Michigan Real Estate News

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16% Jump in Foreclosures for February 2021

Despite foreclosure and Covid-19 relief measures for homeowners, foreclosures are actually on the rise. A report from ATTOM Data Solutions shows a 16% jump in foreclosures from January to February and notes an upward trend in 29 states. The government’s moratorium bans foreclosures on federally backed loans for homeowners and protects borrowers in the forbearance program. Loans on commercial and investment properties, and properties that are vacant and abandoned don’t garner the same protections, accounting for the slight increase. The yearly data still shows a significant decrease in foreclosures over the same period in 2020.

Housing Counselors Prepare for Surge

Calls from homeowners concerned about foreclosure have fallen while interest from homebuyers has surged. The trend points to an uneven economic recovery and the hidden impact of lost jobs and lower income. When federal foreclosure and eviction protection ends, housing counselors aren’t sure what to expect, as they are currently just guessing at the financial state of homeowners who may also be grappling with delinquent utilities, insurance, and car bills.

Lawyer – No Light at the End of the Pandemic Tunnel for Property Owners

The future of real estate continues to be in a flux. At a federal level, GSEs have continued to extend foreclosure and eviction moratoriums through June 30, 2021. The Center for Disease Control issued its own eviction moratorium in September 2020, and the Biden administration has extended it through March 31, 2021. In Michigan, the pandemic’s eviction moratoriums have expired, although the Michigan Supreme Court has recognized the CDC Order. No formal foreclosure moratoriums were ever instituted in Michigan, but social distancing requirements have halted the proceedings that are held in courthouses which have been closed to the public during the pandemic.