Loss Mitigation

The mortgage default risk index from University Financial Associates (UFA) registered a reading of 141 for the first quarter of 2011. The index's baseline of 100 correlates to the default risk of the 1990s. Translation -- investors and lenders should expect defaults on loans originated in Q1 to be 41 percent higher than that of loans originated in the 1990s. UFA says the most important story behind the numbers is that the default risk index has found a plateau, and if inflation rates continue to rise, default risks will improve more rapidly.

In a partnership with the city of Detroit, Bank of America will open two customer assistance centers in the area to provide homeowners at risk of default or foreclosure with counseling and on-site decision making for mortgage modification programs or other payment assistance. The bank also plans to donate and refurbish 10 vacant homes for the city's ""Project 14"" program, and will work with the city to identify up to 100 low-value and vacant properties for demolition.

Fannie Mae and Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (NHSSF) celebrated the one-year anniversary of Fannie Mae's South Florida Mortgage Help Center on Thursday. Since opening its doors in March 2010, the South Florida Mortgage Help Center has worked with more than 1,000 struggling families with loans owned by Fannie Mae. Of these, more than 64 percent received a retention solution that allowed them to remain in their homes.

A push for servicers to implement principal write-downs and provide screening for as many modification options as possible before proceeding to foreclosure has been met with stiff resistance from servicers and some lawmakers. Meanwhile, the number of loan modifications pales in comparison to the number of foreclosures. But new data suggests that modifications and even write-downs in certain cases might actually be more beneficial to investors as well as struggling borrowers.

Ohioans undergoing foreclosure mediation who can't afford to hire an attorney now have another option. Capital University Law School recently developed a program to connect law students with people going through foreclosure. Upperclass law students volunteer their time for the pro bono program to help homeowners understand the mediation process.

Opposition to the proposed servicer settlement developed a stronger stance this week as four attorneys general released a letter to Iowa's Tom Miller, who is leading the states' investigation. Attorneys general from Virginia, Texas, Florida, and South Carolina said while they support actions to correct problems unearthed by the robo-signing scandal, the proposal includes mandates and suggestions that are out of the scope of their enforcement role. They expressed particular uneasiness over the provisions surrounding principal write-downs.

CoreLogic introduced its newest technology solution, IntelliMods, to the market Thursday. The company says the new Web-based application will allow users to put more distressed homeowners into modified loans by automating decisions and fulfillment for both government and private investor programs. The system automatically runs the necessary calculations to determine borrowers' loan modification eligibility and provides an audit trail of all decisions.

Wells Fargo & Company will host a workshop in Phoenix for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Wells Fargo Financial, Wachovia Mortgage, and Wells Fargo Home Equity customers facing financial hardships. The two-day workshop is March 30 and 31 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Phoenix Convention Center. Nearly 200 home retention team members will be on hand to ensure borrowers receive a decision on a loan modification or other option on site or shortly following the workshop.

Fitch Ratings has reviewed all U.S. subprime mortgage securitizations rated by the agency and found little change in expected losses for the bond investors as default risk improved slightly. However, the agency says loss severities have increased due to longer foreclosure timelines and still-declining home prices. Fitch says the average time to liquidate a distressed loan has increased by roughly six months from a year ago and now exceeds 20 months. Timelines are expected to increase further in 2011 as foreclosures continue to face procedural challenges.

Short Sale Association of America (SSAA) has officially launched its short sale platform to real estate agents and brokers. With over 12 million U.S. homeowners upside-down on their mortgage, Jonathan Bowman, founder of SSAA, notes that the industry certainly has its worked cut out, but he says the resources provided his organization will empower agents at all levels of expertise to reach and effectively assist as many distressed homeowners as possible.