Heavy Hammer

Real estate foreclosure experts at USHUD.com and Heavy Hammer, Inc., predict the Federal Housing Administration will once again dominate the foreclosure landscape, holding title to 49 percent of residential foreclosure properties by 2018. As a result of the real estate market crash through 2009, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac surpassed FHA for the first time with a combined 61 percent of the foreclosure market.

In the early 1990s, lending institutions were in a race to the bottom, relaxing lending requirements so to compete with FHA as the dominant insurer of mortgages. A pioneer in innovative and arguably reckless lending practices was the nonprofit Nehemiah Corp., which facilitated down payment assistance “gifts” from buyers to sellers for FHA mortgages, resulting in a foreclosure rate 500 percent higher than the traditional FHA mortgage. According to USHUD.com, the federal government banned the practice in 2008, but not until Nehemiah raked in about $200 million in profits and the market was in shambles.

Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way, says Michael Urbanski, CEO of Heavy Hammer, Inc., and USHUD.com.

“Lenders have been badly stung by recent waves of foreclosures and are returning to conservative lending practices,” Urbanski said. “FHA is positioned to receive a sharp increase of mortgages, which will result in more FHA foreclosures, though less than when the Nehemiah program was in full swing.”

As lending practices correct, USHUD.com is working to educate buyers and real estate professionals about sound fundamentals of the real estate foreclosure industry.

“At USHUD.com, we believe it is our responsibility to help the American homebuyer avoid the mistakes and scams that contributed to the housing crises and make the best decisions for themselves and their families,” Urbanski said.

Headquartered in Annapolis, Heavy Hammer, Inc., is an online networking and consulting company advocating for American homebuyers, connecting them with trusted experts and valuable resources. Driving one of the most widely used suites of foreclosure Websites, Heavy Hammer delivers all-inclusive, free lists of foreclosure properties to more than 500,000 homebuyers monthly. In business since 1998, Heavy Hammer has focused on geographically-based ad serving technology and processes allowing thousands of professionals to target specific locations, connecting directly with consumers in specific locations. Starting with USHUD.com, this group of sites now includes more than 30 state- and region-specific sites.

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In a move to combat a historical foreclosure crisis, Congress passed legislation the last week of 2009 increasing federal support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two largest players in the American mortgage industry.

While heralded as positive by many in the housing industry, leading real estate foreclosure experts at USHUD.com and its parent company Heavy Hammer, Inc., warn that homeowners should be wary of high-risk loan programs targeting those with poor credit, and homebuyers should follow proven guidelines when purchasing foreclosure properties.

Heavy Hammer, Inc., CEO Michael Urbanski said homebuyers are ultimately responsible for recognizing what they can and cannot afford.

“To make the best decisions for their families and themselves, homeowners and potential homeowners need to be aware of the hazards that will inevitably present themselves,” Urbanski said. “Avoid making the hasty or careless decisions that sent so many other American homebuyers into foreclosure. Exercise personal responsibility, capitalize on available industry intelligence, and seek the advice of experts who can help navigate the challenges and pitfalls of today’s real estate foreclosure landscape.”

While there is no substitute for the personalized guidance of a USHUD.com expert, Urbanski suggests homebuyers adhere to these guidelines:

* Budget carefully. Know what you can spend each month on your mortgage, adding 5 percent for maintenance. Do not rely on a future increase in income.

* Save first. If you have no savings for a 3.5% down payment, do not buy a house. Savings is a habit you have to learn before taking on the responsibility of home ownership. Start an aggressive savings plan today.

* Do the math. If buying a house will deplete your entire savings account, save more. You should have at least 1% of the value of the home remaining in your savings for incidentals after closing.

Headquartered in Annapolis, Md., Heavy Hammer, Inc., is an online networking and consulting company committed to advocating for the American homebuyer, connecting them with trusted experts and valuable resources. Driving one of the most widely used suites of foreclosure Web sites, Heavy Hammer delivers all-inclusive, completely free lists of foreclosure properties to more than 500,000 homebuyers each month. In business since 1998, Heavy Hammer has focused on geographically-based ad serving technology and processes that allow thousands of professionals to target a specific location and connect directly with consumers in their respective locations. Starting with USHUD.com in 1999, this group of sites now includes many others including more than 30 state- and region-specific sites.

CONTACT:  Joe Chenelly, +1-410-357-1123

SOURCE Heavy Hammer, Inc.

Heavy Hammer, Inc., and USHUD.com reveal unprecedented opportunities for home buyers through undervalued foreclosure properties

ANNAPOLIS, Md., December 21, 2009 – Amid recent media reports that there is declining interest among American home buyers in purchasing foreclosures, real estate experts at Heavy Hammer, Inc., and USHUD.com cite a recent study showing that foreclosures are routinely underpriced by 8 to 10 percent.

Huge, unprecedented savings are being realized as the government stimulates the housing market in the face of a steadily rising national inventory of foreclosures.  Incentivizing aggressive valuations of these properties by third parties is creating opportunities of a lifetime for first time homebuyers.

Heavy Hammer, Inc., CEO Michael Urbanski, says the little-known rules governing the appraisal process for foreclosure properties include requiring only a single appraisal for government foreclosures and requiring the acceptance of bids well below asking price.

“This undervaluing of real estate held by the federal government is good news,” Urbanski said. “This sort of government assistance opens up incredible opportunities to buyers who have a basic understanding of the process. Most importantly, it could go a long way in getting the market back on the right track.”

Each month, USHUD.com provides more than 500,000 prospective first time home buyers, investors and real estate professionals the most up-to-date tools and insider tips and information to take advantage of today’s foreclosure market. To learn more about America’s only free foreclosure resource, visit www.ushud.com. If you are a real estate professional interested in becoming a foreclosure expert, call (800) 880-8584 for more information about USHUD.com’s free real estate agent training program.

About Heavy Hammer, Inc.:

Based in Annapolis, Md., Heavy Hammer, Inc., is an online networking and consulting company geared toward connecting real estate professionals with potential clients. In business since 1998, Heavy Hammer has focused on geographically-based ad serving technology and processes allowing professionals to target specific locations and connect directly with consumers in those locations. Heavy Hammer also drives one of the most widely used suites of foreclosure Web sites. Starting with USHUD.com in 1999, this group of sites now includes HUDExchange.com, HUDMax.com, AllHUD.com, and many others including over 30 state and region-specific sites that connect more than 500,000 home buyers each month with thousands of real estate professionals across the country.

Heavy Hammer, Inc., and its network of foreclosure Web sites including USHUD.com, HudExchange.com, HudMax.com, AllHud.com and others, proves to be an invaluable resource for buyers searching for a primary residence.

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ — An industry leader in online real estate marketing for more than a decade, Heavy Hammer, Inc., provides experienced and novice home buyers alike the critical tools necessary to close the deal on their dream homes in today’s challenging foreclosure market.

Heavy Hammer’s suite of foreclosure Web sites, including its flagship site, USHUD.com, provides America’s only free foreclosure resource. USHUD.com and its sister sites allow more than 500,000 home buyers each month to access the most accurate and up-to-date foreclosure information and connect with thousands of real estate professionals nationwide whose expertise can mean the difference between a foreclosure bargain or a boondoggle.

According to Michael Urbanski, Heavy Hammer CEO, of the prospective buyers using Heavy Hammer Web sites in November, 79 percent were searching for a primary residence. “This statistic tells us we are serving real home buyers, not real estate investors looking for a third or fourth house for their portfolio,” Urbanski said. “These are real families striving for their American dream while working through the most difficult and uncertain economic time in generations.”

Heavy Hammer, Inc. not only provides prospective home buyers with free foreclosure listings, but introduces them to foreclosure specialists who are savvy in negotiating the many pitfalls of today’s foreclosure market. To learn more about America’s only free foreclosure resource, visit www.ushud.com. If you are a real estate professional interested in becoming a foreclosure expert, call (800) 880-8584 for more information about the USHUD.com free agent training program.

Headquartered in Annapolis, Heavy Hammer, Inc., is an online networking and consulting company geared toward connecting real estate professionals with potential clients. In business since 1998, Heavy Hammer has focused on geographically-based ad serving technology and processes that allow professionals to target a specific location and connect directly with consumers in that location. Heavy Hammer also drives one of the most widely used suites of foreclosure Web sites. Starting with USHUD.com in 1999, this group of sites now includes many others including over 30 state- and region-specific sites connecting more than 500,000 home buyers each month with thousands of real estate professionals across the country.

    Contact:
    Joseph Chenelly
    (410) 533-2233
    jchenelly@gmail.com

SOURCE Heavy Hammer, Inc.

Looking to keep up with foreclosure news. Well now you can become a fan of USHUD.com on Facebook, or follow us on twitter.

We are pleased to announce that for the last few months we have been rebuilding USHUD.com family of sites from the ground up to better integrate with web 2.0 standards, provide more tools and information, and generally improve usability. All of the websites will still offer the most accurate list of foreclosures available and still be completely free to consumers. The new sites are expected to begin rolling out late in the 4th quarter.

It has been far to long since we updated our website so here it is. Simple yes, but more change is coming…