Jumbo Loan Defaults in the Luxury Market

by Roberta Murphy

Luxury Home Defaults

Luxury Defaults
Ed McMahon’s Home

Ed McMahon may have wondered what else in new in defaulted real estate with the pending default of his Beverly Hills home.  But yesterday, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service reported that even prime jumbo loans are starting to buckle.

Over a period of just one month–from June to July, 2008–jumbo loans originated in 2006 saw mortgage delinquencies rise 13.2 percent, while 2007 delinquencies rose 7.3 percent. Overall, mortgage delinquencies in the luxury real estate market are relatively low, with prime jumbos originating in 2006 reporting a serious delinquency rate of just 2.48 percent. But luxury home defaults are on the rise.

(For a more detailed report, go to: Prime Jumbos Showing Strain: S&P : Housing Wire)

It also appears that originations in the luxury market may be tightening. Thursday evening, Billy Taylor with Villa Sotheby’s International Realty in Del Mar, whispered that Chase Mortgage is pulling out of jumbo loan originations (at least at the broker level).

My prediction? There will be much more discussion about creative and seller financing in the months ahead. If financing is required for the purchase of a luxury home, it may be the seller who provides it.

Finally, stay tuned for Bob Dyson’s radical mortgage rescue program that could stabilize the real estate market very quickly–and that is quickly gaining prominent political support….

This article has 3 Comments

  1. This will be interested to follow. Personally, I have wondered how long the jumbo market could avoid the backlash of American’s over drawn credit limits.

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