11 million Americans are underwater in their mortgages.  That's roughly 1 in 4 homeowners.  How about another government bailout to help?

The Obama administration is pulling a lever or two so this nasty problem should be fixed just in time for the election, right?  Didn't they try something like this before or did that just not work last time?

There are several reasons why we believe it won't work this time either.  The Republicans will be blocking it.  Then there's that persnickety problem of exactly where will the money be coming from.

Here's the main article from Bloomberg, plus several more interesting takes we've found across the net.

Obama Wants To Expand Government Reach Of Federal Assistance …

Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said the refinancing plan proposes “to get out of the hole we're in by digging deeper.” “He wants lenders to make more of the same risky loans …

Publish Date: 02/01/2012 17:52

http://newsone.com/nation/associatedpress6/obama-government-housing-assistance/

Geithner: More Fannie reform details in spring | Hot Penny Stocks

By Ronald D. Orol , MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner on Thursday discussed some of his goals for financial reform in 2012, including a plan to provide more details in the spring about the … He said the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie and Freddie's regulator, is “still open to examining the economic case” for reducing the principal owed by borrowers who have mortgages owned by the two mortgage giants.

Publish Date: 02/02/2012 16:33

http://www.hotpennystocks.co/wall_street/top_stories/geithner-more-fannie-reform-details-in-spring/

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Forbes has a slide show featuring properties across the nation which are selling for around $1 million.  Some of the cities are Phoenix, Nashville, San Francisco, New Orleans, and New York, or course.

I think what is interesting is how many days the properties have been on the market which is a good market gauge.

It is not surprising that your million dollars doesn't buy you much in San Francisco for example.  When you compare that property to the one from Dallas,  it's almost a no brainer.

Here's  the list of $1 million properties

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Case in Point:  I have an old house with several tenants.  One tenant  has been very quick to ask for things he really doesn't need.  In fact, at times he has demanded we fix things we don't have the budget for.  How to handle a tenant like this without him moving?

Here's what we did and so far the psychology  is working. 

He has a little garden that has costs much higher water bills.  Unfortunately, all the tenants share the same water meter.  We can't change that, and that is a different subject for a different post.

We explained the water bill to him and told him we had checked the entire property for any leaks.  We think the extra $150 jump in the bill was coming from his garden.

"What?  I don't water that much."

To summarize we had all our facts and figures to present to him.  We know exactly what the averages are for the water per unit per month.  Math is math and really isn't easy to dispute, no matter how hard people sometimes try.

He tried to blame it on some of the other tenants, but we were ready for that argument also.  In other words, we had done our homework.  We know what they use too.  We were ready to go to "court". 

In the end, he saw it our way, but it took some patient convincing.    He had tried to "ask" for a new kitchen floor.  We explained to him he was not in a position to negotiate anything.  Times are hard, we told him.   Besides, we reminded him, he is paying $50 less rent per month than he should be paying. 

"We may need to do up on the rents," we said.

He is getting rid of the garden.  Case closed. 

Take Away:

1. Do your homework.  Make sure you have all your facts and figures before you approach a tenant about anything.  You will be a force to reckon with when you are armed with knowledge.  Knowledge really is power, and even your dumbest tenants will know that.

2. Be nice.  You don't have to get rough with them.   Keep the dialogue open but let them know you won't be bullied.  Adult bullying is no different from kid bullying.  Don't let them take the first punch.

3. Be confident.  Let your tenants know you are running a business.  

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Those are the questions being asked since the Federal Reserve came out proclaiming it would continue to keep the bank's rates to zero, for a while anyway.

Kansas City Reserve Bank President Thomas Hoenig is dissenting with the policy.

Read Hoenig Says Rates Dangerous

XE.com – MONEY MARKETS-Interbank dollar rates fall on Fed economy view

on U.S. interest rates. Minutes of the June 22-23 Fed meeting released on Wednesday. showed officials wanted to be ready to consider additional. steps to boost the U.S. economy if an already softening outlook …

Publish Date: 07/15/2010 12:49

http://www.xe.com/news/2010-07-15%2013:49:00.0/1276889.htm

Pimco's Gross: Fed won't raise rates for at least two years …

Pacific Investment Management Co.'s Bill Gross said the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates for two to three years as it seeks to keep the economy from slipping back into recession.

Publish Date: 08/13/2010 6:59

http://www.thetradingreport.com/2010/08/13/pimcos-gross-fed-wont-raise-rates-for-at-least-two-years/

Fed official sees bigger risks in future, not now | The Daily …

One of the many challenges of being a Fed official is having to make decisions on interest rates and other policies actions now — based on your best thinking of what the future will hold. When James Bullard, president of the Federal …

Publish Date: 08/13/2010 11:25

http://dailycaller.com/2010/08/13/fed-official-calls-low-rates-a-dangerous-gamble/

Who will fix the economy? The Fed, Congress, shoppers and …

Typically, the Fed can lower interest rates to encourage Americans to borrow money and spend it, invigorating the economy. But the benchmark interest rate controlled by the Fed has been almost zero for more than a year now. …

Publish Date: 08/13/2010 16:15

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nation/who-will-fix-the-economy-the-fed-congress-shoppers-and-businesses-all-shrug-100638024.html

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Thanks to the Trouble Assets Relief Program some states will be receiving mortgage payment relief.

This is almost unbelievable.  Where will all this money come from?  

The government feels the mortgage crisis has now reached the middle class or those folks who used to be able to pay their bills.

Here's another suggestion.  Holding on to a job might be the best way to pay off a mortgage.  People are losing their jobs so therefore they lose their homes.  What people need most now are jobs.

Here's more information

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Housing sales took a nose dive in July, according to the numbers crunch.  I'm using Nashville as an example because that's the real estate market I am directly involved in and I know it all too well.

The last year has been very difficult for us as landlords.  We've had a huge turnover in tenants; much larger than usual.  We're still getting 30 day notices, which is very strange for this time of year.  Usually, the season starts to wind down along the middle of August.

The article from the Tennessean sums it up.  The Obama tax credit for first time homebuyers is gone.  The article further points out  those  new homebuyers have already bought.  That means houses were sold earlier this year and sales are not being spread out over the remaining months of 2010.

I won't criticize the Obama tax credit.  I've already done that ad nausium.  But I will say this.  You can't keep on interfering with the markets.  I don't think you can tweak and play with the real estate market, or any market for that matter without causing further damage. 

The important thing is to look to the future.  What can we expect?  More of the same, perhaps?

I am guessing there won't be any more stimulus for first time buyers.   It will go the way of the clunkers for cash program, thank goodness.   What I do see as a possibility is that the Team Obama will now turn to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae distressed homeowners and will give them some sort of bailout.  I didn't think that was conceivable a few weeks ago.  I now know anything can happen with this White House.

That will be cataclysmic.  Homeowners who are paying off their mortgages will think it isn't fair and why should they keep on struggling?  One suggestion is to bring hope and change to Freddie and Fannie in the form of a complete makeover.

Still, I'm generally optimistic.  I think once we're past the New Year, things will improve.  Real estate will make a comeback.  It always has.  That is what keeps me going.  I know the cycle will turn.  But I think the government ought to leave these markets alone now and let the chips fall where they will. 

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Dean Gardens, Atlanta's pink elephant mansion has finally sold after being on the market for a whooping fifteen years.

The Pepto Bismal Pink colored manse sold finally with a $25 million price slash.  The house will be demolished soon.

It's 32,000 square feet of, well, unique decorating. The nursery  actually looks somewhat sinister to me.  Kind of reminds me of an old department store here in Nashville where they had carousel horses floating all over the place.

Reasons for selling?

"The operating expenses far exceeded my expectations," says home seller Larry Dean.

Yep, some real estate investments are like that.

Read more about Atlanta's Pink Elephant 

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What does this mean?

We believe it's political.  He's trying to aid distressed homeowners who got on the wrong side of the real estate cycle.  But hey, people do that all the time.   They over invest or they invest in the wrong real estate at the wrong time.  Does that mean our tax dollars should be used to bail them out?

Most importantly, exactly where will this money be coming from?  They're having to look underneath the couch cushions now for coins.

Read Obama's  Freddie/ Fannie Bailout

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The trend is that people will be moving closer to cities-again.  They will not be locating farther away in the suburbs because of higher gas prices and expenses.  Baby boomers want to be closer to what they need.  They do not want to drive everywhere.  Younger people want the neighborhood experience instead of the big lawn, super maintenance of the burbs.

That means savy real estate investors need to pay close attention to these trends.  This is very important because location is everything.  The younger generations want to connect more- and they want to do a lot of it on foot.  They want to be able to walk around and see their neighbors. 

Baby boomers will be driving less and want to be able to get groceries and supplies without getting into their cars. 

Drive around the outskirts of your city and notice the rehabbing going on in the closer neighborhoods.  If a coffee shop has already opened up, you may be already behind the trend.  Look, observe and then invest in houses that need rehabbing- easy rehabbing.  Or if zoned right, you could just tear down a old house and build a new one or two on the lot.

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Fannie is taking them to the wood shed, so to speak and it is probably about time.

Borrowers who are walking away and could have paid the mortgage will be held accountable for their actions.

Punishment:  They won't be able to get future insured mortgages.

Get tough politics? Common sense, if you're asking.

However, another sticky point arises.  How can the government really determine who could have paid vs who didn't?

It gets curiouser and curiouser as Alice would have said.

Read Fannie Mae get tough on 'strategic mortgage defaults'

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