Whats This about a Housing Bubble?

In his recent testimony, Alan Greenspan warned against the possiblity that we have seen home prices plateau. The bursting of the "bubble" could cause a big hit to the U.S. economy. But, why should we worry?

Well, as we all know, house prices are up across the country...over 10% in the last year, including over 25% in some markets. Additionally, house prices have risen over 70% since 1994, more than double the increase of renting during that time period. Demand for houses is high, as interest rates have stayed low. This has created an investment market for houses.

Now, the average homeowner can use the equity in his/her home to finance the purchase of one or more additional houses. One statistic showed that 13% of houses are currently unoccupied, due to investors gobbling them up, hoping the prices will continue to skyrocket.

But can these prices last? Once the supply of houses exceeds demand, we could see a rapid drop in prices, as people look to sell their extra homes. Higher interest rates or falling prices could scare away potential buyers, creating a housing market crash.

Furthermore, those with Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) who figured they would only own the house for 3-4 years might now be stuck with either a high interest mortgage, or selling the home for a substantial loss.

Either way, the potential for bankrupt investors seems unnervingly real. With new laws making it harder for one to declare bankruptcy, we could become a nation with huge individual debt...and that would certainly hurt our economy.

Scott publishes and maintains Stock Market Plus, a financial blog with topics ranging from Investing to Debt Control. Visit him at http://www.stockmarketplus.com

More than 40 states signed onto a proposed $25-billion deal with major mortgage servicers over faulty foreclosure practices. New York, Nevada and Delaware joined California in holding out for better terms.

More than 40 states signed onto a proposed $25-billion settlement with major mortgage servicers over faulty foreclosure procedures, but California, New York and other key states were still not among them.

California has until Monday to share in a multi-state deal with banks to obtain mortgage relief and reforms. Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, who walked away from talks last year, says the door remains open.

With a Monday deadline at hand, California officials have resumed direct talks with the Obama administration about joining a multibillion-dollar, multi-state mortgage settlement with the nation's largest banks, a source said Sunday.

The talk show host pays $12 million for the 4,088-square-foot house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The ocean-view home sits on 1.26 bluff-top acres with beach access.

In one of the more talked-about transactions in town, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have sold their Malibu beach house to daytime host and comedian Ellen De Generes for $12 million.

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom house built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore lists for $2,875,000.

A decorative cast stone entrance opens to this restored Spanish Colonial Revival-style house in Pasadena's South Orange Grove area. Built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore, the house retains such original details as coffered wood ceilings and arched doorways.

They don't believe they can sell their property for what it's worth, so they're spending money on making their homes more comfortable.

Do you fit any of these descriptions?

A biennial research report by the National Assn. of Realtors indicates that a handful of real estate agents and brokers and their clients either don't know the law or don't care to follow it.

When it comes to lawsuits, real estate agents and brokers tangle mostly among themselves.

The president aims to help about 3.5 million people with good credit who are unable to refinance at historically low rates because their homes are worth less than their mortgages.

 

The White House hopes to help millions of homeowners lower their monthly mortgage bill with a $5 billion to $10 billion plan to set up a streamlined refinancing program for people who are current on their payments.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 large U.S. cities fell 1.3% in November from October as foreclosures continue to drag down the housing market.

Three straight months of home-price declines in the biggest U.S. cities showed that foreclosures remain a significant drag on a housing market that is entering its fifth year of deterioration.

L.A. Clipper Chris Paul may be quick down the court, but he moves pretty fast when it comes to buying multimillion-dollar real estate too.