Quote from SteveD:
It is amazing to me that so many of you simply do not understand home ownership.....................
............Why would Greenspan raise rates?? We have slow economy, growing, but still slow. High gas prices serve as moderating influence.
Quote from Cutten:
The situation appears similar in other countries with economies in line with the US e.g. the UK, Australia, Canada. IMO the best case scenario is a slow 10% bleed over the next 3 years, and the worst case is a 30%-40% fall in the more speculative areas.
For the first time in a long time, I am considering selling my house for fear of a meaningful price deterioration. A 20% fall on a decent house in a city centre is a lot of money to piss away, not to mention the opportunity cost of holding on instead of deploying the cash elsewhere. I want to be the guy scouring deals from desperate sellers and foreclosures in 2-3 years time, not having to hold on for another 5 years to make back the money. Where I live, rental yields are about 4%. I would rather pay 16k per annum on a 400k house to rent there, rather than put 400k at risk and potentially drop 60k+ on capital depreciation, plus 15-20k a year on the interest payments. The new year is generally a good time to sell, with a flurry of new interest. I have a feeling that in 2005 it will not last long, and by the 2nd half of the year the year the market may be in serious trouble.
I've spoken to some agents and my house goes up for sale next week.
Quote from jem:
There is a "put option" in favor of the borrower that is intrinsic to a deed of trust or a mortgage.
Quote from moo:
Is this really true? Can someone else confirm that it is indeed typical in America that the borrower can just give his house to the bank and escape his mortgage without a loss?
THEN it would be entirely understandable that people want to take 100% interest-only loans for housing speculation.
Quote from SteveD:
It is amazing to me that so many of you simply do not understand home ownership.
Please do not quote California prices. It makes you sound silly.
A house will last for over 100 years, for God's sake. It is, in most cases, an appreciating asset. Once the loan is paid off you have something of value.
Everyone needs a place to live. Everyone does not need a car.
How many times have you seen Widow Jones dies and the house is sold for $500,000 that was bought by her and husband in 1957 for $23,000.
Why would Greenspan raise rates??
Quote from OldTrader:
Every state has their own set of rules. But California for example is what the call a "one-action state", meaning that if the bank takes the house back by foreclosing on it's deed of trust, they cannot sue the homeowner for any deficiency resulting from the later sale of the house ie one action.
A lender in CA could sue, and thereby collect a deficiency, but in order to do that they cannot foreclose under the deed of trust, and therefore as a practical matter in CA a homeowner can walk from a house, mail the keys back, and not be pursued for a deficiency, if any.
Not all states have this "one-action rule".
OldTRader