Charles Feldman

Archive of Charles Feldman's Articles

Charles is currently reporting for KNX Radio in Los Angeles, is the co-author of the book No Time To Think, and can be found commenting about the news on his blog, The Feldman Blog, as well as on The Huffington Post.

Charles has written 179 article(s) for the BiggerPockets Blog.

Commentary

Home Prices Continue To Decline; Pity Poor Cleveland

by Charles Feldman | December 1, 2010

So much for a recovery in the real estate market. The way things are going, we’ll be out of Afghanistan and Iraq way before the value of your home is likely to go up again to any significant degree. The latest Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index of home prices in twenty metro areas shows home prices [...]

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Commentary

Will The GOP Wave Wash Away The Real Estate Mess?

by Charles Feldman | November 4, 2010

It is supposed to be–United we stand, divided we fall. But when it comes to our now divided federal government, only time will tell whether that axiom is true or false. And what of the real estate mess in the land? Will the Republican takeover of the House translate into higher home prices and the [...]

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Commentary

“You Think!”–A Mantra For The Age Of Foreclosure

by Charles Feldman | October 26, 2010

“You think!” This is a phrase that will come up often in this post. And, the cool part is–it’s actually a cue for YOU to take part in this blog. That’s right. YOU get to participate. First, how about a trial run. On the count of three. One! Two! Three! “You think!” Not bad. Though, [...]

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Real Estate

The Foreclosure Circus: Send In The Clowns

by Charles Feldman | October 18, 2010

—And, where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns. Don’t bother, they’re here.—Stephen Sondheim Indeed, the clowns are here! Or, to be exact, in Washington. With each passing day, we learn just what a sham the entire foreclosure process has been in this country. Banks and other lenders admitting they had low level employees [...]

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Commentary

Mortgage Rates Return To 1951: If Only We Could!

by Charles Feldman | October 14, 2010

In 1951, television was in black and white, computers were the size of a 747, and the rate for a 30 year fixed-rate mortgage was just about 4.19% This week, a new flat panel, 3D television that does not need special glasses was revealed, computers are married to telephones which fit in your shirt pocket, [...]

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Economy

Europe’s Bad News Apparently Good News For U.S. Mortgage Rates!

by Charles Feldman | May 24, 2010

Surprise, surprise. Now that Europe seems to be falling apart, economically at least, it appears as if its misfortune may be our fortune–at least when it comes to our real estate market. Mortgage rates have been falling, and some think it is due to the financial instability overseas. In case you haven’t noticed, rates are [...]

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Commentary

Wall Street “Plunge” Latest AfterShock Of Great Recession Earthquake

by Charles Feldman | May 6, 2010

The massive financial earthquake brought about by the subprime mortgage debacle is still producing large aftershocks around the globe and today was one of the biggest. For sure, at first glance, it would appear as if the trigger for today’s dramatic–though temporary–drop of the Dow for a brief period of 998.5 points (its biggest ever [...]

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Commentary

Stories About Whether Housing Tax Incentives Will Be Extended Come To An End!

by Charles Feldman | April 30, 2010

I, for one, am glad it is finally over–not the federal tax incentives for buying a new home, but all those stories on blogs and in newspapers (you do remember those?) debating about whether once April 30th comes, the government would or would not extend the tax breaks yet one more time? In the past [...]

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Real Estate News

Special Commission Looking Into Financial Meltdown Hits Moody’s With Subpoena For Not Cooperating

by Charles Feldman | April 21, 2010

It’s a sort of chicken and egg type question: which was worse, the financial institutions that sold toxic, mortgage-backed investments to the the public, or the rating agencies that claimed the investments were just fine? The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) is a bi-partisan panel created by Congress. Its purpose is to try and learn [...]

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Commentary

Watchdog Panel Finds Fed Anti-Foreclosure Program A Big Flop

by Charles Feldman | April 14, 2010

It just ain’t working. The government’s foreclosure prevention program that is. A congressional panel, reports the Washington Post, has concluded that the so-called Making Home Affordable program has, thus far, only “helped” distressed homeowners head off, at least for the time being, about one million foreclosures, by the time all the numbers eventually get added [...]

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Commentary

We’re Sooooo Sorry Says Two Ex Citigroup Execs; So What?

by Charles Feldman | April 9, 2010

They say they are sorry, but so what? Doesn’t really change anything, does it? I’m talking about two former Citigroup executives who managed to sink the bank as surely as the sleeping captain of the Titanic failed to avert disaster by plowing into a large chunk of ice that couldn’t fit into the cocktail glasses [...]

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Housing

The U.S. Real Estate Market Can Learn From Canada

by Charles Feldman | March 31, 2010

Could we learn from the Canadians? When it comes to fixing our ailing real estate/housing market, the answer might be yes. The Vancouver Sun reports that “mortgage insurance has revolutionized the Canadian housing market.” The policies, which protect lenders in the event of default, were introduced to the Canadian market more than three decades ago. [...]

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Housing

Housing Market Set For Double Dip?

by Charles Feldman | March 24, 2010

The opening graph from the Associated Press story is pretty damn scary–and, what’s worse, possibly true. “The recovery in the housing market is at risk of collapsing.” Well, that pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? Though I would argue that we haven’t really had much in the way of a recover to begin with! [...]

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Mortgages & Lending

Federal Mortgage Intervention Ending By End Of Month!

by Charles Feldman | March 17, 2010

All good things must come to an end; especially when that good thing may or may not have been that good to begin with. I’m talking, of course, about the Federal Reserve’s affirmation this week that it plans to go ahead and stop buying mortgage-backed securities by the end of this month. These purchases are [...]

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Real Estate News

Higher Foreclosure Sales Expected By 2012

by Charles Feldman | March 10, 2010

It’s always good to have something to look forward to. Well, try this one on for size: J.P. Morgan Chase is reportedly projecting ahead into the not too distant future and has concluded that bank-owned sales “as a share of total home sales will remain at current or even higher levels three years from now…” [...]

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