In response to the approximately 8 million homes that fell into foreclosure during the financial crisis in 2008 through 2010, the Dodd Frank Act was made into law by Congress in 2010. With it Dodd Frank brought numerous rules that were meant to safeguard consumers – and the economy in general – against a variety of “predatory” lenders and unfair lending practices.
The 5-year anniversary of the enacting of this historic financial reform legislation was recently passed. As a result several of the biggest financial news outlets including CNBC marked the occasion by looking at the effects that the Dodd Frank Act has had on financial reform in its first 5 years of existence. CNBC Real Estate Reporter Diana Olick published an article looking at both the good and bad effects that Dodd Frank has had on the United States (and Florida) housing market.
Olick’s (and many other experts in the financial industry’s) conclusion? Dodd Frank has made it significantly tougher to get a mortgage or any other type of loan instrument, particularly if you do not have the financial means or history to prove your credit worthiness. In addition, the cost to lenders has risen significantly, and on several levels, due to the extra time and effort that must be put into the additional paperwork, background checks and other compliance stipulations required by the law.
According to a recent study by the Mortgage Bankers Association cited by Olick, lenders are taking longer to process loan applications, and are able to process only about 20% of the number of applications per month today as compared to 2005. Olick concluded, “The home loans being made today are arguably the most pristine in history. New default rates are at record lows. All that, however, comes at a cost to lenders, borrowers and the overall health of the housing market itself.”
To read Diane Olick’s entire article, please go to: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/16/how-dodd-frank-changed-housing-for-good-and-bad.html
A perfect example of every law meant to fix a situation has both good and unintended consequences. On the bright side, the rampant predatory lending issues from 10 years ago have been curbed to a significant degree, a clear sign that the law is having positive effects, as well.
The Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Defense Attorneys at Korte & Wortman, P.A. have the knowledge and information to help you to utilize the Dodd-Frank Act if you feel that you have been exploited by a predatory lender. If you are in West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Clearwater or anywhere else in the state of Florida and in need of a law firm knowledgeable about the Dodd-Frank Act, then contact us at Korte & Wortman, P.A. Korte & Wortman, P.A. is a law firm specializing in all aspects of real estate law, including the Dodd-Frank Act.
In addition to using this blog as a helpful resource, please contact us directly if you have any questions or current legal issues that might related to predatory lending, foreclosure, bankruptcy or credit issues. Our main office is based in West Palm Beach, at 2041 Vista Parkway, Suite 102. We also have offices in Sunrise and Clearwater, Florida.
You can call us at (561) 544-7071, stop in to our office, email us at vdinapoli@kwlawfirm.com or come to our website at http://www.foreclosurefactor.com. Our firm represents clients throughout the state of Florida and across the eastern seaboard. We also have offices in Sunrise and Clearwater, Florida.
We look forward to helping you get the legal advice that you need in all predatory lending, foreclosure, bankruptcy and credit card situations.