It's Time to Buy a Home! - 10/31/11 07:18 PM
IT’S TIME TO BUY A HOME!
“The millionaire says to a thousand people, ‘I read this book and it started me on the road to wealth.’  Guess how many go out and get the book? Very few. Isn’t that incredible? Why wouldn’t everyone get the book? A mystery of life.”  – Jim Rohn
Mr. Rohn explains that if we want to make the right financial decisions in our lives, we should depend on the same sources the wealthy read. This past month four different iconic financial resources said the same thing:

Here are all four resources.
Forbes Magazine: The Next Mortgage Crisis
Wall … (0 comments)

Malibu Real Estate - We List...We Sell!!! - 10/30/11 06:15 PM
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North Hills Open House - Sunday 10/30 from 1-3p - 3B/3B - Pool - $347,500 - 10/29/11 03:30 PM
OPEN HOUSE Sunday 10/30 from 1-3p
8621 Langdon Ave., North Hills, CA
$347,500
3B/3B
• Newly upgraded inside and out. 
• Fresh exterior & interior paint. 
• Spacious living room with fireplace and wood-beamed ceiling. 
• Granite countertops in kitchen and baths. 
• Custom kitchen cabinets. 
• New light fixtures and recessed lighting. 
• Master bedroom with private bath and sliding doors leading to the pool. 
• Hardwood-type flooring and tile throughout.  
• Attached 2-car garage. 

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This Weekend's Malibu Area Open Houses - Oct 30th from 2-5p - 10/29/11 03:06 PM
Are you looking to buy or lease a home? Or maybe you just want to see what's out there. There are several open houses taking place this weekend in Malibu and Topanga. For information on the open houses, including details about the homes and vacant properties as well as the schedule, go to the 4 Malibu Real Estate Partners Open House Gude. 

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Morgan Stanley predicts foreclosed homeowners will pay $72B in rent annually - 10/29/11 02:57 PM
Morgan Stanely reported that most of the homeowners who lose their homes will most likely become renters, therefore boosting the multi-family, commercial section. This could be a billion dollar + boost to that sector, as homeownership rates are reported to drop to around 60%. 
Nearly 9 million homes have been foreclosed on since 2007 and more expected. As most of these former homeowners are expected to rent homes for the next few years, the rent payments in whoe would equal to round $72.7 billion. 
Our government is in the process of coming up with a plan to rent the many thousand … (0 comments)

Troubled homeowners get a lifeline
 - 10/28/11 12:24 PM

The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) is seeing some changes, made by the government, making it easier for homeowners to refinance their underwater, high-interest mortgages.
This isn't for everyone thought. There are still millions who are pas the point of no return and do not qualify for participation. Those homeowners who owe 125% of market value can refinance into new loans. There is help for those who are current in their payments and it helps to reduce the fees that prevented them from refinanciing in the past. 
Apprasals, title insurance and closing cost fees are among a few other fees … (1 comments)

Pending home sales up 6% from last year - 10/27/11 04:09 PM
The National Associaton of Realtors has announced, based on September contract signings has increased 6% from last year. This number is based on signed sales of existing homes. Weak consumer confidence and stricter bank requiremenets are partly to blame for the pending home sales drop from last month. The mid-west showed the biggest increase and the northeast had the smallest increase.



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CalHFA foreclosing on borrowers who rent out their homes
 - 10/27/11 01:08 PM
Many homeowners are facing foreclosures initiated by the Calfornia Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) because the homeowners are no longer living in that home, have rented it out and are living in different properties, according to the Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes. 
Many of these homeowners have not wanted to sell, because they owe more on the property then their homes are worth and they would lose their initial investment. CalFHA is able to finance billions of low interest mortgages by selling tax-free bonds. The IRS has prohibited lending from the money from the sale of those bonds to homeowners who … (3 comments)

Time to close increases in September - 10/27/11 12:48 PM
According to the Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse survey released Monday, refinance applications and appraisal complications are causing home sale closings to slow from the typical 30 days to between 45 and 60 days. 


Short sales and foreclosures face an even longer time to close and those account for nearly 1/2 of the market. 


2500 real estate agents were surveyed and one fo the top reasons for delays is the mortgage origination preapprovals, which sometimes expire before all interested parties agree.
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FHFA revises HARP to help more borrowers - 10/27/11 12:36 PM

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) to help more borrowers.

 Loans that were sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that were sold on or before May 31, 2009 will continue to be available for this program. Both Fannie Mae adn Freddie Mac are in the proecess of sending out details about the HARP changes by November 15th to servicers and mortgage lenders. Implementation will vary as participation in HARP is not mandatory. New program points also include:
1. Eliminating certain risk-based fees for borrowers who refinance into shorter-term mortgages and … (0 comments)

Malibu Association's Leadership Realtor Team Goes to San Jose - 10/24/11 07:01 PM
 
 
(Bobby Lehmkuhl, Dan Ross, Jan Thompson, William Bowling)
 
The Malibu Association of Realtors leadership team traveled to San Jose recently for the California Association of Realtors board of directors and business meetings. The directors and CAR committees research and formulate policy on all areas affecting the business, professional practices and public policy involvement of California Realtors.
 
“The Realtors are particularly proud of successful sponsored legislation which will preclude lenders from seeking deficiencies from property owners when a lender accepts the terms of a ‘short sale’, thus giving property owners some security in difficult times,” according to MAR … (0 comments)

This Weekend's Malibu Area Open Houses - Oct 23th from 2-5p - 10/23/11 02:11 PM
Are you looking to buy or lease a home? Or maybe you just want to see what's out there. There are several open houses taking place this weekend in Malibu and Topanga. For information on the open houses, including details about the homes and vacant properties as well as the schedule, go to the 4 Malibu Real Estate Partners Open House Guide. 


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Vacation Rental - Fully Furnished Townhome North of Wilshire - 10/21/11 05:10 PM
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Home sales, median home price decline in September - 10/20/11 04:47 PM
CA home sales declinded in September, as economic uncertainty rose. According to the California Association of Realtors, September home sales remain at stable levels and are posted higher for the 3rd consecutive month. 
Detached, single family homes sales fell to slightly below 500,000 units. Information was drawn from MLSs statewide. The decline of sales was not a surprise, due to the economic evens that were happening during the month. Those events included, but were not limited to a weakened stock market, debit debate and changes to the conforming loan limits. 
The statewide median home price in California for single family homes … (0 comments)

Economic growth expected to be no greater than 2 percent through 2012 - 10/20/11 04:38 PM
There’s been a little seasonal cyclical pickup in housing activity recently, as spring and summer sales are generally stronger than fall and winter, but leading indicators point to housing sales bouncing near the bottom at least through the end of 2012.
Economic growth is expected to be no greater than 2 percent through the end of 2012, which according to Fannie Mae’s Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group, this is a growth rate that makes the economy extremely vulnerable to any external shock that could trigger a downturn.
The uncertainty surrounding the degree of domestic fiscal austerity, in addition to external factors, including the … (0 comments)

Foreclosure starts decline in September - 10/20/11 04:19 PM
View Maibu foreclosures here. 
Following a steep spike in August, foreclosure starts returned to levels more in line with prior months in September, and were below the numbers reached at the peak.  California has seen a drop in activity of 56 percent since its peak, from 58,623 Notice of Default filings in March of 2009 to 25,778 today.
Foreclosure sales were mixed in September. There were declines in Arizona, California and Nevada, while Oregon and Washington had increases. Despite the declines, the percentage purchased by third parties, typically investors, was at or near peak levels. In California, third parties made up … (0 comments)

More than 20,000 foreclosures in 2006 took 4 years to resell - 10/19/11 04:28 PM
According to CoreLogic, a little over 23,000 foreclosures in 2006 sat unsold until the second quarter of 2010. More than 355,000 properties were studied. Investors bought at the courtsteps about 1/3. The remainder went back on the books, becoming REOs.
Of the remaining 2/3rds, 90% were sold to third-party buyers which still took time to sell. 1/2 took 6 months and over 20% took over 1 year. 
Governments will have to hold these unsold homes, as REO sales have yet to peak. These are the many properties that fell into the foreclosure process before the system passed its maximum capacity. 
Stats … (2 comments)

New Listing - For Sale - North Hills - 3B/3B - $359,000 - Complete Remodel - 10/18/11 06:57 PM
New Listing - FOR SALE
$359,000
8621 Langdon Ave., North Hills, CA
3B/3B
Property Website
• Newly upgraded inside and out. 
• Fresh exterior & interior paint. 
• Spacious living room with fireplace and wood-beamed ceiling. 
• Granite countertops in kitchen and baths. 
• Custom kitchen cabinets. 
• New light fixtures and recessed lighting. 
• Master bedroom with private bath and sliding doors leading to the pool. 
• Hardwood-type flooring and tile throughout.  
• Attached 2-car garage. 

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REO sales may not peak until 2013 - 10/18/11 12:57 PM
Home prices may be held from a meaningful recovery for some time, as the sale of properties repossessed through foreclosure may not peak until 2013.
Private banks held almost half of the 1/2 million REO properties liquidated. Analysts say that in the future, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and the Dept. fo Housing and Urban Developemnt will begin to take on a large deal of these assets. 
Bank of America and Merrilly Lynch project that REO sales could reach nearly 1.5 million units in 2013 which is a projected 10% increase from 2012.
Most of the projected increase will come as the … (0 comments)

Malibu & Topanga Sunday Open Houses - October 16th from 2-5p - 10/15/11 04:44 PM
Are you looking to buy or lease a home? Or maybe you just want to see what's out there. There are several open houses taking place this weekend in Malibu and Topanga. For information on the open houses, including details about the homes and vacant properties as well as the schedule, go to the 4 Malibu Real Estate Partners' Open House page.
 
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Triggers for mortgage-loan rejection - 10/14/11 07:10 PM

According to federal data, in 2010, nearly 2 million people were turned down for mortgages because they didn't meet certain lender requirements due to problematic or incomplete applications. Due to the stricter guidelines, it's important that buyers are educated about comon triggers for mortgage-loan rejection.
1. Insufficient income: Lenders want to be sure borrowers can afford to make the mortgage payments.  Lenders typically look for at least a two-year track record of income, which could hurt those who have changed jobs recently.
2. Cloudy financial picture: Generally, total debt payments, including the mortgage, cannot exceed 45 to 50 percent of a … (2 comments)

Yearly housing inventory down 20%, home sales up - 10/14/11 07:02 PM
Multiple reports showed national home sales and median price listings in September rose from a year ago with the home inventory down about 20%.
Re/Max states that these positive signals were offset by a continued slight downward trend in home sales prices, down 3.3% from a year ago.
Home sales nationally went up 7.6% from September 2010.
According to Realtor.com, single-family home, condo, townhouse and co-op inventory was down 3.27% from August and down 20.09% from September 2010. 
This year-over-year decrease could mean a return to seasonal patterns and higher prices in the coming months, though markets are still fragile and … (0 comments)

Home prices could dip another 7% - 10/14/11 06:33 PM
Barclays Captial states home prices could fall up to 7% by the end of the 2012 first quarter. They also noted that a bigger home price collapse from current levels is low.
In another survey conducted by Fannie Mae found that most of those surveyed believe home prices will continute to fall around 1% over the next year. 
CoreLogic & Clear Capital also expect home prices to continue to drop. Clear Capital is predicting for the last quarter of 2011, another drop in home prices and believe it will continue to decline through the first quarter of 2012. 


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Malibu Home undergoing complete remodel - Ocean View - Coming to Market Soon - 10/12/11 08:17 PM
View Property Website.
3003 Sequit Dr., Malibu, CA 90265
3B
2B
10,000 sq. ft. lot (apx)
Ocean & canyon views
Complete remodel in progress
In the El Nido neighborhood in Malibu
Coming to market soon. Be one of the first to see this home.
 

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Congress fails to extend thed $729,750 loan limits - 10/11/11 01:48 PM
It's unforntuate to note that Congress failed to extend the $729,750 loan limits, despite extensive efforts by the California Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors in their fight for Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and FHA conforming loan limits. The limits expired September 30th. What this means is that anything above $625,500 will be non-conforming, therefore a jumbo loan would be required. Jumbo loans generally have a larger mortgage interest rate and a higher down payment is required. Subsequently, the borrowers monthly payments would be higher and will cause greater difficulty with "middle class" seller and buyers. 
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Preview - Malibu, CA Bank-Owned/REO - Coming to Market Soon - 3B/3B - 10/10/11 04:16 PM
31422 Birdella Rd., Malibu, CA 90265
COMING SOON!- Bank-Owned/REO
- Not in the MLS
- Craftsman-style home - High ceilings in living room - Formal dining area - Kitchen with center island - Family room with wood-burning fireplace - Master suite with large walk-in closet  - Master bath with dual sinks, separate tub & shower - Den/bonus room with bathroom - 3 bedrooms upstairs - On cul-de-sac street - Detached 2-Car Garage - Large Lot - Access to nearby hiking trails - Close to freeway & beaches    ***View Property Website here. ***View Virtual Tour here.     … (2 comments)

Real Estate Outlook: Recovery Close to Faltering - 10/10/11 12:44 PM
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke before the Joint Economic Committee of Congress last week about what he sees as our true economic outlook. In this statement he avoided sugar-coating worrisome trends and instead made clear that "the recovery is close to faltering."
According to Bernanke, it has been three years since the beginning of the financial crisis, and while there have been improvements, such as manufacturing production rising 15 percent, a reduced U.S. trade deficit, and improved functionality in financial markets and banking, it is clear that the recovery is "less robust" than experts had hoped.
Bernanke noted, "The housing … (0 comments)

5 Things To Do Every Day For Success - 10/10/11 12:31 PM
This is something I read the other day, which I think we can all take something from:

1. Wake up early. For the next week, get up a half an hour earlier that you normally do--and get going. If you get a few more things done, then get up even earlier the next week. Early in the morning is a great time to get work done because most of your associates have not started emailing, tweeting, IMing, or posting yet.
2. Read the headlines and watch the news. Not only should you know what is going on in the world, … (5 comments)

Malibu, CA - Approved Short Sale - Custom Ocean View Estate - 4B/3.5B - $1,295,000 - 10/08/11 05:52 PM
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Shadow Inventory "Months to Clear" Estimate Fell for the First Time Since 2009 in Second Quarter - 10/08/11 02:33 PM
Standard & Poor's Rating Services' estimate of the number of months needed to clear the supply of distressed homes on the market fell in the second quarter for the first time since mid-2009. The current estimate is 47 months, a five-month decline from the first-quarter estimate and the largest quarter-to-quarter drop since mid-2008. While the volume of distressed U.S. non-agency residential mortgages remained extremely high-$405 billion in the second quarter-it has declined every quarter since mid-2010. At the end of the first quarter, the estimated balance of shadow inventory was $433 billion. Also, each of the individual top-20 metropolitan statistical areas … (4 comments)

Malibu & Topanga Sunday Open Houses - October 9 from 2-5p - 10/08/11 02:24 PM
Are you looking to buy or lease a home? Or maybe you just want to see what's out there. There are several open houses taking place this weekend in Malibu and Topanga. For information on the open houses, including details about the homes and vacant properties as well as the schedule, go to the 4 Malibu Real Estate Partners Malibu & Topanga Open House List. 


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Corral Canyon, Malibu - Just Sold! - Active - Not in the MLS - www.4Malibu.com - 10/07/11 08:21 PM



  
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Determining a home’s value - 10/07/11 07:07 PM

Declining property values are preventing some homeowners from taking advantage of today’s historically low interest rates and refinancing.
Making sense of the story
Many homeowners nationwide have either no equity or are in a negative equity position in their homes.  This leaves them with two options for refinancing, paying extra at the closing or what’s known as a cash-in mortgage.
Those considering refinancing will need to determine the current valuation, comparing it with the mortgage balance.  If the balance is at least 15 to 20 percent higher than what is owed, a refinance without a second down payment is possible.
To … (2 comments)

Homeownership rate at lowest level in 70 years - 10/06/11 04:39 PM
The U.S. homeownership rate in 2010 fell to the lowest level in 70 years, dropping to 65.1%, down from 66.2% in 2000, according to data from the Census Bureau.
The decline came even as the nation added 15.8 million housing units, increasing the total housing inventory by 13.6%, the Census Bureau said Thursday.
Eleven states suffered declines of at least two percentage points in their homeownership rates, led by South Carolina, with a decrease of 2.88 percentage points.
The 10 states with the highest housing unit growth rates were in the West and South. After Nevada, Arizona clocked the second-largest gain, as … (0 comments)

Neighborhood Preservation Act of 2011 - Leasing Foreclosed Properties - 10/06/11 03:25 PM
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Pending Home Sales up 13% - 10/03/11 01:21 PM
Pending Home Sales are homes that have a purchase contract in place but have not yet closed.  The National Association of Realtors released their data for August and it showed a year-over-year annual improvement of 13.1%.
 
When comparing August to July, pending home sales slipped but less than market forecasts.  Economists expected Pending Home Sales to decrease month-over-month by -1.8%.  The actual number was a little better at -1.2%. Hurricane Irene, which battered the Northeast at the end of the month, was likely a factor in the decline. 
 
Three of four regions throughout the United States saw declines in … (0 comments)

Malibu & Topanga Weekend Open Houses - Sunday October 2, 2011 from 2 -5p - 10/01/11 03:11 PM
MAL  
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