California first time home buyers is it the time of your life? - 06/30/12 11:35 AM
First time home buyers in today's uncertain California real estate market are getting bombarded with "Buy Now" or "Don't Buy" messages and it can be difficult to know the right decision for you and your family.
I came across this blog on Trulia and would like to share some of it with you. 5 Signs it's the right time to buy.
I would recommend reading the entire post when you have a few minutes, but I would like to share Sign #1 with you because it goes to the essence of the home buying decision: It has to be the "time … (0 comments)

Size does matter to California first time home buyers? - 06/28/12 07:18 AM
Wanting a super-sized home is one thing, but getting it is another for first time home buyers. Although newly constructed homes are getting bigger, most inventory is existing homes, including foreclosures, and the current inventory of for-sale homes doesn't quite match the dreams of first time home buyers.The majority of available homes fall in the smaller size categories–800 to 2,000 square feet. That means many Americans may have to downsize their dreams to fit a smaller reality. We have helped hundreds of first time home buyers and their families get their "right sized" piece of the American Dream and they all … (2 comments)

Are first time home buyers getting what they want in their first home? - 06/27/12 06:37 PM
Are first time home buyers getting what they want in their first home? What amenities do first time home buyers want in their first home and what are they actually getting? This infographic from Trulia illustrates where renter dreams meet first time home buyer realities.

We have helped hundreds of first time home buyers and their families achieve their part of the American Dream and they all have one thing in common: They called us.
… (4 comments)

Calm seas ahead for California real estate? - 06/25/12 01:22 PM
Real estate and California real estate in particular has taken a beating over the last few years and no one is happier than I it may be over.
If the latest Trulia.com American Dream Survey is any indicator, we may have weathered the storm and "calm seas and a good stiff breeze" await.
Sixty-one percent of Americans think that home prices in their local market will rise in the next year Read the complete post
See the complete American Dream Survey (slideshow) 
… (6 comments)

California first time home buyers it's time for a reality check - 06/24/12 10:04 AM
First time home buyers it's time for a reality check
First time home buyers entering the market for their first home don't need me to tell them about the opportunities and challenges they face.
First time home buyer buys a $200,000 home for $1000 down Simple math for first time home buyers The national media is no help either. They've helped create the perception that McMansions can be bought for pennies on the dollar and the real estate websites like Zillow and Trulia show the most searched zip codes as (according to Trulia.com) 90210 and 90265 (Malibu). Is it because there … (2 comments)

The top 10 things your lender wishes he could say to your borrowers but can't - 06/23/12 10:21 AM
Thanks to my friends at RESource.TV for this
Top 10 things you WISH you could say to your borrowers, but cant! 1.No, we don't really need all of your tax returns or bank statements ––just the random pages that you feel like sending. 2. It took you three weeks to get me your documents.I will need a little more than 5 minutes to get your docs out. 3. It’s a little hard to believe these tax liens and mortgage lates on your credit report are the first you are hearing of this. 4. At what point when I was talking about … (7 comments)

California first time home buyer buys a $200000 house for $1000 down - 06/18/12 03:23 PM
First time home buyers buy a $200,000 home for $1000 down!
Jim and Lisa, like many apartment dwellers felt that owning their first home was beyond their reach. Even though they were tired of apartment life, the media had them convinced there were no incentives left for first time home buyers.
First time home buyer incentives in 2012 Their lease was going to expire in a couple months and when they got the notification their rent was going up, they knew they had two choices: Find a new place to rent or see if they could actually be first time home … (6 comments)

I don't understand why more people aren't buying homes? - 06/11/12 03:45 PM
Commencement speeches are tailored to reach graduates, but often lend inspiration to every day people, long out of college.
And this one phrase from a commencement address has done more to summarize my frustrations of our business: "I don't understand everything I know"
I know this is a great time to buy a home and get a loan, but I have trouble understanding why more families aren't standing in line.Sharing the pain? Consider these numbers from Integra Realty Resources (IRR):
 While 85 percent of potential buyers indicated that market conditions are favorable for purchasing a home, unemployment and job instability make many respondents … (3 comments)

Simple math for California first time home buyers - 06/08/12 12:32 PM
In school I struggled with math more than any other subject, but here's some simple math for first time home buyers even I could understand.We all know that property values in most areas of California have dropped, but what does that means in terms of actual savings for first time home buyers?

Simple Math for first time home buyers
Comparing the cost of homeownership 2006 to 2012

 
 
 
That's an annual savings of $25,440!
 
These figures are for information purposes only. Estimates are based on a 40% decrease in California home prices since 2006. Property taxes based on a … (5 comments)