orange county: What The Federal Reserve's Meeting Today May Mean For Mortgage Rates - 04/29/09 09:24 AM
The Federal Reserve adjourns from its two-day meeting this afternoon. It's one of 8 scheduled meetings each year for the Federal Open Market Committee.
Like all FOMC get-togethers, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss financial and economic conditions in the U.S., and to make new policy to stimulate or retard economic growth, when … (0 comments)
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orange county: How Swine Flu Helps Mortgage Rates - 04/28/09 09:51 AM
Monday, mortgage markets improved with news of new Swine Flu cases.
It's a classic example of Safe Haven buying and today's rate shoppers will see the benefits.
Mortgage rates improved about 0.125 percent Monday.
It's not an official term, but "Safe Haven buying" describes the trading patterns in which large … (0 comments)
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orange county: 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)
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orange county: 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)
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orange county: 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)
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orange county: Predicting The Federal Reserve's Next Move : April 2009 Edition - 04/21/09 10:55 AM
The Federal Reserve meets next week for a policy-setting meeting.
It's one of 8 scheduled Fed meetings this year in which the Federal Open Market Committee votes on whether to raise, lower, or leave unchanged the Fed Funds Rate.
Based on data compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, … (0 comments)
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orange county: Home Safety : An Easier, Better, Cheaper Fire Extinguisher - 04/20/09 10:07 AM
Sure, you've got a fire extinguisher at home, but if you ever had a fire, would you know what to do with it?
Like any tool, reading the directions can only get you so far. If you've never "pulled the pin" and discharged a fire extinguisher before, fighting an actual … (0 comments)
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orange county: 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)
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orange county: 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)
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orange county: Orange County Housing Report: Demand Suddenly Surges - 04/10/09 11:32 AM
Hello again, Once again I am pleased to present the semimonthly Market Report for Orange County, California real estate, as prepared by my friend Steven Thomas, of Altera Real Estate.
Steven has a degree in Quantum Economics, and is cited regularly as an exceptional source for local real estate data by … (0 comments)
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orange county: April 15 Is 1 Week Away And 27 Million Taxpayers Have Yet To File. If You're One Of Them, Here's Some Tax Tips. - 04/08/09 10:07 AM
There are 138 million taxpayers in the United States and, according to the IRS, 20 percent of them file their taxes within 7 days of April 15. In a holiday-shortened week, that means that 27 million people had better get a move on.
And while a portion of this year's last-minute filers … (0 comments)
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orange county: Two important deadlines in April - 04/05/09 11:13 PM
Well, there are a couple of big deadlines coming up in the month of April. We all know about the 15th, for income tax purposes - unless you stall for a few months. But, did you know that Orange County homeowners have a deadline of the 30th of April in order … (0 comments)
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orange county: Another Positive Housing Signal : The Number Of Homes Under Contract Increase - 04/02/09 09:19 AM
The number of homes under contract to sell is rising, another signal that the housing market may be regaining its footing.
As reported by an industry trade group, the Pending Home Sales Index gained 2 percent in February. The report measures MLS-listed homes in "pending" status -- sold but not yet closed.
… (1 comments)
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orange county: Whatever happened to “Sell high, buy low”? - 03/28/09 02:33 PM
Hello again, I was just looking at the listing inventory of available houses for some potential buyer clients of mine, and was struck by the thought in my headline - Whatever happened to the old adage of "Sell high, and buy low"? That has always been a preferred position to be … (0 comments)
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orange county: Watch Out For Mortgage Rates When Gas Prices Rise - 03/25/09 10:54 AM
Don't look now but oil prices are climbing.
This should worry today's home buyers and would-be refinancers because some of the same forces that helped to push crude past $50 for the first time in 4 months also cause mortgage rates to rise.
March 18, the Federal Reserve committed an additional … (0 comments)
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orange county: Orange County Housing Report: 21% Fewer Distressed Homes on the Market - 03/25/09 06:40 AM
I've just read the latest Orange County Market Report, by my friend Steven Thomas, the President of Altera Real Estate Services. Steven has a degree in quantum economics and for the past couple of years his bi-weekly report has been the most comprehensive compilation of real estate activity and data for … (0 comments)
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orange county: Explaining What The Federal Reserve Did In Plain English (March 18, 2009 Edition) - 03/18/09 07:27 PM
The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged today, within the target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. This doesn't mean the Fed stood pat, however.
On plan to resurrect the economy using "all available tools", today, the Fed announced a new, $1.5 trillion round of fiscal … (0 comments)
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orange county: 4 Minutes Of Guidance For Soon-To-Be Real Estate Investors - 03/13/09 09:50 AM
"Most of the biggest real estate fortunes were not made in good times, but in bad times like this" Barbara Corcoran reminds us in this talk with NBC.
It's important perspective for Americans wondering how to invest in foreclosed properties without losing their cash or their credit rating.
In … (1 comments)
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orange county: Mark-To-Market : How An Obscure Corporate Accounting Rule Might Impact Your Mortgage Rate - 03/12/09 10:43 AM
You know you're in the middle of an economic crisis when an accounting issue become Front Page News, and that's exactly where we're at today.
Mark-to-market accounting is having its day in the sun and people in need of mortgage sometime soon would do well to pay attention.
If you've … (0 comments)
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orange county: Orange County Housing Report: A Stimulating Pause - 03/10/09 12:28 AM
Hello again, Wow! The tidal wave of information coming in on the various stimulus programs is practically overwhelming - for everyone. Buyers, sellers, prospective borrowers, as well as Realtors and lenders.
The effect this has had is a brief slow-down of what had been an increasingly active spring market here in … (0 comments)
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