Sunday, April 25, 2010

IT IS NOT THE BUYERS' MARKET!

Although the media screams that it is the buyers' market, I have to convince every one of my new clients that IT IS INDEED NOT true. On the opposite, it is very closely controlled by the large banks-sellers that were "saved" by the Government, aka "We the People", from being illiquid and not able to lend. They control the inventory and the prices. Yes, oh yes, it is, unfortunately, the truth about Real Estate nowadays. Banks control buyers AND sellers through short sales. So, here you have it- full control of the marketplace. Don't take me wrong- you still get a low price and a great deal but you DO NOT get to negotiate your terms or conditions; on the opposite, if you do not play by banks' rules, you don't get to buy a bank-owned home or a short sale, which are the majority of the inventory.

Clients often ask me why banks do this and don't do that. The scream in despair: "It is unfair!" Who said anything about business was fair? The law protects a buyer or a seller to some extent but the rest is being set by the marketplace. At this particular moment, the banks are the monopoly in the market and they control prices, terms and who buys and who doesn't. Whether you agree with it or not.

It is not surprising whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the market is ALWAYS controlled by someone. It is not a free commerce like the Government tries to fool us into thinking. It was set up like that and remains till now. It is controlled by powerful group of people that make money manipulating the unaware general public. I have nothing against them and I am not preaching they are bad, I am just trying to portray the situation as it is.

There's a great quote that was said by James Garfield, the 20th President of USA, back in 1881:

"Whoever controls the volume of money in our country is absolute master of all industry and commerce...when you realize that the entire system is very easily controlled, one way or another, by a few powerful men at the top, you will not have to be told how periods of inflation and depression originate."

I think it just explains it all.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

10 foreclosures for every home saved. Are loan modification programs working? Statisctis show- not really.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Obama administration's mortgage-modification program is not keeping pace with the deluge of foreclosures hitting the market, a government watchdog found.

Only 168,708 homeowners have received long-term mortgage modifications under the president's plan, as of February, a small fraction of the 6 million borrowers who are more than 60 days behind on their loans, according to the Congressional Oversight Panel's latest report, released Wednesday.

Read more here
 
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