have no junior liens.
·          Are still occupying the home.
·          Have adequate income to make an affordable rent payment.

Pilot participants will transfer title to their properties to the bank and have their outstanding mortgage debt forgiven. In exchange, they may lease their home for up to three years at or below the current market rental rate. The rental payment will be less than the existing mortgage payment, and the customer will be relieved from certain other homeowner financial obligations, including property taxes and hazard insurance.

Initially, Bank of America will retain ownership of the properties, working with property management companies to oversee the rental properties. Properties in the pilot program will be transitioned to investor ownership. If the Mortgage to Lease program proves viable, it may lead to a broader program, potentially involving selected real estate investors who would purchase properties that meet their predetermined specifications and keep the previous homeowners in place as tenants.

“Our priority is designing a solution that helps our customer,” said Sturzenegger. “If this evolves from a pilot into a more broadly based program, we also see potential benefits from helping to stabilize housing prices in the surrounding community and curtail neighborhood blight by keeping a portion of distressed properties off the market.”

Friday, March 16, 2012

Mortgage Settlement Could Lead to More Scams

Daily Real Estate News | Friday, March 16, 2012

The recent announcement of the $25 million mortgage settlement between five major banks and state and federal government officials was probably welcome news to many people in the real estate business. But it has at least one downside: It will probably cause a rise in scams targeting borrowers seeking assistance.

Currently, between $4 billion and $6 billion is lost each year due to borrower-assistance swindles, says Joanne Kerstetter, vice president of education and community relations for Money Management International, a credit counseling service based in Sugar Land, Texas. Those numbers could go up over the next few years as scammers take advantage of the mortgage deal in their schemes.

“They’ll use government terms,” Kerstetter says. “They’re going to sound very official, as if they’re part of the settlement.”

Also, some of these scammers will guarantee access to borrower assistance funds. That’s a major red flag, she says. “Generally speaking, the advertisements that say, ‘Call us to get money,’ are not representing organizations officially involved with the settlement,” Kerstetter says.

In general, consumers should be wary of any company that reaches out to them with unsolicited offers of assistance. If they need help, they should contact their lenders or a financial counseling agency certified by HUD, Kerstetter says.

“The important thing is not to release any contact information to anyone who approaches you,” she explains. “Don’t sign anything unless you’re clear about what you’re signing and that your mortgage lender is involved in the process. If you’re making payments, make sure they’re going to the loan servicer or mortgage provider.”

 By Brian Summerfield, REALTOR® Magazine

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

More Details Emerge in $25B Mortgage Deal

The government vows to closely monitor that the nation’s five largest banks fulfill the aid to home owners outlined in a $25 billion mortgage settlement over foreclosure allegations.

More details emerged in court filings on Monday of the landmark settlement among the nation’s five largest banks and state and federal government officials. The settlement, first announced last month, stems from allegations over banks’ foreclosure practices, although as part of the settlement the banks do not have to admit to any wrongdoing.

Among some of the aid outlined in the $25 billion settlement for home owners:
  • Banks have agreed to pay about $20 billion to help home owners avoid foreclosure. The majority of that money will be allocated to reducing the mortgage principal and modifying loans for about 1 million underwater home owners. 
  • Banks have agreed to pay $5 billion to federal and state government officials, with a portion of that money going to compensate about 750,000 Americans who have been found to be wrongfully foreclosed upon from 2008 through 2011. Affected home owners will receive $2,000 checks. 
  • Banks will be required to adopt new processing standards for foreclosure. For example, banks will be unable to pursue a foreclosure when home owners are being considered for a loan modification. 
  • Banks must comply with the terms of the settlement or face stiff penalties. Banks are required to complete all loan relief requirements as part of the settlement within three years; 75 percent of it is to be fulfilled within two years. Any bank that violates the agreement will be fined $1 million for each violation, capped at $5 million for repeat violations. 
  • The settlement does not free banks from criminal action. Federal and state officials can still pursue criminal action action against banks for any wrongdoing over foreclosures. 
The mortgage settlement only applies to mortgages held privately. It does not apply to mortgages held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The banks part of the settlement are Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Chase, Wells Fargo, and Ally Financial.

Some banks have negotiated separate requirements so they won’t have to pay as much in penalties to federal and state officials. For example, in return to a reduction in penalties, Ally Financial has agreed to cut the mortgage principal for struggling home owners by 105 percent of the home’s value. Bank of America says it will trim the mortgage principal of more than 200,000 struggling borrowers.

The settlement still must be approved by a judge to be final.

Source: “Feds Promise Tough Oversight in Mortgage Deal,” Reuters (March 12, 2012) and “Gov’t Files $25B Mortgage Settlement; Banks to Provide Relief Without Admitting Wrongdoing,” Associated Press (March 12, 2012)

Monday, March 12, 2012

BofA to Reduce Mortgages of Some Underwater Borrowers

Daily Real Estate News | Monday, March 12, 2012 

Bank of America announced that it will trim up to $100,000 off the mortgage principal of about 200,000 home owners. The bank’s principal reductions are part of the $26 billion foreclosure settlement between five major banks and state and federal officials.

Borrowers who are eligible must be 60 days or more overdue on their mortgage as well as underwater — owe more on their home than it’s currently worth. Mortgages also must be owned by Bank of America or serviced by the bank’s private investors; mortgages owned by Fannie Mannie, Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration and the Veterans' Administration will not be eligible for the principal reductions. 

Bank of America last week also announced a temporary moratorium on foreclosure sales of homes that are covered under the settlement. 
Bank of America is the second largest mortgage service carrier, behind Wells Fargo. 

Source: “Bank of America Reaches Deal on Housing,” The New York Times (March 8, 2012)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

IRS Releases the Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2012

WASHINGTON –– The Internal Revenue Service today issued its annual “Dirty Dozen” ranking of tax scams, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of schemes ranging from identity theft to return preparer fraud.

The Dirty Dozen listing, compiled by the IRS each year, lists a variety of common scams taxpayers can encounter at any point during the year. But many of these schemes peak during filing season as people prepare their tax returns.

“Taxpayers should be careful and avoid falling into a trap with the Dirty Dozen,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “Scam artists will tempt people in-person, on-line and by e-mail with misleading promises about lost refunds and free money. Don’t be fooled by these scams.”

Illegal scams can lead to significant penalties and interest and possible criminal prosecution. The IRS Criminal Investigation Division works closely with the Department of Justice to shutdown scams and prosecute the criminals behind them.

The following is the Dirty Dozen tax scams for 2012:

Identity Theft
Topping this year’s list Dirty Dozen list is identity theft. In response to growing identity theft concerns, the IRS has embarked on a comprehensive strategy that is focused on preventing, detecting and resolving identity theft cases as soon as possible. In addition to the law-enforcement crackdown, the IRS has stepped up its internal reviews to spot false tax returns before tax refunds are issued as well as working to help victims of the identity theft refund schemes.
Identity theft cases are among the most complex ones the IRS handles, but the agency is committed to working with taxpayers who have become victims of identity theft.
The IRS is increasingly seeing identity thieves looking for ways to use a legitimate taxpayer’s identity and personal information to file a tax return and claim a fraudulent refund.

An IRS notice informing a taxpayer that more than one return was filed in the taxpayer’s name or that the taxpayer received wages from an unknown employer may be the first tip off the individual receives that he or she has been victimized.
The IRS has a robust screening process with measures in place to stop fraudulent returns. While the IRS is continuing to address tax-related identity theft aggressively, the agency is also seeing an increase in identity crimes, including more complex schemes. In 2011, the IRS protected more than $1.4 billion of taxpayer funds from getting into the wrong hands due to identity theft.
In January, the IRS announced the results of a massive, national sweep cracking down on suspected identity theft perpetrators as part of a stepped-up effort against refund fraud and identity theft.  Working with the Justice Department’s Tax Division and local U.S. Attorneys’ offices, the nationwide effort targeted 105 people in 23 states.
Anyone who believes his or her personal information has been stolen and used for tax purposes should immediately contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit.  For more information, visit the special identity theft page at www.IRS.gov/identitytheft.

Phishing
Phishing is a scam typically carried out with the help of unsolicited email or a fake website that poses as a legitimate site to lure in potential victims and prompt them to provide valuable personal and financial information. Armed with this information, a criminal can commit identity theft or financial theft.
If you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.
It is important to keep in mind the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information.  This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.  The IRS has information that can help you protect yourself from email scams.

Return Preparer Fraud
About 60 percent of taxpayers will use tax professionals this year to prepare and file their tax returns. Most return preparers provide honest service to their clients. But as in any other business, there are also some who prey on unsuspecting taxpayers.
Questionable return preparers have been known to skim off their clients’ refunds, charge inflated fees for return preparation services and attract new clients by promising guaranteed or inflated refunds. Taxpayers should choose carefully when hiring a tax preparer. Federal courts have issued hundreds of injunctions ordering individuals to cease preparing returns, and the Department of Justice has pending complaints against many others.
In 2012, every paid preparer needs to have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) and enter it on the returns he or she prepares.
Signals to watch for when you are dealing with an unscrupulous return preparer would include that they:
  • Do not sign the return or place a Preparer Tax identification Number on it.
  • Do not give you a copy of your tax return.
  • Promise larger than normal tax refunds.
  • Charge a percentage of the refund amount as preparation fee.
  • Require you to split the refund to pay the preparation fee.
  • Add forms to the return you have never filed before.
  • Encourage you to place false information on your return, such as false income, expenses and/or credits.
For advice on how to find a competent tax professional, see  Tips for Choosing a Tax Preparer.

Hiding Income Offshore
Over the years, numerous individuals have been identified as evading U.S. taxes by hiding income in offshore banks, brokerage accounts or nominee entities, using debit cards, credit cards or wire transfers to access the funds. Others have employed foreign trusts, employee-leasing schemes, private annuities or insurance plans for the same purpose.
The IRS uses information gained from its investigations to pursue taxpayers with undeclared accounts, as well as the banks and bankers suspected of helping clients hide their assets overseas. The IRS works closely with the Department of Justice to prosecute tax evasion cases.
While there are legitimate reasons for maintaining financial accounts abroad, there are reporting requirements that need to be fulfilled. U.S. taxpayers who maintain such accounts and who do not comply with reporting and disclosure requirements are breaking the law and risk significant penalties and fines, as well as the possibility of criminal prosecution.

Since 2009, 30,000 individuals have come forward voluntarily to disclose their foreign financial accounts, taking advantage of special opportunities to bring their money back into the U.S. tax system and resolve their tax obligations. And, with new foreign account reporting requirements being phased in over the next few years, hiding income offshore will become increasingly more difficult.
At the beginning of this year, the IRS reopened the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) following continued strong interest from taxpayers and tax practitioners after the closure of the 2011 and 2009 programs. The IRS continues working on a wide range of international tax issues and follows ongoing efforts with the Justice Department to pursue criminal prosecution of international tax evasion.  This program will be open for an indefinite period until otherwise announced.
The IRS has collected $3.4 billion so far from people who participated in the 2009 offshore program, reflecting closures of about 95 percent of the cases from the 2009 program. On top of that, the IRS has collected an additional $1 billion from up front payments required under the 2011 program.  That number will grow as the IRS processes the 2011 cases.

“Free Money” from the IRS & Tax Scams Involving Social Security
Flyers and advertisements for free money from the IRS, suggesting that the taxpayer can file a tax return with little or no documentation, have been appearing in community churches around the country. These schemes are also often spread by word of mouth as unsuspecting and well-intentioned people tell their friends and relatives.
Scammers prey on low income individuals and the elderly. They build false hopes and charge people good money for bad advice. In the end, the victims discover their claims are rejected. Meanwhile, the promoters are long gone. The IRS warns all taxpayers to remain vigilant.
There are a number of tax scams involving Social Security. For example, scammers have been known to lure the unsuspecting with promises of non-existent Social Security refunds or rebates. In another situation, a taxpayer may really be due a credit or refund but uses inflated information to complete the return.
Beware. Intentional mistakes of this kind can result in a $5,000 penalty.

False/Inflated Income and Expenses
Including income that was never earned, either as wages or as self-employment income in order to maximize refundable credits, is another popular scam. Claiming income you did not earn or expenses you did not pay in order to secure larger refundable credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit could have serious repercussions.  This could result in repaying the erroneous refunds, including interest and penalties, and in some cases, even prosecution.
Additionally, some taxpayers are filing excessive claims for the fuel tax credit. Farmers and other taxpayers who use fuel for off-highway business purposes may be eligible for the fuel tax credit. But other individuals have claimed the tax credit when their occupations or income levels make the claims unreasonable. Fraud involving the fuel tax credit is considered a frivolous tax claim and can result in a penalty of $5,000.

False Form 1099 Refund Claims
In this ongoing scam, the perpetrator files a fake information return, such as a Form 1099 Original Issue Discount (OID), to justify a false refund claim on a corresponding tax return. In some cases, individuals have made refund claims based on the bogus theory that the federal government maintains secret accounts for U.S. citizens and that taxpayers can gain access to the accounts by issuing 1099-OID forms to the IRS.
Don’t fall prey to people who encourage you to claim deductions or credits to which you are not entitled or willingly allow others to use your information to file false returns. If you are a party to such schemes, you could be liable for financial penalties or even face criminal prosecution.

Frivolous Arguments
Promoters of frivolous schemes encourage taxpayers to make unreasonable and outlandish claims to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The IRS has a list of frivolous tax arguments that taxpayers should avoid. These arguments are false and have been thrown out of court. While taxpayers have the right to contest their tax liabilities in court, no one has the right to disobey the law.

Falsely Claiming Zero Wages
Filing a phony information return is an illegal way to lower the amount of taxes an individual owes. Typically, a Form 4852 (Substitute Form W-2) or a “corrected” Form 1099 is used as a way to improperly reduce taxable income to zero. The taxpayer may also submit a statement rebutting wages and taxes reported by a payer to the IRS.
Sometimes, fraudsters even include an explanation on their Form 4852 that cites statutory language on the definition of wages or may include some reference to a paying company that refuses to issue a corrected Form W-2 for fear of IRS retaliation. Taxpayers should resist any temptation to participate in any variations of this scheme. Filing this type of return may result in a $5,000 penalty.

Abuse of Charitable Organizations and Deductions
IRS examiners continue to uncover the intentional abuse of 501(c)(3) organizations, including arrangements that improperly shield income or assets from taxation and attempts by donors to maintain control over donated assets or the income from donated property. The IRS is investigating schemes that involve the donation of non-cash assets –– including situations in which several organizations claim the full value of the same non-cash contribution. Often these donations are highly overvalued or the organization receiving the donation promises that the donor can repurchase the items later at a price set by the donor. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 imposed increased penalties for inaccurate appraisals and set new standards for qualified appraisals.

Disguised Corporate Ownership
Third parties are improperly used to request employer identification numbers and form corporations that obscure the true ownership of the business.
These entities can be used to underreport income, claim fictitious deductions, avoid filing tax returns, participate in listed transactions and facilitate money laundering, and financial crimes. The IRS is working with state authorities to identify these entities and bring the owners into compliance with the law.

Misuse of Trusts
For years, unscrupulous promoters have urged taxpayers to transfer assets into trusts. While there are legitimate uses of trusts in tax and estate planning, some highly questionable transactions promise reduction of income subject to tax, deductions for personal expenses and reduced estate or gift taxes. Such trusts rarely deliver the tax benefits promised and are used primarily as a means of avoiding income tax liability and hiding assets from creditors, including the IRS.
IRS personnel have seen an increase in the improper use of private annuity trusts and foreign trusts to shift income and deduct personal expenses. As with other arrangements, taxpayers should seek the advice of a trusted professional before entering a trust arrangement.