HARP Savings to Date Near $30 Billion Mark

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury has released the June edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard—a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market. The latest data show progress among key indicators, including growing equity and a rebound in the sale of new and existing homes. While this scorecard notes positive overall trends in the housing market, officials caution that more work needs to be done as the economy recovers from the Great Recession. The full Housing Scorecard is available online here. “The June Housing Scorecard shows the housing market continues to make progress as we move into the summer months,” said HUD Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research Katherine O’Regan. “Sales of new and existing homes are up, equity continues to grow, and foreclosures starts continue trending down. While these are all signs of a healthy recovery, given the severity of the housing crisis, we must stay committed to helping homeowners.” “Although the housing market continues to improve, Treasury remains committed to helping homeowners who are still struggling to make their mortgage payments,” said Treasury Acting Assistant Secretary Tim Bowler. “To date, more than 1.3 million homeowners have received a permanent modification through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), saving an estimated $28.2 billion in mortgage payments.” The June Housing Scorecard features key data on the health of the housing market and the impact of the Administration’s foreclosure prevention programs, including: ►Purchases of new homes surged by 18.6 percent in May. New home sales rebounded to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 504,000 in May, following sales of 425,000 in April, and were up 16.9 percent from one year ago. Purchases of new homes rose in May by the biggest monthly gain in 22 years (since January 1992) and to the highest level since May 2008, indicating that home sales are rebounding from a severe-weather induced lull during the previous two quarters. ►Sales of previously owned (existing) homes rose again in May after a lackluster performance in the previous two quarters. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that existing homes—including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and cooperatives—sold at a pace of 4.89 million (SAAR) in May, up 4.9 percent from April but remain 5.0 percent below the 5.15 million pace a year-earlier. ►Foreclosure starts continue their downward trend. Lenders started the public foreclosure process on 49,240 U.S. properties in May, down 10 percent from the previous month and down 32 percent from one year ago to the lowest level since December 2005—a 101-month low (although foreclosure starts were up from a year ago in 12 states). ►Foreclosure completions also fell in May. Lenders completed the foreclosure process (bank repossessions or REOs) on 28,373 U.S. properties in May, down six percent from the previous month and down 27 percent from one year ago to the lowest level since July 2007—an 82-month low (although bank repossessions were up from a year ago in 14 states). The Administration's foreclosure mitigation programs continue to provide relief for millions of homeowners as the recovery from the housing crisis continues. In all, more than 8.5 million mortgage modification and other forms of mortgage assistance arrangements were completed between April 2009 and the end of May 2014. Nearly 2.1 million homeowner assistance actions have taken place through the Making Home Affordable Program, including nearly 1.4 million permanent modifications through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), while the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has offered more than 2.3 million loss mitigation and early delinquency interventions through May. The Administration’s programs continue to encourage improved standards and processes in the industry, with HOPE Now lenders offering families and individuals more than 4.1 million proprietary loan modifications through April.