In recent months with all the foreclosures happening around the world, there is unfortunately some that are trying to capitalize on this. According to MSNBC, one in eleven consumers are facing foreclosure or behind on their mortgage payments. Therefore, consumers are trying to get out of this situation in any way they can. However, there are those scam artist that are trying to take advantage of these consumers trying to get out of their tough situation.
There are two types of scams going on right now with home owners. There are the scams where the consumers are asked to put up some upfront fees to pay for the “assistance”, but then the scam artist disappear with their money. “But the more lucrative scam involves seducing homeowners into complicated transactions that allow con artists to steal equity in the house or walk away from the closing table after netting thousands in phony payouts,” according to MSNBC.
This is a huge problem for home owners that are already in a bad situation. Before allowing anyone to assist in “helping”, all consumers need to really know who it is that they are working with. Asking questions and checking out specifics of these companies/individuals can hopefully prevent some from getting scammed. Unfortunately, peoples hardship is another person’s gain. Our home is one of the largest investments we will ever have, and we can’t allow those criminals to take that away. This can not happen if we are all aware and educated on the different types of scams.

Leadpile Lead Exchange does not currently generate a lot of foreclosure leads, however if there is a company out there that is truly wanting to help consumers from going through this sort of situation, we are certainly able to look at generating more leads. Matching up consumers with legitimate companies to help them is also our goal.

I am not sure how you could have missed what is going on with the economy, however each day there is new news. The latest news involves the government bailing out IAG Insurance Company with a 85 billion dollar loan. Last week the government was bailing out Fannie May and Freddie Mac. We are in a position of having to have our government save these mega giants. These bailouts show what kind of situation we are in now, but what could happen next?
The unfortunate side of this is that none of this has caused any major “positive” changes with our housing crisis. However, the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae bailout has allowed rates to go down and maybe have a few more people go out and get a new mortgage loan. The latest news is the possibility of changes with Washington Mutual. Hurricanes, takeovers, bailouts, high gas prices, loss of jobs, foreclosures… is there something good going out there? There has to be! Let’s find the positive.
No matter what happens with the economy, Leadpile Lead Exchange will be right there trying to connect consumers needing services with advertisers that can provide that service to them.

Companies in all industries are experiencing the pressure of having to come up with new ways to get consumers attention. Online lead generation has been a tool for helping companies find consumers needing a new home, a new car, or various types of loans. However, with the economy the way it is now, companies are working on trying to attract online customers to “new” types of products.
Gone are the days of focusing all your marketing efforts on high profit margin items such as home sales, new car sales and other high price ticket items. According to leadmarketwatch,“The time between major purchases is growing larger due to market pressures as well as improved quality and higher prices. Therefore, marketers need to capture the client in between purchases and it is through micro-needs like chrome wheels, new tires, paint jobs, etc.” This means that companies such as GM are focusing on bringing in leads of consumers wanting new tires and accessories, versus getting the new car. This is also in line with Leadpile Lead Exchange and the need for lead types such as car warranty, car refinance, and home security system leads that are becoming more and more in demand. Service providers could be the ones reaping the rewards of the slower economy… don’t buy a new car or house… fix up the one you already have!

In a continuing effort to research all the options consumers have available to them, I came across a type of loan that I have never seen before. The newest and latest way for consumers to get cash is by taking out a cash advance from their home. Currently, consumers that are age 65 and older have often looked at the option of doing a reverse mortgage. This is basically the consumer taking out a loan on their home, but the loan not being paid back till after they pass away. However, it appears there might be another option available to them.
Something new that lenders are looking at is offering consumers cash advances on their home. According to The New York Times, “Owners 65 to 85 with good credit who live in homes valued above $400,000 (above $500,000 in New York and California) can receive a payment of up to 15 percent of a home’s equity.” Something like this costs the consumer no closing costs unlike a reverse mortgage. There are certain stipulations the consumer has regarding the sale of the home, however the simplicity seems to be there compared to doing a reverse mortgage or other lending options. Yet is this a logical choice for consumers? Not everyone has a home valued above $400,000 either.

The options that homeowners now have are:
1. Refinancing
2. 2nd mortgage or lines of credit
3. Reverse mortgage
4. Home cash advance
5. Loan modification

and what’s next?…………………………….

Consumers are looking for anything and everything they can do to survive. Does this mean a potential new lead type for Leadpile Lead Exchange? Let’s wait and learn some more about this new option available.

Today I was not surprised to read that CNNMONEY.COM reported that due to the housing markdowns, and the effects of the mortgage industry, GMAC Financial will close 200 retail offices and lay off about 5,000 employees.  According to the article, they anticipate the lay off to be about 3,000 employees by the end of this month, and another 2,000 by the end of the year.
Layoffs like this one, is one of the reasons why the unemployment rate is at the highest peak ever. More and more Americans are loosing their jobs and finding themselves more in debt.  The mortgage industry is facing a downturn, however at the same time I know there are still many companies that are doing well. These companies are trying to take advantage of the new “creative” programs to close loans.  Mortgages will always exist, therefore certain companies will make it through this period with a bumpy road and then be around another 20 years!

What do you think in regards to the Market?  How long do you anticipate it being before it gets better?

In the last year many mortgage lenders have been closing their doors. Auto lenders are getting “selective” on who they lend to. Payday lenders are getting put under a microscope because of various features of their loans. There is not one consumer that is not somehow being affected by this credit crunch. Is any of this happening because of the side effects of predatory lending?
In recent years, industry regulators have had an eye on every sort of lender in regards to potential predatory lending. According to Payday Loan Industry Blog, predatory loans are those that were given out to consumers with deceit or misleading information. This could be related to the terms of the loan, the type of loan or anything else related to the loan and what is conveyed to the consumer. In addition, predatory lending could be where a lender is taking full advantage of the consumer. Predatory lending is not necessarily because the interest rates are high or the cost of doing the loan is expensive. Some try to refer to payday lending as predatory lending.
Payday loans are a loan that many need for a temporary loan to get through a unforeseen situation that has occurred. These loans are usually about $500 and secured by a person’s paycheck. Payday loans being a part of the predatory lending arena should not necessarily be the case, because consumers are conveyed the rates and the cost of doing the loan. However, if a lender does not do this or misleads the consumer, then that could be considered predatory lending.
The bottom line is no matter what kind of loan you look at taking out, you need to ask a lot of questions. Understand fully the cost of doing the loan. The more you try to find out, the better chance you have of not becoming a victim of predatory lending-it’s everywhere, not just with one type of loan.
Leadpile Lead Exchange works a lot with payday loan leads, refinance leads, auto finance leads and other types of lending leads. However, predatory lending or misleading consumers is not something that we promote in our marketplace.

In recent months the debt vertical has become a very popular, yet challenging vertical to work with. Understanding reasons consumers have gotten into debt and the specifics that the lead buyers are looking for, has been something we have worked on to fully understand.
According to Bankrate.com there are 10 main reasons why consumers get buried in debt. Understanding more about debt allows consumers to be more educated and ultimately try and avoid these types of situations.

1. Reduced income, but same monthly expenses
2. Divorce
3. Poor money management
4. Underemployment
5. Gambling
6. Medical expenses
7. Not saving money or not saving enough money
8. No money communication skills
9. Spending money you don’t have yet
10. No understanding of money

These are all scenarios any consumer can be faced with, including myself. With the economy being very tough right now, many lead generation companies are focusing on the debt vertical. Fortunately, there are various types of debt help that the consumers can get, but most consumers do not know the difference between one another.
The main details that debt consolidation and debt settlement companies are looking for is the amount of unsecured debt. What is unsecured debt?
Unsecured debt is debt that is not secured by any collateral. For instance, credit card debt, medical bills, cell phone bills and other collection accounts. Most debt companies do not work with secured debt such as mortgages, tax debt, student loans and auto loans.
Leadpile Lead Exchange generates a lot of debt leads. Lead types such as debt consolidation, debt settlement, and credit repair are all types of leads we are generating that are there to assist the consumers with the debt/credit. We are connecting the consumers that need help, with those companies that can help them get out of debt.

I have had multiple calls these last few weeks, and one of the things I observed was that Loan Officers’ main focus is becoming the “credit repair”.  LO’s are looking at different avenues to assist their clients in need. We all know that a large percentage of consumers are having credit problems. Unless you have good or excellent credit, you won’t qualify to refinance your home. After Loan Officers are attempting fixing your credit, they are assisting the client to refinance their homes. 

That’s a smart move for LO’s.  First they charge to fix your credit, then they help you refinance.  Realistically speaking I think its a brilliant idea. It’s not coming fast, but do we have other options? Adapt to the new situations, look for what the consumers need, and you will be able to succeed, even in this market. 

The demand for credit repair in these last few days have gone up.  Finding new ways to make a living and to survive even when the economy is struggling is fabulous. 

Any thoughts on this?

…………..

On a previous post I spoke about Lower My Bills (LMB) and some changes they were going through. However, I think I am seeing some changes going on again. Looking around on the net I saw some of those “dancing” people, yet the advertisement were about AUTO INSURANCE? Yeah, auto insurance! The ad was a LMB advertisement about lowering your auto insurance rates. So, is LMB RE-focusing on other industries besides JUST refinance? If you take a look at their website it talks about all sorts of lead types, however I guess we usually all know them for mortgage, NOT insurance. Maybe something new is in the works?

According to RUMORY.com, some companies could be experiencing some potential changes to adjust with the declining economy. Tough times right now for just about any industry. I will say Leadpile Lead Exchange is fortunately thriving while others are going through some tough times.
Will all the major online lead generation companies survive, and if they do what will their main focus for lead gen be in?

I just finished reading that The House is expected to pass a $300 billion housing rescue bill aimed at aiding homeowners in trouble and help them avoid foreclosure and supporting mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

If the Senate passes the bill and Bush signs it, thousands of borrowers will be able to refinance their unaffordable old mortgages into new, low-cost fixed-rate loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration.  

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 400,000 borrowers with $68 billion in loans may benefit from the program. The bill will only allow as many as 1 through 2 million borrowers to participate in the program.

Some of the qualifications for these loans are as followed:

• Prior loan issued during Jan 2005 – Jun 2007
• Have an up to date mortgage or in default
• Once loan is reissued you will not be able to take home equity from your home for 5 years unless used to pay for up keeps on home.

This will definitely help the mortgage industry.  More loans officers will start focusing on purchasing mortgage leads from lead exchanges as they will now be able to help the consumer. 
 

Looking over some posts myself and others have posted in the last few weeks, I see a common topic of conversation. A large amount of the Leadpile blog consists of some good postings from my peers about what is going on with the economy. The sad part about the troubling economy is it is affecting so many people in the world in a BAD way. However, did you ever think about the people that this struggling economy is benefiting? I mean really… one person’s failure is another person’s gain. So, who is gaining in this credit crunch and declining market?

1. Honda- the auto maker has struggled like all other auto makers with producing newly desired hybrid models. Honda will be rolling out 1 more hybrid variations in addition to it’s 2 models that are currently at Honda dealerships. However, consumers are looking for smaller more economical cars VS trucks and SUVs. Them not being a car maker that had been highly focused on trucks, has allowed them to be the only car maker to increase their sales numbers, and that was only 1%.

2. Public transportation- more and more people are now taking public transportation and now cities are even adding new routes to take care of all the additional people. Cities have wanted this for years- save the environment, cute down on pollution etc. Now they have what they wished for!

3. Credit repair and debt settlement companies- these companies could have seen some slower times with everyone going the refinance route. Loan officers were advising consumers to do a refinance to consolidate their debt, amongst other things, with the new found equity in their homes. The credit repair companies are now seeing consumers coming to them because they have no other options.

4. Payday loan industry-consumers have an ability to take out a payday cash advance loan as a last resort for a really hard time. However, are there now more consumers that normally are not taking out a payday loan, having to consider it to pay that next mortgage payment or other outstanding bill?
How about car warranty providers, gas companies, loan modification companies, bankruptcy attorneys, and home buyers looking for a good deal? All these types of companies should be feeling an increase in business.
There are some more that are benefiting from this downturn in the economy, and we really have to say hats off to them. Some of these companies like Toyota have been in the shadow of other auto makers and now it is their turn to shine!
With regards to lead generation companies and lead exchanges, how are we going to adjust to this change, and satisfy any new demand for different products and services? Why not look at the economy in a positive light, that there are some out there that are not going through any economic hardship? Glass half full VS half empty: YOUR choice.

According to Bloomberg,  Mortgage applications in the U.S. declined last week, led by a slump in refinancing as borrowing costs surged.  Sales will probably remain depressed as lenders restrict credit, and concern over inflation boosts mortgage rates. The highest mortgage rates in a year may have precipitated the slump in demand. The average rate on a 30 year  fixed-rate loan rose to 6.57, the highest level since June 2007, from 6.24 percent. 

So what are Mortgage Companies to do? 

They have one of two choices… Go big in a downturn, get small and ride it out, or close their doors.

What does a Lead Marketplace do for Mortgage Companies right now? Do what they have always done…Let the demand drives the lead…simple and easy.