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NEVADA FAIR HOUSING CENTER, INC.
paving the way to a world of resources
Testimony of
Gail Burks, President & CEO
On behalf of
Nevada Fair Housing Center, Inc
Before the U.S. Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
On the topic of
"Financial and Economic Crisis and Impact on the Real Estate Market of the
State of Nevada"
Hearing On
VVednesday,September8,2010
·.
3380 W. Sahara, Suite 150 Las Vegas, Nevada 89102
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(702) 731-6095 Fax (702) 732-9538 TDD (702) 648-0727
I.
Introduction
To the distinguished Chair and other members of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission,
my name is Gail Burks. I am the President & CEO of Nevada Fair Housing Center. Thank you for
the opportunity to present testimony on this important topic, from the view of those working
within the Community on a day to day basis.
Nevada Fair Housing Center is a Qualified Fair Housing Organization formed in 1993. Our
mission is to provide, for the communities we serve, education, legal advice and
representation, technical assistance, policy research and financial services, related to housing
and consumer issues. The agency, since October 1999, has provided assistance around
mortgaged related and consumer protection issues
I have been asked to address the Financial Economic Crisis and the impact on the Nevada
real estate market from the perspective of a practitioner providing services to consumers
suffering daily as a result of the market. Real estate and economic markets are cyclical. To
gain an understanding of issues facing Nevada, it's important to understand the four seasons of
the crisis. From 1999- 2001 the seeds of predatory lending germinated in this state. The
market, from 2001- 2004 planted the crop of subprime lending. The community continued to
reap the diseased crop of this harvest through 2008. Now, we are seeking to prune and salvage
portions of harvest. The goal is to prevent another dismal year of production. Each of these
periods will be addressed separately.
II.
Causes of Financial & Economic Crisis- View From the Field
A. Germination: Lending Practices 2001 -2004
Nevada consumers initially complained about predatory lending practices in 1999. By
2001, NFHC, through the Consumer Assistance program began to see an average of over four
hundred clients per month with predatory lending issues. Clients presented cases that included
such loan practices as appraisal fraud, flipping, high interest rate loan products, excessive
prepayment penalties and violations of Federal law in the servicing of these loans.
A review of mortgage documents showed that a core group of sophisticated lenders
often offered products with loan terms that fell just under the required HOEPA or Section 32
reporting limits1 . Many high rate lenders for example, utilized servicing companies that failed
to properly maintain impound accounts (monies collected for taxes and insurance), or properly
credit payments. When consumers complained about their mortgage accounts, some lenders
initiated abusive collection practices. Initially, consumers complaining were viewed with
skepticism. Some did not maintain good records or the factual account sounded impossible.
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lenders included, but were not limited to long Beach Mortgage, First Franklin, Silver State Mortgage, New
Century, Ameriquest, Countrywide, Ocwen, Fair Banks Capital, Taylor Bean & Whitacker, Home EO. EMC and many
others.
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However, detailed document analysis supported consumer claims. In Nevada, NFHC
addressed this issue both from a preventive and enforcement approach. In conjunction with
Freddie Mac and other local municipalities, we launched the first state Don't Borrow Trouble
campaign to educate the public about abusive and illegal lending practices. We developed a
target list of abusers and sought to enforce consumer protection laws, filing such cases on EMC
vs. and Serrano vs. Fair Banks.
From a public policy perspective, we participated in meetings with the Federal Reserve
to plead for regulatory enforcement of existing law against unscrupulous practices perpetrated
by fringe lenders. The first wave of the crisis was in effect caused by a lack of enforcement of
existing consumer protection laws, illegal servicing practices and a failure to regulate the
diverse mortgage and servicing industry.
B. Planting
No one can debate the need for legitimate non-prime (subprime) lending products. The
subprime market served individuals with little or no credit, along with those recovering from a
financial setback. Contrary to revisionist history and media hype, a traditional non-prime
borrower had the following characteristics:
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Less than three trade lines
Credit score between 586 - 600
Debt to income of 45%
Consistent employment of two years in the same profession or
No established credit
Traditional equity enhancements allowed a non-prime borrower to obtain credit. These
often included verification of non-traditional credit (i.e. rental payments, utility bills, etc), proof
of one month's reserve, establishment of an impound account and PMI on the mortgage.
While the non-prime borrower might pay more for the cost of credit, that cost was directly
related to lender risk.
However from approximately 2004- 2007, the purpose and role of non-prime became lost
in the zest to create profit driven securitized products. Non-prime mortgages mutated into
fantasy financing. Out of this mutation grew a new breed of mortgage product, fueled by:
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No underwriting
Lender failure to determine the ability to repay the loan
Failure to fully amortize the payment
Failure to establish impounds for insurance and property taxes
The removal of credit enhancements, safeguards and sound underwriting resulted in the
origination of mortgages to anybody with a pulse. Many consumers received products that we
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not suitable based on their credit and income. When payments on Option ARMs and pick-apayment mortgages began to adjust, many consumers experienced payment shock.
No document loans also fueled the crisis. Traditionally, this standard product was only
offered to self employed individuals with twenty percent down. However, brokers began
offering the product to consumers on fixed incomes such as seniors and working families.
This second cycle of the crisis fueled the next cycle and resulted in the joining of strange bed
fellows. Providers of services- brokers, correspondent lenders, title companies, appraisers,
real estate agents- formed alliances to make money. Sadly, some consumers sought to grab
the brass ring and become 'investors' and share in the new get rich craze.
Ill.
Impact on the Nevada Real Estate Market
By 2005, unregulated consumer practices were deeply rooted in the Nevada market. The
result, a bitter harvest which included- overpriced homes, a 9:1 ratio of consumers with
unsuitable mortgage products, and portfolios of mortgaged backed securities based on the
fallacy that the market would never decline.
A. Reaping the Bitter Harvest - 2005 - 2008
When the economic wind changed, many Nevadans were faced with unsustainable debt levels.
Job opportunities, previously a main reason for moving to this state, declined. Today, a recent
poll found that 34% of Nevadans "would leave Las Vegas if they could find a job in another state
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or were not underwater on their home". The financial crisis is also believed to be the largest
'trigger event' behind an increase in murder-suicides in Las Vegas, four of which occurred in
August 2010 3
From a consumer case perspective, requests for assistance in the foreclosure crisis alone
average two thousand inquiries per month. This includes individuals who may be renting a
home in foreclosure. Many who played by the rules became tainted by those who did not. Like
a board of dominos, everyone is affected.
B. Pruning the Vineyard
The long term impact on Nevada is evident by the state's rank as number one in foreclosures
for the third straight year. Depending on which day you check the statistics, the Mortgage
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Bankers Association estimates that 24.3% of Nevada mortgages are in trouble • The State has a
backlog of 124,000 foreclosures. The picture is grim when viewed in light of the unemployment
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rate, which hit a record 14.3% in July •
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Robinson, J. (2010, August 29). leaving las Vegas in Cards for Some. Las Vegas Review Journal, p. 22A.
Blasky, M. (2010, August 29). Economic Worries Taking Toll. Las Vegas Review Journal, p. lB.
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Smith, H. (2010, August 23). las Vegas New Home Sales Slip in July. las Vegas Review Journal.
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Robinson, J. (2010, August 20). Nevada Unemployment Grows in July. Las Vegas Review Journal.
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In order to overcome these issues, four main areas must be addressed. First, foreclosure
modifications efforts must be effective. HAMP does not work for consumers. There is also
growing trend of FHA foreclosures (up 33%). Absent real solutions, consumers will continue to
engage in strategic defaults. Second, the issue of the role of credit rating agencies in the
mortgage crisis has not yet been addressed. Third, Nevada and many other states must address
the impact of foreclosure scams and other fraudulent activity perpetrated against consumers.
Fourth, mortgage lenders must offer reasonable terms to qualified consumers.
IV.
Conclusion
I must confess that when our office initially received the call to testify today, my first reaction
was not positive when the question -what caused the financial crisis- was posed. In fact, my
initial response was that we know the answer.
What happened? A million tiny choices by millions of individuals, lead to disastrous
consequences for millions of innocent people.
What caused the crisis?
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Individuals within regulatory government agencies that failed, using existing law, to
enforce a standard of conduct that was required;
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Individual elected officials who ignored the principles of basic math and economics;
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Individuals within lending corporations who placed their profit motive ahead of sound
underwriting principles;
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Individual experts who created thousands of investment vehicles designed to bet
against the market;
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Individual consumers who ignored the principles of economics and were lured by the
illusion of wealth to purchase what basic math principles showed they could not afford;
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Individuals who, through tacit silence agreed to be co-conspirators in a game of financial
spin the bottle; and
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Individuals within lending institutions that ignored consumers who, before there was a
crisis, attempted to be proactive and obtain assistance
What caused the crisis - the consequences of millions of choices reached a crescendo, colliding
into one great Shakespearean like tragedy.
It wasn't a collective group of corporations or one entity of government or one group of
professionals and bad consumers. Unlike theft by gunpoint, there is no one person holding the
gun that we can arrest and prosecute.
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Some years ago, there was a great movie called the Devil's Advocate starring AI Pacino and
Keanu Reeves. In the movie, Reeves learns that the head of the law firm is really Satan, his
father. As they are negotiating for his soul, Reeves asks him 'why the law'. Pacino responds, "it
puts us into everything". But the best line is uttered by Pacino at the end when Reeves thinks
that he has out smarted the devil by making a different choice. Pacino turns to the camera and
says "vanity is definitely my favorite sin". The catch is that even though Reeves made a
different choice, it was for the wrong reason 6 •
Today, it would appear that individuals within our country are making different choices. The
evidence however indicates that the choices we are now making to resolve the crisis are being
made not because they are effective but for the appearance of a solution.
Now, the timely question is not what caused the crisis but what will prevent the next one.
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Rail, T. {2010, August 29}. The Banksters Strike Again. Las Vegas Review Journal, p. 10
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@FedFRASER