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Nearly 50 percent leave Obama mortgage-aid program

Ockham

Noblesse oblige
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AP said:
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer Martin Crutsinger, Ap Economics Writer – 50 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Nearly half of the 1.3 million homeowners who enrolled in the Obama administration's flagship mortgage-relief program have fallen out.

The program is intended to help those at risk of foreclosure by lowering their monthly mortgage payments. Friday's report from the Treasury Department suggests the $75 billion government effort is failing to slow the tide of foreclosures in the United States, economists say.

More than 2.3 million homes have been repossessed by lenders since the recession began in December 2007, according to foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc. Economists expect the number of foreclosures to grow well into next year.

"The government program as currently structured is petering out. It is taking in fewer homeowners, more are dropping out and fewer people are ending up in permanent modifications," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.

Besides forcing people from their homes, foreclosures and distressed home sales have pushed down on home values and crippled the broader housing industry. They have made it difficult for homebuilders to compete with the depressed prices and discouraged potential sellers from putting their homes on the market.

Approximately 630,000 people who had tried to get their monthly mortgage payments lowered through the government program have been cut loose through July, according to the Treasury report. That's about 48 percent of the those who had enrolled since March 2009. And it is up from more than 40 percent through June.

Nearly 50 percent leave Obama mortgage-aid program - Yahoo! News

$75 billion was made available, $495 million (approx) has been spent to save homes going into foreclosure, yet 50% are still dropping out and cannot keep up on the payments. Why? These people shouldn't have been approved for homes in the first place... someone should tell Mr. Obama and Barney Frank.
 
Nearly 50 percent leave Obama mortgage-aid program - Yahoo! News

$75 billion was made available, $495 million (approx) has been spent to save homes going into foreclosure, yet 50% are still dropping out and cannot keep up on the payments. Why? These people shouldn't have been approved for homes in the first place... someone should tell Mr. Obama and Barney Frank.

Hopefully they can return most of the $75 billion and just call it a mistake.
I know, wishful thinking.
 
If you can't pay your mortgage, you can't pay your mortgage. It's not like a few months of coverage for your loan will somehow make your financial insolubility 'disappear.' The idea, when initiated, was poorly thought out. Now, it is only painfully obvious.
 
Why? These people shouldn't have been approved for homes in the first place... someone should tell Mr. Obama and Barney Frank.
I'm pretty sure they already know. Nobody denies these mortgages were unwise. All that remains is what do we do with them while causing the least amount of economic damage.

Here's the problem, if we could go back to 2002, what should we have SAID, or DONE to prevent this sub-prime mortgage crisis?

KEEP IN MIND. Everybody from homeowners, to mortgage brokers, to mortgage companies, to banks, to investors, to insurers were making cash off the housing bubble by the millions and billions. It was a proverbial CASH COW from front to back.

In the face of THAT kind of momentum, what should we have done?
 
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Nearly 50 percent leave Obama mortgage-aid program - Yahoo! News

$75 billion was made available, $495 million (approx) has been spent to save homes going into foreclosure, yet 50% are still dropping out and cannot keep up on the payments. Why? These people shouldn't have been approved for homes in the first place... someone should tell Mr. Obama and Barney Frank.
[emphasis added by bubba]

422,000 families are living in homes right now, enjoying a security they did not have but for this program. one which cost less than $1200 per salvaged residence. that sounds like an effective program ... especially when recognizing the alternative party of NO would have done its typical nothing (constructive) to address the problem

but what causes me to post is that statement you direct to Obama about his needing to be specifically informed of the inappropriate mortgages made during the shrub's watch
but unlike his predecessor, Obama is administering this in a fiscally prudent manner. that's why so many are not getting permanent modifications. the borrowers do not meet HAMP program creditworthiness requirements, even with a loan maturity extension and rate temporarily reduced to 2%. those other mortgage debtors fall into one of two categories (if not both). either they do not have the monthly cash flow in this weak economy to make even the reduced payments or/(and) the value of the collateral is substantially less than the debt which it secures. for many, walking away from their upside down mortgage is a better deal than paying a loan amount which far exceeds the value of the home in which they are residing
based on their whining about it, seems a number of our fiscal liberals ... recognize them as those who usually have some brand of "conservative" as their stated political lean ... would prefer the Obama administration throw taxpayer money away on mortgage mods to borrowers who cannot repay those borrowed tax dollars
 
[emphasis added by bubba]

422,000 families are living in homes right now, enjoying a security they did not have but for this program. one which cost less than $1200 per salvaged residence. that sounds like an effective program ... especially when recognizing the alternative party of NO would have done its typical nothing (constructive) to address the problem

but what causes me to post is that statement you direct to Obama about his needing to be specifically informed of the inappropriate mortgages made during the shrub's watch
but unlike his predecessor, Obama is administering this in a fiscally prudent manner. that's why so many are not getting permanent modifications. the borrowers do not meet HAMP program creditworthiness requirements, even with a loan maturity extension and rate temporarily reduced to 2%. those other mortgage debtors fall into one of two categories (if not both). either they do not have the monthly cash flow in this weak economy to make even the reduced payments or/(and) the value of the collateral is substantially less than the debt which it secures. for many, walking away from their upside down mortgage is a better deal than paying a loan amount which far exceeds the value of the home in which they are residing
based on their whining about it, seems a number of our fiscal liberals ... recognize them as those who usually have some brand of "conservative" as their stated political lean ... would prefer the Obama administration throw taxpayer money away on mortgage mods to borrowers who cannot repay those borrowed tax dollars

How does blaming Bush address the failure of Obama's bailout that's failing?
 
How does blaming Bush address the failure of Obama's bailout that's failing?

Who says it is failing?

Perhaps those that are dropping out did not meet the qualifications to remain in the program, and thus were dropped,
 
Those other 52%, have no RIGHT to that money, it's NOT THEIR MONEY. Obama and Co. had NO RIGHT giving away that money, it is a massive failure. Aside a Gov't Program, where in the real world does spending 75,000,000,000 and seeing a 48% failure rate get considered "Successful"? Oh yes, only to people like LT and Bubba, whom consider no amount of Failure to be too much as long as it's Progressive/Liberal waste and failure.

The plan should be shutdown IMMEDIATELY. Those 52%? So sad, too bad, you're in a home you DO NOT DESERVE, and you have no RIGHT to Tax Payer Money to keep you there.
 
$75 billion was made available, $495 million (approx) has been spent to save homes going into foreclosure
How does blaming Bush address the failure of Obama's bailout that's failing?

:::Sigh:::

Program doesn't work, you call it a failure. It DOES work, you call it wasteful spending.

He really can't win, can he?
 
:::Sigh:::

Program doesn't work, you call it a failure. It DOES work, you call it wasteful spending.

He really can't win, can he?
You mean he succeeded in bribing some families and make little bleeding heart liberals who think people are entitled to live off others hard work (that'd be those folks in homes they cannot afford still there because Obama is throwing other peoples money at them) think Obama is wonderful?

It's frankly disgusting. Where is the relief the MILLIONS of homeowners that struggle, but PAY their bills? PAY their mortgages? Eh? Where is the relief for them? Oh that's right, tax hikes cause obviously they don't need that money!

Sickening.

"The American Experiment in Democracy will fail when the Politicians realize they can bribe the public with gold from the Treasury."
*Paraphrased de Tocqville.
 
The plan should be shutdown IMMEDIATELY. Those 52%? So sad, too bad, you're in a home you DO NOT DESERVE, and you have no RIGHT to Tax Payer Money to keep you there.

I am in agreement with you that the program has been unsuccessfull. However, I am tired of these ignorant statements about people not deserving a home. Do you honestly think this many people are missing payments because they simply lived beyond their means? I suggest you look at what home prices were during the peak of the bubble in places like california, nevada, etc, and compare them to now. Hopefully then you will realize what has happened and you will realize what it would be like to be in their shoes.
 
Do you honestly think this many people are missing payments because they simply lived beyond their means?

Yes, I'd say that the vast majority are there because they lived beyond their means.

What percent of people in this program do you think made a 20% down payment and had a total mortgage of less than 2X their annual salary?
 
If you can't pay your mortgage, you can't pay your mortgage. It's not like a few months of coverage for your loan will somehow make your financial insolubility 'disappear.' The idea, when initiated, was poorly thought out. Now, it is only painfully obvious.

You mean the finances of Americans DON'T run on wishes and lollipops!!!! o_O

I think that means we need to rethink a lot of things in America then :mrgreen:
 
Yes, I'd say that the vast majority are there because they lived beyond their means.

What percent of people in this program do you think made a 20% down payment and had a total mortgage of less than 2X their annual salary?

I don't know where to find a statistic on the down payment.

From the most recent HAMP report:

Median Ratio of housing expenses to income is 44.8%.

The reason for hardship for the majority (60.2%) of those who have gotten permanent mods is loss of income.

and the cancellations:

"The most common causes of cancellations include insufficient documentation, missed trial payments, or mortgage payments already less than 31% of the homeowner’s income.

Servicers reported that more than half of homeowners in canceled trials receive alternative modifications, become current, or pay off the loan completely."
 
I am in agreement with you that the program has been unsuccessfull. However, I am tired of these ignorant statements about people not deserving a home. Do you honestly think this many people are missing payments because they simply lived beyond their means? I suggest you look at what home prices were during the peak of the bubble in places like california, nevada, etc, and compare them to now. Hopefully then you will realize what has happened and you will realize what it would be like to be in their shoes.

I don't give a DAMN what the prices were like at the peak. The PEAK was caused by too many people buying homes they couldn't AFFORD and now these people are getting bailed out by US, the taxpayers.

It would SUCK to be in their shoes, I'd like to think I wouldn't be so stupid as to GET THERE in the first place.

The real ignorance, is your position that I don't believe people "Deserve" a home. They do, however they do not DESERVE one they cannot afford. Nor do they deserve tax payer monies to keep them in homes beyond their means.
 
I don't give a DAMN what the prices were like at the peak. The PEAK was caused by too many people buying homes they couldn't AFFORD and now these people are getting bailed out by US, the taxpayers.

It would SUCK to be in their shoes, I'd like to think I wouldn't be so stupid as to GET THERE in the first place.

The real ignorance, is your position that I don't believe people "Deserve" a home. They do, however they do not DESERVE one they cannot afford. Nor do they deserve tax payer monies to keep them in homes beyond their means.

The point is a lot of people could have been responsible, and afforded it at the time of the purchase, but due to circumstances beyond their control they have defaulted on their home loans. A lot of people have lost a job, had their hours/pay cut, and house prices have fallen so much they cannot refinance.
 
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The point is a lot of people could have been responsible, and afforded it at the time of the purchase, but due to circumstances beyond their control they have defaulted on their home loans. A lot of people have lost a job, had their hours/pay cut, and house prices have fallen so much they cannot refinance.

Hey buddy, guess what? Life, it ain't fair. Not only that, but the more "Gov't" helps, the worse things get!!! Not in the short term, in the long term. Did you learn nothing from the Great Depression?
 
I don't know where to find a statistic on the down payment.

From the most recent HAMP report:

Median Ratio of housing expenses to income is 44.8%.

The reason for hardship for the majority (60.2%) of those who have gotten permanent mods is loss of income.

and the cancellations:

"The most common causes of cancellations include insufficient documentation, missed trial payments, or mortgage payments already less than 31% of the homeowner’s income.

Servicers reported that more than half of homeowners in canceled trials receive alternative modifications, become current, or pay off the loan completely."

That's not really on point to what I'm arguing. I'm saying that I bet that the vast majority of people in this program did not exercise prudent fiscal restraint when they purchased their houses. To the contrary, I bet that the vast majority of them put too little down and borrowed far too much when compared to their income. In light of that, I think it's perfectly reasonable to place a substantial portion of the blame for their situation on the people who fit within that category. Nobody forced them to put 5% down instead of 20% and nobody forced them to borrow $300k instead of $150k.
 
You can view these 50% droppers as:

1. They can not manage their own financial situation and buy something they can't afford to. They can't afford to buy house even with the help from obama mortgage.

2. Those banks who should examine the buyers qualification - when the buyers bought the house and later applied for help - failed to do their job.

Who should be blamed? The buyers and the bank. Who suffered? Decent people who paid the tax.
 
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