Foreclosure activity in Massachusetts rose sharply in March
18.05.12
Foreclosure petitions, the first step in a property seizure, jumped nearly 55 percent in Massachusetts last month when compared to the same month a year ago, the Warren Group reported Thursday.
Lenders filed 1,621 petitions to foreclose in March 2012, compared with 1,048 in March 2011, said the Warren Group, a Boston-based firm that tracks real estate activity.
Foreclosure deeds, which represent finished foreclosures, also rose sharply. Foreclosure deeds increased 36.5 percent to 856 in March, compared with 627 in March 2011, the Warren Group said.
In early 2011, there was a lull in foreclosure activity prompted by nationwide scrutiny into lendersâ home-seizure practices. But in more recent months, many major lenders have accelerated their efforts to rid their books of long-delinquent mortgage loans.
âBanks are stepping up foreclosures all over the country, and Massachusetts is no exception,â Warren Group chief executive Timothy M. Warren Jr. said in a statement. âSince the suit by state attorneys general over foreclosure abuses has been settled, a cloud has lifted, and we may see numbers continue to rise. We should note that foreclosure activity this year is well below the peak levels that we saw from 2007-2010. For example, Marchâs elevated number of petitions to foreclose is still 37 percent below the number we saw in March 2010.
Source: Boston.com
Economic Snapshot for April 2012
18.05.12
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There’s some good news this month as families’ economic security is slowly improving: The labor market is adding jobs and household wealth is gradually rising. But substantial challenges remain including comparatively high unemployment rates, especially among vulnerable population groups; high poverty rates; a depressed housing market; large household debt burdens; and rising gasoline prices.
Unfortunately no single policy can quickly bring solid gains to families’ economic security. It will take comprehensive and targeted policy to secure America’s struggling middle class.
Sustained and faster job creation should be policymakers’ top concern, especially for vulnerable groups such as African Americans, young labor-force participants, and people without a high school degree. Other priorities require income support through things like extended unemployment insurance benefits, higher minimum wages, and more opportunities for employees to join a union.
Source: Center For American Progress