Living After Foreclosure

JLP of All Financial Matters had a six-question interview on the housing crisis with reality TV host, speaker, and author Larry Winget. Mr. Winget hosts the A&E show Big Spender and has written several books on personal finance, the latest of which is You’re Broke Because You Want to Be.

Mr. Winget maintains that the blame for the massive foreclosure flood rests on the borrowers:

I think the primary cause of the crisis is that people were irresponsible and bought more house than they could afford. Money was easy to get and they took it and didn’t give much thought to the FACTS. And the facts were that their mortgage was going to go up at some point. “But no one told me that!” Bull. It was in the paperwork. If you didn’t read it or understand it, that is your own fault.

Here he’s referring to adjustable-rate mortgages. Harsh words, but that’s his style, and I think he’s largely right. (This isn’t the story you’ll hear from prominent political leaders, because it’s just about guaranteed to turn off voters. It’s much more palatable to believe that it’s someone else’s fault.) Buying a house is definitely something where the timing can be controlled. The prospective buyer can sign the contract or not. The buyer can look for affordable houses with a low, fixed-rate payment or an unaffordable house with payments that are low now, but which rise far beyond their ability to pay later.

Check out the rest of the interview over at All Financial Matters.

• Steps to take if you’re facing foreclosure, Part 3 Here's the last installment of Liz Pulliam Weston's tips for dealing with the possibility of foreclosure: Offer a deed in lieu of foreclosure. This is an option if the shortfall between your house's value and what's owed on it isn't too much.  The lender can say, "Yeah, I'll take the......
• Will your lender work with you? This article from the Chicago Tribune made a point about lenders that's an unfortunate reality: The more equity you have in your home, the less eager your lender may be to work with you. It's an ironic fallout of the foreclosure crisis that those who have been the most diligent......
• "And on your right we have this beautiful three-bedroom..." Banks are hurting as foreclosures turn into non-performing and expensive real estate owned. Homeowners are hurting because they're losing equity, or losing their homes and their credit rating. Neighbors are hurting because their property values are getting dinged, even though they're paying their mortgage on time. Cities are hurting because......
• Steps to take if you’re facing foreclosure, Part 2 Liz Pulliam Weston wrote recently on steps to take if you’re facing foreclosure.  There are smart ways to go about it, and not-so-smart ways.  Here are three more of her suggestions with some of my comments: Be realistic.  A house is just a house.  It may have a lot of......

• You’re Broke Because You Want to Be by Larry Winget Larry Winget is a best selling author that is known for his no nonsense style and sometimes brutal prose. His latest book is quite a read and true to form, the man talks tough. However, if you need a wake up call to stop overspending, this is definitely a great......
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• You’re Broke Because You Want to Be by Larry Winget Larry Winget is a best selling author that is known for his no nonsense style and sometimes brutal prose. His latest book is quite a read and true to form, the man talks tough. However, if you need a wake up call to stop overspending, this is definitely a great......
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