How the Washington Mutual Takeover Will Affect Consumers
September 26, 2008
How the Washington Mutual Takeover Will Affect Consumers
What will happen to my bank account?
If you had an account with Washington Mutual Bank yesterday, you now have an account with JPMorgan Chase Bank. All deposit accounts, including savings, checking, money market, and retirement accounts and certificates of deposit, have been transferred to JPMorgan Chase Bank. No depositor has lost any money, even if it was above FDIC insurance limits. Direct deposits and Social Security checks will continue as normal.
Can I get access to my money today?
Your debit card and bill-paying services will continue to work. You can still use the checks you have now, and checks already written that did not clear before the institution closed will be honored if there are sufficient funds in the account. Local branches will be open as usual. “For bank customers, it will be a seamless transition,” FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair said in a statement. “There will be no interruption in services, and bank customers should expect business as usual come Friday morning.”
What about my loan or mortgage?
All Washington Mutual loans have been assumed by JPMorgan Chase Bank. Payment amounts and due dates will not change, and automatic payments will still work. Customers should continue to make checks out to Washington Mutual Bank.
Will my interest rate change?
Interest on deposits accrued through Sept. 25, 2008, will be paid at the previously stated rate. JPMorgan Chase Bank will be reviewing rates and will provide customers with information at a later date.
What if I already have an account with JPMorgan Chase and the combined balance will put me over the FDIC insurance limit?
Your transferred deposits will be separately insured from any accounts you may already have at JPMorgan Chase Bank for six months.
CDs from Washington Mutual are separately insured until the earliest maturity date after the end of the six-month grace period. If a CD matures during the six-month period and is renewed for the same term and in the same dollar amount, it will continue to be separately insured until the first maturity date after the six-month period. If a CD matures during the six-month grace period and is renewed on any other basis, it would be separately insured only until the end of the six-month grace period.
What if I have other questions about the transition?
Customers can call a Washington Mutual banking representative at 1-800-788-7000 or the FDIC Call Center at 1-877-275-3342 with questions. You can calculate your FDIC insurance coverage for each FDIC-insured bank where you have deposit accounts using this calculator.
I mentioned that only more banks would fall….
Redfin to Zip Diaries: When Years Equate to Thousands
September 20, 2008
I remember selling real estate in San Francisco back in 2003. Everything was selling. If the property had a parcel number it would sell. The fundamentals were just thrown out the door. Times have changed.
When I moved to Chula Vista in July of 2007, we were very close to buying a home. So much in fact that we viewed at least 20 homes, after some discussion we decided that we would not buy a home here because we were not sure how long we would be in San Diego. Plus, I wasn’t sure how long I would be with Redfin considering my abrupt move to So Cal. Well here I am, 14 months later and I am sure glad that I didn’t buy. So many things have occurred, the Southern California Wildfires, the Mortgage Crisis, rising gas prices, and just an overall lull in the economy. After 202 real estate transactions you think you have seen it all, but even today I am still learning new ways to skin that elusive cat my aunt would call real estate.
Today, I re-visited a home that I sold last week. My client had purchased this REO from IndyMac. According to the county’s tax records this is the transaction history of the home:
June of 2003 - $381,000
September of 2005 - $584,000
June of 2008 - $287,000
September of 2008 - $340,000
Negotiating with a REO listing agent has become a specialty of mine, I have found that there are similarities amongst what they are willing to accept. REO properties in the 300-500k price points are always listed below market, where the banks are hoping that the property would stir enough interest in the buyer community to drive the sales price higher. This tactic has shown to be very effective. In the case of this property, it was listed at $329,600 and hit the market on July 27, 2008. I showed the property on the 8th of August, had the property in contract on the 14th. It was a multiple bid situation - two other offers were involved in the process. Every offer is different but here price and strength of buyer were my tools to winning this one. My client had over 20% in the bank and we had been looking at properties for more than a month. She was pre-approved with Bank of America, which I thought we could use to our advantage. I made it very clear to the listing agent that we had done our homework. Specifically, we knew that the property was listed below market, and were very familiar with all the comps in the locale. A home across the street for less square footage sold for $370,000 only about a month prior. It was an REO and was owned by Downey Savings. Our property had some nice upgrades and was much larger, so I knew that if we did not go above the list price then my client would probably lose out.
I always make it a habit to know who I am dealing with; I verify how long the agent has had their license. What type of license they have? I also Google them and check them up on LinkedIn. If I can gather any information at all, I will always put my findings into my discussion with them. People tend not to not think straight if you put them on tilt. I found out that he had in office in La Jolla, been in business about 9 years, and was a salesperson. Just from that, I am able to gauge my approach. Based on those facts, I can determine that he will want a quick escrow, he probably does not do a great deal of work in the property area so he may let go of the property to someone he has confidence in working with. He also may be willing to give up the price out of convenience. I was right on all fronts.
REOs are always trying to get their money fast. My thinking is if they can get this off their book faster, then they move on to the next property.
So we went 11k above list price, 21 day close, 12 day contingencies. I also negotiated for 2k in repairs and a home warranty. There were some problems with this home, just like any previously foreclosed homes. Broken windows, a leftover portable spa and no appliances were all evidence to substantiate a credit. I have found that REOs are more willing to credit money than deal with any replacements or repairs. Again I was right. I was pretty happy with that deal. More importantly, my client was even more impressed with the style and efficiency of the process.
Overall she had seen about 36 or more homes so I think she had a good feel of where the market was. We had written 4 offers, all were short sales except for this one. Three months later all of those properties are still on the market. My client was frustrated and was starting to think that she would not be able to find a home in today’s market. I also learned a little trick about motivation, buyers who are frustrated with short sales often become very interested in REOs. Dare I say it, but REOs almost have a certain sex appeal when compared to their non-performing short sale competition.. Buyers find that although the market is filled with short sale opportunities, REOs properties are the ones that are actually selling. Therefore, creating two types of buyers for 2008:
- Buyers that can wait for a short sale and are not necessarily looking to move right away.
- Buyers that need to move in finite amount of time.
Converting 1s into 2s is the name of this game. If you can learn to identify what will motivate buyers to become 2s rather than 1s then there is a likelier chance that you will consummate a deal.
So will I buy a place any time soon, well I am not sure. We still have our place in Burlingame and a few property investments here and there. I guess only time will tell, after all time is on my side. The market will recover it is just a question of when.
