April Hathaway Duke Archives

Tuesday AM Linklube

Local· Who’s Who in a Real Estate Transaction? [Teresa Boardman]· Predatory Lending Crusader in Stillwater [Strib]· Hot Property: Strip Clubs, Casinos, Hotels [Strib]· Re-Imagining the Central Corridor [PiPress]· Quick Flip Downtown: Northstar Sells Again [Strib]· Foreclosures Still Heating Up in Minneapolis [Strib]Elsewhere Otherwise· Tallest Building in North America Coming to Chicago [businessweek]· High-Tech Home Security [REJournal]· Ugliest House Ever Contest [Hot Property]· Does Mortgage Equity Withdrawal Matter? [BigPicture]· Crazy Realtor Brandishes Weapon: What Could Go Wrong? [inman]· Why We Should Not Bail-Out Lenders or Borrowers [SFGate]…

Oregon State Orders Two Mortgage Providers to Stop Illegal Activity

Local Point Financial and Clayborn Collins, Portland, Oregon, both mortgage providers in Oregon, were ordered to stop their unlawful activities in Oregon and pay nearly $60,000 in fines by The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. Loca…

Monday Market Commentary: Mortgage Rates Improve Slightly on Friendly Inflation Number

Graphic via MSNBCLast WeekMortgage rates saw some improvement for the first time in a number of weeks after a better-than-expected print from the Consumer Price Index, which fell to 2.5% from last months 2.7%. To recap: Any data showing tame, falling, or non-existent inflation will help move rates down.This WeekA full economic calendar this week, but it holds in store mainly second tier reports that don’t normally move interest rates unless the results are truly surprises. Existing and New Home sales print Wednesday to provide a snapshot of the housing market. A smattering of GDP data will hit the wire Friday - signs of economic strength could move rates up, while economic weakness may push them down. Full Economic Calendar After the Jump…

Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud & Bank Fraud

Robert W. Hughes, aka Bob Hughes, 61, Suwanee, Georgia, plead guilty in federal district court in the Northern District of Georgia to charges of mail fraud and bank fraud, related to a scheme to defraud a private real estate limited liability company o…

Georgia Cease and Desist Order Becomes Final

A Cease and Desist Order issued by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance to Amelda Y. Cross, dba A & N Investment Group, Marietta, Georgia, became final. This Cease and Desist Order was issued by the Department after it obtained evidence th…

Utah Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Corey David Nance, 50, Sandy, Utah, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme investigated by the FBI and the Utah Division of Insurance Fraud. Nance also w…

Friday AM Linklube

Local· Two Hotels Planned for Uptown [Strib]· Ameriquest Lawsuit Granted Class Action Status [Strib]· Saint Paul: Old Riverfront Jail Site Back on Market [Strib]· Weird Contemporary Home on Former Garbage House Site [Strib]· Lots of Questions about New Plan for Metrodome Area [Strib]…

Thursday PM Linklube

Local· Rottlund Homes Co-Founder Dies [Bizjournal]· Res-Cap Cutting 1,000 Jobs [Bizjournal]· Uptown Misfortune Spreads [Strib] See Also: Strib Asks [BTM]· Local MLS Settlement Announced [Inmanblog]Elsewhere Otherwise· Home Imporvement Scams to Watch For [Consumerist]· Free FICO Guesstimator: What’s Your Credit Score [Lifehacker]…

Despite Concern, Lenders Still Pushing Option ARMS

Lenders Like Quicken Still Aggressively Pitching Option ARMS As the ad posted above played on CNBC this AM, we thought to ourselves, Self, I can’t believe these guys are pitching option-ARMS this way. Talk about stupid. Then, as if on cue, we see a piece in today’s Real Estate Journal that points to growing concerns about the the option ARM market.Investors aren’t panicking over option ARMs, but they are signaling greater concern about how well borrowers will cope with the eventual jumps in payments that many face…[snip]…For some borrowers, option ARMs are ticking time bombs. These loans, in our view,…

Lead Defendant in $10 Million Scheme to Defraud Convicted

Ishmael Grant, 60, Lauderhill, Florida, one of the lead defendants in a $10,000,000 scheme to defraud mortgage lenders, was found guilty by a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The jury found Grant guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit mai…