Mel Watt and Julian Castro announce housing policy changes
FHFA continues to evaluate ways to refine and improve the loss mitigation and foreclosure prevention policies at the Enterprises, because we understand that many individuals and families are still facing the possibility of foreclosure and are looking for alternatives to stay in their homes." ....Compass Point listed the biggest winners of this kind of credit box expansion as originators, private mortgage insurers and home builders. ...challenging the regulators to ease the incredibly strict underwriting standards now required to originate a mortgage loan.

Company avoids document fees
The Campbells purchased what they were told was a brand new home in October 2004, but within months after moving in, they realized the structure of the home -- and their investment -- was unsound.

Americans brace for next foreclosure wave
Half a decade into the deepest U.S. housing crisis since the 1930s, many Americans are hoping the crisis is finally nearing its end. House sales are picking up across most of the country, the plunge in prices is slowing and attempts by lenders to claim back properties from struggling borrowers dropped by more than a third in 2011, hitting a four-year low.

Bank of America Gets Pad Locked After Homeowner Forecloses On It
Instead of Bank of America foreclosing on some Florida homeowner, the homeowners had sheriff's deputies foreclose on the bank. It started five months ago when Bank of America filed foreclosure papers on the home of a couple, who didn't owe a dime on their home. The couple said they paid cash for the house. The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn't owe Bank of America anything on the house. The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn't owe Bank of America anything on the house. In fact, it was proven that the couple never even had a mortgage bill to pay.

Mortgage paperwork mess: Next housing shock?
As more and more Americans face mortgage foreclosure, banks' crucial ownership documents for the properties are often unclear and are sometimes even bogus, a condition that's causing lawsuits and hampering an already weak housing market. Scott Pelley reports. View 60 Minutes Report

Home Wreckers: How Wall Street Foreclosures Are Devastating Communities
As the foreclosure crisis continues, the costs to homeowners, the property tax base, and local governments adds up to $650 billion to as much as $1 trillion. Wall Street banks shattered our economy and left our communities to clean up the pieces. The housing market is where the economic crisis began and without immediate action, we are facing a multi-billion dollar hit to homeowners and communities across California that would undermine the economic recovery our state desperately needs. Without a remedy, the damage to our communities will be staggering and long-lasting. 

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Waiting Seven Years for Two Answers
WHEN Zella Mae Green of Georgia filed for bankruptcy to save her home from foreclosure in 2004, she and her lawyer wanted to know two things: Did she actually owe any back payments on her mortgage? And, if so, to whom?  It didn’t seem like a lot to ask. But until last week, those questions had been unanswered for seven years...  Fascinating how quickly these things get resolved when some daylight shines in.

Wells Fargo Meeting Today With Philly Homeowner Who "Foreclosed" On Them (Here's How He Did It)
...how did Patrick go from embattled and ignored homeowner to seated across the negotiating table with leverage? I spoke with him to find out more about both how and why he did what he did. His story is an inspiration to anyone who's dreamed of going toe-to-toe with the big banks and winning. Turns out that armed with persistence, and a little legal know-how, Davids can take down Goliaths... About two years ago, after Wells Fargo stopped responding to his letters requesting more information, Patrick boned up and learned about a law called the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). The law was enacted to safeguard homebuyers from anti-competitive and collusive behavior among the companies and agents involved with buying and selling real estate. One of the protections involves the "Qualified Written Request," or QWR.

Philadelphia Man Forecloses On Wells Fargo
 Rodgers discovered the Real Estate Settlement Procedures
Act, which requires mortgage companies to acknowledge written requests within 20 business days or face penalties. He took Wells Fargo to court, winning a default judgement because the bank didn't show up in court... The homeowner placed a sheriffs levy against Well's Fargo's local mortgage office, to cover the $1,173 judgment, plus tax. The contents of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage's offices...are reportedly still scheduled for a March 4 sherif's sale.

Summary of RealtyTrac 2010 Year-End Foreclosure Report
To see foreclosure trends in your neighborhood, just navigate to the RealtyTrac Stats & Trends pages and search any state, county, city or ZIP code nationwide.