Government

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights continues to move steadily forward with the announcement that a number of its components have passed out of legislative committees.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell a sharp 14,000 to 374,000 for the week ended June 30, the Labor Department the largest drop in nine weeks, reported Thursday. The prior week's total was revised up to 388,000 from the originally reported 386,000.

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights is one step closer to becoming law as the Legislature sends some of its key provisions to the governor, state attorney general Kamala Harris announced Monday. AB 278 and SB 900 provide protection for borrowers and struggling homeowners, including a restriction of dual-track foreclosures (in which a lender forecloses on a borrower despite being in discussions to try and save the home). The bills passed 53-25 in the Assembly and 25-13 in the Senate. They will be sent to the desk of governor Jerry Brown for consideration.

Only one day after chairman Marcus Agius announced his resignation, Barclays announced that director and CEO Bob Diamond and COO Jerry del Missier are both stepping down. The resignations were announced Tuesday morning and are effective immediately. The wave of resignations is brought on by a scandal last week, when it was revealed that Barclays had manipulated the London Interbank Offering Rate (Libor). Agius will lead the search for a new CEO and will be supported by deputy chairman Michael Rake.

The winning bidders for the REO-to-rental pilot initiative have been selected and the deals are expected to close in the early third quarter, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced Tuesday. The pilot program was first launched in February in select markets where inventory is high and rentals are in demand. Investors interested in bidding for properties were asked to submit an application to qualify and were evaluated based on factors including financial ability, asset management experience, property management expertise, and familiarity with select locations. There were about 2,500 single-family Fannie Mae owned REOs up for sale through the program.

The American Securitization Forum (ASF) released on Monday a white paper regarding FHFA's proposed single securitization platform, revealing that while originators and investors disagree on how to implement it, they concur that a single agency would be beneficial. The consensus among ASF members was that in order for the GSEs' securities to be exchangeable, standardization would have to occur in four key areas: Loan delivery and pooling requirements; remittance requirements; underwriting guidelines and refinance programs; and servicing standards and loan repurchase policies.

Barclays released a statement Monday morning announcing that chairman Marcus Agius is stepping down in the wake of a scandal that rocked the bank. This follows news from last week that Barclays had manipulated interbank lending rates starting as early as 2007. Barclays was fined £290 million (approximately $450 million) by British and U.S. authorities for manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate. The Barclays board will commence the search for a successor immediately. Agius will remain in post until a successor is found.

In San Bernardino County, an idea is being explored that would apply the concept of eminent domain to solve the problem of underwater homes in the area. Through eminent domain, the government can take private property from an owner if it can be argued that a greater public interest would be served by doing so. The use of eminent domain proposed in San Bernardino County involves the forced purchase of homes from underwater borrowers at ""fair"" market value.

With high foreclosure rates still presenting a major hurdle to housing and economic recovery, GAO conducted a study to evaluate and find opportunities to enhance foreclosure mitigation efforts. The report asserts that government agencies participating in foreclosure mitigation programs need improve their existing strategies to help borrowers. The report specifically addressed loans modified by the Treasury (through HAMP), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), FHA, and the GSEs.

After conducting a survey with current and former clients, YouWalkAway.com reported that lenders are taking longer before beginning the foreclosure process. The agency surveyed underwater homeowners it has or is working and found that from January 2012 to June 20, 2012, respondents who received a foreclosure start notice were 11 months behind on their payment. Last year, it took an average of 9 months of nonpayment before the foreclosure process started.