We Don't Live Here Anymore: A Critical Analysis of Government Responses to the Foreclosure Crisis
51 Pages Posted: 10 Aug 2010
Date Written: August 1, 2009
Abstract
Government responses to the foreclosure crisis, while often popular among the voters, have generally failed beyond their initial stages, disabling the natural tendency of the market to correct itself and, at their worst, contributing in part to turning entire neighborhoods into vacant wastelands of residential real estate. Successful solutions to such crises require careful consideration of the “ripple” effects of any proposed action. This article examines the history of the foreclosure moratorium, from the 1800s, through the Great Depression, and to the modern day, noting that the advent of the government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have changed the rules of the game for government intervention in the residential real estate market. The article continues, discussing the effects on “Main Street” of creating blanket delays to the foreclosure process, and it concludes by proposing a model for an effective foreclosure relief program.
Keywords: mortgage, foreclosure, moratorium, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, real estate, investor, loan
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