interest rates: South Lake Tahoe Home Prices, Interest Rates just get even better for Buyers. - 08/12/11 07:50 AM
It's been more than a decade since a South Lake Tahoe home was this affordable.
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / August 10, 2011 / Richard Bolen)
Lets look at interest rates first. MOrtgage interest rates after the big debt debate debacle!
Online today a 30-year fixed loan w 20% down is being touted at 3.875%, which is unheard of (here). Digging deeper, most of these sensational online rates involve a point or two added into the mix, a loan over $200,000 and a huge FICO to boot. In other words, one is pretty much not going to get a … (1 comments)

interest rates: South Lake Tahoe Real Estate Update: Monthly Mortgage Payments… then and now! - 10/29/10 07:13 AM

Is it a good time to buy a house in South Lake Tahoe?(Pt 2) (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / October 27, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
This is the second of our four-part series on whether it is a good time to buy a house in South Lake Tahoe in today’s real estate market climate.
This series is a rather detailed look at some of the key factors in making a buying decision. We’ll be looking at interest rates,  mortgage payments, the differences, if any, in the characteristics of a median priced house from 2003 until now, and we’ll also … (0 comments)

interest rates: Would You Believe the Cheapest Mortgages in a Half Century? - 07/03/10 09:51 AM

The Lowest Mortgage Interest Rates since the 1950's!
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / June 26, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
Yep, and it's rather astounding when taking it all in. But the Associated Press article adds "if only most people had the job security, the credit score and the cash to qualify."
Taking that into consideration as it relates to South Lake Tahoe, though, is the key characteristic of the second-home resort home buyer; they are overqualified financially, here. (this is an older post, but second home buyer characteristics are conceptually the same now as they were then.)
We would … (1 comments)

interest rates: An Interest in Interest Rates? - 06/26/10 10:25 AM

Has an Upset in the Interest Rate Force as already Started?
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / April 10, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
The only real question is when, but we all know mortgage interest rates will go up again. In fact, that trend may have already started.
While thinking about this, an old adage about the stock market comes to mind, "buy on the rumor, sell on the news." The "rumor", of course, being what we think might happen.
The point of the wisdom here is the idea one makes money in the stock market by buying before everybody … (0 comments)

interest rates: South Lake Tahoe Real Estate: Just who Wins when the Housing Market Recovers? - 06/24/10 02:49 PM

South Lake Tahoe is just that kind of place... where we might be careful about what we wish for!
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / March 5, 2010 /  Richard Bolen)
In thinking about real estate market growth, just to refresh our memory, what one is really talking about is two things: (1) an increase in demand, which begets (2) an increase in price.
Housing recovery, which means industry growth, is certainly one of the key concepts we're involved with as a country these days. Needless to say, there is opinion aplenty to be found from all angles, and it … (0 comments)

interest rates: Interest Rates Expected to Stay Low - 06/21/10 09:59 AM

Fed Pres Dudley Says Rates May Stay Low for as Long as 2 Years. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / January 15, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
Considering our post below, in which some economists cite one of the reasons home values will continue to decline throughout 2010 is due to rising interest rates, we thought this article would add balance, and some insight perhaps, to the forecast.
This Bloomberg.com article states that "short-term interest rates may remain low for at least six months and possibly for as long as two years."
Here’s a few bullet points:
Short-term rates are going … (0 comments)

interest rates: Real Estate Forecast for January, 2010 - 06/15/10 04:19 PM
3 reasons why some say home prices are heading lower. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog, January 15,2010, Richard Bolen)
This comes from a CNNMoney.com article published earlier this month. Not that any opinion is ever gospel, we thought it interesting, and it certainly seems to be the opinion of some "industry insiders.".
Here’s some bullet points in the article:
After four months of gains, home prices flattened in October. Prices have risen more than 3% since May, according to S&P/Case-Shiller. Most forecasts predict price declines in 2010, with possible losses ranging from 3% up. Fiserv Lending Solutions, a financial analytics firm, … (2 comments)