Delinquent Mortgages at 14% and RISING!!!

Everyday I hear people ask, "Do you think the real estate market has finally hit the bottom?"  Depending on what side of the fence you are on, you may not like the answer. NO!  For many, this is the best real estate market in the world, for others it is the worst.  It all depends on if you are an educated Investor or a Distressed Home Owner. 

More than 4.7 percent of all mortgages were more than 90 days past due in the fourth quarter, a 21.1 percent increase from the same quarter in 2008. The number of troubled borrowers with prime mortgages increased 16.5 percent year over year.

Foreclosure sales, short sales, and deed-in-lieu-of-foreclosure actions rose by 8.6 percent from the third quarter to 163,224 and were up 44.5 percent from fourth quarter 2008.

The report, which reflects 34 million loans with nearly $6 trillion in principal balances, said: “Loan servicers reported that they expect new foreclosure actions to increase in the upcoming quarters as many of the mortgages that are seriously delinquent may eventually result in foreclosure as alternatives that prevent foreclosure are exhausted.”

Source: Reuters News (03/25/2010)