TALF – Term Asset Back Loan Facility

Image via WikipediaHenry “Hank” Paulson announced today they are using Tarp money to target consumer loans (credit cards, car loans, Home Loans) immediately.

The Name of the entity “TALF” – Term Asset Back Loan Facility. Six Hundred Billion will be allocated to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae. The auto, student, and small business loan markets will receive $200 Billion to help thaw the markets. This announcement and injection gave the FNMA 30-YR 6% a HUGE boost this morning pushing it up over 115pb.

Mortgage Securities appreciated the injection and in return we saw rates drop across the board. This could be the first leg in the credit thaw. The TALF announcement overshadowed the negative GDP decline of -.5%, which is result of constriction in consumer spending (the largest in 28 years). The drop in rates is a positive, this should be first step in credit availability and hopefully will eventually lead to easing guidelines which will make it easier for homeowners to purchase and refinance. The credit may be in the market, guidelines are still tight.

Phoenix Real Estate Foreclosure Stats

Current Real Estate Stats for Phoenix Metro Area.

Great REO Foreclosure Site
www.REOPHXBlog.com

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Loan Limits Jumbo vs. Conforming

For the 4th consecutive year, the government has set the conforming mortgage loan size limit at $417,000.
A conforming mortgage is one that, quite literally, conforms to the mortgage guidelines set forth by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

The 2009 conforming loan limits, as released by the government, are:

1-unit properties : $417,000
2-unit properties : $533,850
3-unit properties : $645,300
4-unit properties : $801,950

Loans in excess of conforming loan limits are more commonly called “jumbo”, or “super jumbo” home loans, depending on their size.

Out-sized mortgages like these are often more costly than their conforming-mortgage counterparts because jumbo loans are not guaranteed by the U.S. government like Fannie Mae loans are.

There are loan limit exceptions, however.

Left over from the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, specific, “high-cost” areas around the country have their own conforming loan limits, not to exceed $625,500. There are 59 designated high-cost regions in the U.S., most of which are in California.

Loan limits are re-assigned each year, based on “typical” housing costs around the country. Since 1980, as home prices have increased, so have conforming loan limits. As home prices have fallen in recent years nationwide, however, the conforming loan limit has not.

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