Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Mark to fantasy model of real estate accounting. California property assessments down only 4 percent from peak but home values are down by 37 percent. FHA default rates surge.

Mark to fantasy model of real estate accounting. California property assessments down only 4 percent from peak but home values are down by 37 percent. FHA default rates surge.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

AIG Sues Bank of America over fraudulent mortgages that were supposedly backing the securities

AIG sues Bank of America over mortgages
Dow Jones Newswires

09 Aug 2011
.
American International Group sued Bank of America yesterday in an effort to recover more than $10bn it lost on mortgage investments, and separately filed an objection to the lender's proposed settlement with other mortgage bond investors.

AIG's lawsuit and its attempt to intervene in the much-publicised $8.5bn settlement throws another obstacle in the way of Bank of America's efforts to put its mortgage woes behind it.

The suit over the $10bn in losses alleges 'massive fraud' by Bank of America and two units it acquired, Merrill Lynch and Countrywide, saying they packaged securities that were backed by 'hundreds of thousands of defective mortgages,' according to the lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court.

The suit says Bank of America and its subsidiaries inflated home appraisals, allowed borrowers to misstate their income, ignored internal warnings about shoddy underwriting and selected the riskiest mortgages for securitisation.

AIG's suit references information gathered from several confidential witnesses, including one who alleged a vice president at Bank of America said he 'didn't give a flying f---' about whether loans met the bank's underwriting standards.

AIG contends it lost more than $10bn on about 350 residential mortgage-backed securities that it initially bought between 2005 and 2007 for about $28bn from businesses that are now part of Bank of America. The size of AIG's losses makes the suit one of the largest of its kind brought by an investor since the housing bubble popped.

Bank of America spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said the bank's disclosures on the quality of mortgage bonds were robust enough for sophisticated investors, and called AIG 'the very definition of an informed, seasoned investor, with losses solely attributable to its own excesses and errors. We reject AIGs assertions and allegations.'

The insurer, Di Rita said, 'recklessly chased high yields and profits throughout the mortgage and structured finance markets.'

AIG spokesman Mark Herr said Bank of America was attempting 'to blame others for its own misconduct.

'Investors, no matter how sophisticated, were entitled to rely on its numerous written representations about the securities it sold,' Herr said. 'Now that it is clear that those representations were false, Bank of America must be held to account.'

The lawsuit contends Bank of America knowingly misrepresented its underwriting standards in its descriptions of the mortgage-backed securities purchased by AIG.

An analysis of 262,322 mortgages, just a fraction of the loans that were pooled in the mortgage securities AIG purchased, found 40% of the loans violated the underwriting standards described by the bank when it sold the securities, the lawsuit alleges.

Many of the mortgage bonds AIG bought and suffered losses on are still in a vehicle called Maiden Lane II that's sitting on the balance sheet of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The vehicle also holds securities originated by banks including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and others.

In a related action, AIG filed papers yesterday in an attempt to intervene in the proposed $8.5bn settlement between Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon, which served as trustee on dozens of Bank of America mortgage securities.

The attempt to block the settlement in New York State Supreme Court comes on top of an effort by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to intervene. Like Schneiderman, AIG contends in its motion to intervene that the settlement is inadequate and rife with conflicts of interest.

In a recent securities filing, Bank of America said failure to win court approval for the settlement, or withdrawal from the agreement, 'could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, financial condition and results of operation.'

Many of the mortgage bonds cited in AIG's lawsuit were purchased when the insurer used to have a securities lending business. The now-defunct division lent out corporate bonds and other securities owned by AIG's insurance units, in exchange for short-term cash loans from banks that AIG could invest for additional yield.

A Congressional Oversight Panel report on AIG last year noted that rather than investing that cash in low-risk, short-term securities for a modest yield, 'AIG invested in more speculative securities tied to the RMBS market.'

In 2008, when the housing market weakened and sub-prime bonds lost substantial value, AIG was holding tens of billions of dollars in mortgage bonds that it couldn't sell without incurring large losses. In the fall of that year, when banks asked for their cash back, the insurer had difficulty returning the money and had to use use federal aid to repay the banks after being bailed out.

Shares of Bank of America were down 16% to $6.86 in recent trading; shares of AIG were down 10.1% to $22.56.

-By Erik Holm and Serena Ng, 212-416-2892; erik.holm@dowjones.com

( David Benoit and Dan Fitzpatrick contributed to this article)

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

HOT DEAL IN LAS VEGAS!

Lynn Chase Burke | Coldwell Banker Wardley | (702) 596-7061


6131 Forest Park Drive, Las Vegas, NV
No Trash For Cash here! Sweet single story 3 BD 2BA home plus bonus converted garage studio, in quiet community, views!
3BR/2BA Single Family House
offered at $78,000
Year Built 1979
Sq Footage 1,872
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial
Floors 1
Parking 2 Uncovered spaces
Lot Size 7,000 sqft
HOA/Maint $0 per month

DESCRIPTION

No Trash For Cash here! Sweet single story 3 BD 2BA home plus bonus converted garage studio, in quiet community with views overlooking the valley. Large Yard! NO HOA FEES! Large rooms, nice layout, hardwood parquet flooring, brick masonry raised hearth, wood burning fireplace in the greatroom, all appliances stay including the washer and dryer. Fantastic deal at this price! Great home or rental property!


see additional photos below
PROPERTY FEATURES


































- Central A/C - Central heat - Fireplace
- High/Vaulted ceiling - Hardwood floor - Tile floor
- Family room - Living room - Bonus/Rec room
- Breakfast nook - Dishwasher - Refrigerator
- Stove/Oven - Microwave - Washer
- Dryer - Laundry area - inside - Balcony, Deck, or Patio
- Yard

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS


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Contact info:




Lynn Chase Burke
Coldwell Banker Wardley
(702) 596-7061
For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing
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Posted: Aug 10, 2011, 12:24pm PDT

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Renovations That Don't Add Value to Your Home | InvestingAnswers

Thinking of fixing up your home before you put it on the market?
Here is a link to an informative article on what you shouldn't put your money into if you are hoping for a return on your investment.

Renovations That Don't Add Value to Your Home InvestingAnswers

Looking for a home in Las Vegas? Search my website http://www.LynnCB.com

Coldwell Banker Wardley
1401 Green Valley PKWY
Henderson, Nevada 89074
Direct 702-596-7061

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Rob The Bank!

It's your turn to get even with the banks with this beautiful single story 3bd 2ba home for only $70,000.00!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWv8Zlcq1tc

WIN A FREE APPLE TV EASY!

Hey everyone!
I need a small favor, it's our last few days to win an Apple TV easy!
Please "like" my brokers facebook page then write what home means to you followed by /Lynn Burke and we could BOTH win an Apple TV!
Ex: Home is where the heart is/Lynn Burke.
No mail list or anything just a contest to help promote my brokers FB page and also to allow us a moment to think about what a house really is, not just an investment.
click on the  link before May 31st! 



Thank you for your support!
http://www.facebook.com/wardleyrealestate 

Tuesday, May 24, 2011