REO

RealtyTrac has released a new report detailing foreclosure sales activity during the first quarter. Altogether, third parties purchased a total of 158,434 bank-owned and short sale homes during the first three months of this year. That's down 36 percent from a year earlier. At this pace, it would take three years to clear the current inventory of properties already on the banks' books or in foreclosure. REOs sold at an average discount of 35 percent in Q1, while short sale properties carried a mark-down of nearly 9 percent.

In an effort to align and communicate with the vendor community, the REO property preservation firm Field Asset Services has formed a Vendor Advisory Council. This panel brings together field service providers from across the country and will provide the company with guidance regarding responsiveness, predictability, quality, turn times, bid response rates, and technology adoption.

The U.S. housing market could experience a severe double-dip contraction marked by lower home sales and depressed house prices if Congress fails to raise the federal debt ceiling, according to the Center for American Progress, a nonprofit research group. The Center says inaction to raise the debt limit would spark a return of the economic pain of the past few years as foreclosures would remain at record highs for an even longer stretch. Not raising the limit by early August threatens to put the U.S. itself on the verge of default.

Residential Credit Solutions announced Tuesday that it has issued a newly created asset-backed securitization comprised of residential loans and real estate. The secondary market offering carries a value of more than $110 million. Forty-four percent of the structure is collateralized with delinquent mortgages and REO properties and 46 percent is current mortgage loans.

Prommis Solutions, a provider of outsourced services for the mortgage default resolution process, has promoted five executives. Kevin Phelan, Brandy Green, Matthew Thigpen, Michelle Ansley and Steven Collier have all been promoted to new executive positions, giving them new responsibilities in support of the company's growth plans for the remainder of 2011 and into 2012.

California's distressed home sales dropped in April for the second consecutive month, according to the state's local Realtors group. The California Association of Realtors reports that the total share of all distressed property types sold statewide - including REOs and short sales - declined to 48 percent, down from 51 percent in March. The group says bargain hunters and investors were joined last month by homebuyers who are timing their decisions to coincide with the start of the spring season and targeting more non-distressed properties.

First-time homebuyers - a segment that typically targets distressed homes - currently make up just one-third of the market, according to the research firm Campbell Surveys. While this is what would be considered their ""normal"" market share, the company says this is not enough demand to absorb the excess supply coming from defaulting homeowners and will likely make for a poor spring and summer buying season. Survey respondents in April reported that potential first-time buyers are having trouble finding foreclosed homes in move-in ready condition.

Fannie Mae's latest market outlook continues to call for a ""modest improvement"" in housing activity this year, although the prevalence of distressed properties on the market has led to renewed weakness in home prices and the industry's shadow inventory looms large. The GSE's chief economist notes that as the economic recovery approaches its two-year anniversary in June, housing has not yet contributed to economic growth in any meaningful way and is significantly underperforming compared to previous market recoveries.

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that the share of distressed home sales dropped last month, accounting for 37 percent of total existing-home sales volume, down from 40 percent in March. Overall, sales of previously owned homes fell back 0.8 percent in April, to an annual sales pace of 5.05 million. Realtors in the field say the numbers are being impacted by low appraisals that result in contract cancellations. There were 3.87 million existing homes available for sale in April, which represents a 9.2-month supply.

A new study conducted by Trulia and RealtyTrac found that 56 percent of U.S. renters and 47 percent of current homeowners are at least ""somewhat likely"" to purchase a foreclosed home. Along with having some concerns about hidden costs and still-declining home values, many potential buyers expect to save money if they buy a foreclosure. On average, survey respondents said they would expect to pay 38 percent less for a foreclosed home than a similar home that was not in foreclosure - not too far above today's average discount of 36 percent.