california: Higher Home Prices Ahead, Says The Pending Home Sales Index - 11/02/09 05:36 PM
The housing market continues to steam forward.
As reported by the National Association of Realtors®, the Pending Home Sales Index posted its 8th consecutive monthly gain in September.
It's the longest winning streak in the history of the index and Pending Home Sales are now at their highest levels since December … (1 comments)
|
california: For The 4th Straight Month, There's An Increase In The Number Of Homes Under Contract To Sell - 07/02/09 10:23 AM
The number of homes under contract to sell increased in May. It's the fourth straight month in which sales volume increased, corroborating the growing notion that housing is on the mend in most U.S. markets.
Consider these other housing-related stories from the past month:
Existing Home Sales are rising New home … (0 comments)
|
california: How The "Fed Minutes" Can Change Mortgage Rates And Home Affordability - 05/21/09 03:03 PM
Mortgage rates fell after the Federal Reserve released its April 28-29, 2009 meeting's internal notes Wednesday.
Officially known as "Fed Minutes", the report is an in-depth account Federal Reserve's last get-together, detailing the discussions and decisions that create our country's monetary policy.
It's the lengthy companion to the Federal Reserve's brief, … (0 comments)
|
california: Housing Starts Are No Longer Falling, Another Positive Signal In Housing - 05/20/09 12:24 PM
A "housing start" is a new home on which construction has started and, for the fourth straight month, single-family home construction remained flat in April.
For the battered housing market, this is the latest in a series of signals that a long-awaited turnaround is coming.
The number of homes under contract to … (0 comments)
|
california: For The Second Month In A Row, Foreclosures Are Concentrated In 3 States - 05/13/09 09:15 AM
For the second month in a row, the country's foreclosure activity was dominated by a small number of states.
As shown by the latest stats from RealtyTrac.com, more than half of the country's foreclosure actions from April were concentrated in just 3 states:
California
Florida
Nevada
Those 3 states are home to … (0 comments)
|
california: Pending Home Sales Rise In March -- Another Sign That Housing Is Recovering - 05/05/09 12:49 PM
For the second consecutive month, the number of homes under contract to sell increased -- further evidence that housing markets may have already bottomed.
As reported by an industry trade association, the Pending Home Sales Index rose by 3-plus percent last month.
A "pending" home is one that's under contract but has … (0 comments)
|
california: Ceiling Fan Settings : Clockwise In Winter, Counter-Clockwise In Summer - 05/04/09 10:44 AM
With the start of May comes warmer temperates. But just because the mercury's rising doesn't mean your energy bills have to.
This quick Weather Channel video shows how a ceiling fan can cool a 78-degree room by up to 6 degrees and reduce the costs of running an HVAC unit. The … (0 comments)
|
california: The Decline In Home Values Slowed In February, Says Case-Shiller. Probably in March and April, Too. - 05/01/09 10:08 AM
The Case-Shiller Index is a popular reporting tool for the nation's home prices. Each month, researchers measure home values in 20 large cities, compile their findings, and then publish them to the public.
The Case-Shiller Index is not a perfect measurement by any means. It gives more weight to expensive homes … (0 comments)
|
california: One Thing That Every Homeowner Should Have - 04/27/09 09:22 AM
There's a right way and a wrong way to transfer a home posthumously. The right way requires having a documented plan. The wrong way could stick your loved ones with a tax bill so large they may have to sell the home just to cover it.
With just 4 minutes … (0 comments)
|
california: The "Shadow Inventory" of upcoming foreclosures. Fact, or Myth? - 04/26/09 11:40 AM
Here's an excerpt from the latest Orange County Market Report from my friend Steven Thomas, of Altera Real Estate. It addresses the so called "shadow inventory" of foreclosure properties.
"Isn't there going to be a wave of foreclosures coming on the market? ( The "Shadow Inventory")
I am often asked about a … (1 comments)
|
california: Finding Yourself In A Multiple-Offer Situation? You're Not Alone. And Here's Why. - 04/24/09 10:05 AM
The days of rock-bottom housing prices may be reaching an end.
According to the National Association of REALTORS, the number of Existing Home Sales fell by a modest 140,000 units last month. It's the fifth straight month in which home sales straddled the 4.5 million mark.
The national housing inventory is … (1 comments)
|
california: Someday Soon, It May Be Easier To Get Approved For A Conforming Mortgage - 04/23/09 10:04 AM
If falling home values is what prompted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to tighten mortgage guidelines in 2007 and 2008, America's mortgage applicants may get their long-awaiting loosening within the next 18 months.
According to a government report, the values of homes financed with conforming mortgages rose for the third straight month … (0 comments)
|
california: Don't Lump Your Real Estate Research With The 128,203,000 Other Homes In America - 04/22/09 11:13 AM
National real estate data helps economists identify trends in the housing market. It shapes policy and influences markets.
For active home buyers and home sellers, though, national real estate data is irrevelant. This is because national data says nothing for the factors determining home prices in any given zip code.
See, … (0 comments)
|
california: The 3 States That Accounted For 50% Of The March 2009 Foreclosures - 04/16/09 11:30 AM
Since 2007, foreclosures have dominated real estate news. You can't turn on the news or open a paper without some foreclosure-related story.
But for all of the discussion, foreclosures continue to be geographically concentrated.
Adding up the latest stats from RealtyTrac.com, more than half of the country's foreclosure actions from March occurred in … (0 comments)
|
california: A Few Reasons Why Now May Be The Least Expensive And Easiest Time To "Go FHA" - 04/14/09 10:49 AM
Shopping for low mortgage rates is a game of luck.
Some days, mortgage rates are favorable. Other days, they're not. And while you can sometimes make an educated guess about where rates might be headed, you're not always going to guess right.
Even the experts get it wrong more often … (0 comments)
|
california: How To Prepare Your Household For A Natural Disaster - 04/13/09 09:46 AM
In 2003, the Department of Homeland Security launched Ready.gov, a government website aimed at family, business and community disaster readiness.
Now, when the Ready.gov website talks about disaster readiness, it's referring to more than just physical attacks on the county -- it's talking about natural disasters, too. This includes hurricanes, … (0 comments)
|
california: How To Know If Your Adjustable Rate Mortgage Will Adjust Lower This Year - 04/09/09 10:30 AM
When conforming mortgages adjust, they're often tied to an interest rate index called LIBOR.
LIBOR is an acronym for London Interbank Offered Rate. But what LIBOR stands for isn't as important as the role it plays.
LIBOR is an interest rate at which banks borrow money from each other. Therefore, when … (0 comments)
|
california: 7 Gadgets To Consider On Mother's Day Or Father Day's - 04/06/09 11:01 AM
After attending the International Home and Housewares show, The Today Show filmed a 5-minute segment called "Housewares You Won't Be Able To Live Without".
The title is somewhat over-the-top but don't let that turn you off. The gadgets reviewed are both practical and inexpensive. They include:
Make-no-mess vegetable peeler for … (0 comments)
|
california: Simple Real Estate Definitions : FICO - 03/11/09 08:40 AM
The basis of most mortgage lending is credit scoring. In general, the higher a person's credit score, the lower his offered mortgage interest rate.
Despite the many credit scoring models in use today, however, just 3 are relevant to American homeowners:
The Equifax BEACON® score
The Experian Fair Isaac Risk Model
The … (1 comments)
|
california: The Half-Truth Of The Headline "1 In 8 U.S. Homes Are Late Paying Or In Foreclosure" - 03/10/09 11:26 AM
USA Today ran this 2008 Foreclosures By State heatmap last week, reminding us of a simple truth: Headline statistics can be misleading.
According to data compiled by RealtyTrac, 1 in 8 U.S. homes were in various stages of default or delinquency at the end of 2008. This is a fact … (0 comments)
|
;)
;)
