associated press: US Home Sales Drop in June… a Different Story in South Lake Tahoe, CA! - 07/19/12 03:39 PM
 
 22.5% more housing demand in South Lake Tahoe, CA compared to the rest    of the country
 (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 19, 2012 / Richard Bolen)
Americans bought fewer homes in June than May, according to the Associated Press this morning. We thought we'd look at some of the data in the article and compare that to South Lake Tahoe, CA.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said Thursday that sales of previously occupied homes fell 5.4 percent in June, and that sales results were the fewest since October.
As the chart below shows, however, there was an … (0 comments)

associated press: US Unemployment Rates keeps getting better, and that’s food for South Lake Tahoe! - 03/18/12 04:35 AM
 An increase in US hiring whets every home buyer's appetite.
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / March 15, 2012 / Richard Bolen)
We're seeing this often these days, and here's today's take on the weekly US report: "fewer people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, adding to signs that the job market is strengthening." Like everywhere, this is certainly good news for South Lake Tahoe too.
More hiring means more jobs and more folks working, and that's fundamental to a quicker return to a full functioning, healthy housing market, both across the country, and here in South Lake Tahoe.
Here's … (0 comments)

associated press: Better Year End Economic Indicators… for the Country and South Lake Tahoe - 12/29/11 06:47 AM

Rising Consumer Confidence, Lower Housing Prices, Falling Jobless Claims, Historic Low Interest Rates are hopeful signs. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / December 27, 2011 / Richard Bolen)
Here's a few reports that have come in through the holidays that we find encouraging. All are hopeful about a recovering economy (yes, we too wish it were faster), and all are good news for home buyers looking for South Lake Tahoe opportunities in the new year.
This first article came out just before Christmas, and it finds the number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits dropped to their lowest level … (0 comments)

associated press: South Lake Tahoe Home Affordability: Interest Rates Have Never Been this Low Before. - 10/11/11 12:08 PM
 Interest Rates below 4%? It screams South Lake Tahoe home buyer advantage.
(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / October 9, 2011 / Richard Bolen)
There is really no other way to say it: mortgage interest rates on a South Lake Tahoe home loan are as low now as they were in the 1905's. The truth is many of you have not seen such good home buying news in your lifetime. (I have, but it was when I was only four-years old, and back then I was much more interested in sand boxes than houses.)
For a moment last week the mortgage … (1 comments)

associated press: A Good Jobs Report: Good for South Lake Tahoe and all housing markets - 05/11/11 08:08 AM

With Jobs picking up steam, the South Lake Tahoe real estate market, and home values, will eventually follow. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / May 8, 2011 / Richard Bolen)
We thought this news significant enough to let it get past its news cycle… and then review it again. The jobs report that came out last Friday was a good one, rather unexpected, and it's a continuum of reports like this that will eventually signify the return of home value growth, not only in South Lake Tahoe, but in all housing markets.
There were lots of different reports throughout the … (0 comments)

associated press: Interesting Interest Rates… Good for South Lake Tahoe Home Buyers - 05/10/11 04:49 PM

South Lake Tahoe has exceptionally affordable resort homes right now! (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / May 5, 2011 / Richard Bolen)
Yup, interest rates are now at their lowest level of the year, and this is again incredibly good news for South Lake Tahoe home buyers.
On a fixed 30-yr mortgage loan, today's interest rate is 4.71%.
The lowest it has been was near the first of November last year… when it was 4.15%… for a few hours! Since then, and this is what interest rates always do, the rate has varied.
Throughout the year, the monthly average mortgage … (1 comments)

associated press: More Better Economic News for South Lake Tahoe - 02/12/11 04:19 AM
For South Lake Tahoe, we’d like even better news… but it’s not getting worse. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / February 10, 2011 / Richard Bolen)
Three recent articles say our economy continues to improve slightly, and that’s good for South Lake Tahoe. We think it still wise to temper anything suggesting good news, but what is apparent for sure is we’re not seeing worse news. All of us have had plenty enough of that.
The news here has much to do about jobs, and inflation, or the lack of it, and as we’ve been writing about for the last few … (0 comments)

associated press: Recent National Economic and Real Estate News and comments about South Lake Tahoe, CA - 01/27/11 06:26 AM
Increasingly, the news is getting better, and that’s good for South Lake Tahoe. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / January 25, 2011 / Richard Bolen)
We though it would be helpful to list a few recent news items we’ve seen. We’ll comment on each one briefly as it might relate to South Lake Tahoe.
Some of this news is better for the US economy, some not exactly, but the overall impression we are getting is the economy is improving slightly, and the jobs market, while better, is not improving enough yet to affect the current 9.4% employment rate.
“Consumer Confidence Hits … (0 comments)

associated press: Is the US Economy Getting Better… a Good Day for South Lake Tahoe on the Recovery Path - 12/21/10 06:04 AM
Four Economic Good News Indicators appear in one Day, and good news for the Economy is good news for South Lake Tahoe (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / December 19, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
This doesn’t happen often, at least not in the last four years, but we like it when it does. It’s that constant stream of economic indicators over time that tells us the country is on an upward economic path. And that’s good news, like fresh snow, for South Lake Tahoe indeed.
This “path” is paved with ups and downs, but it’s when things are mostly up, or … (1 comments)

associated press: Today’s US Employment Numbers… separating the wheat from the chaff - 12/05/10 06:06 AM
It’s either worse, or better, so how do we know? (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / December 3, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
This one comes with a surprise, especially since most all US economic indicators, which includes the jobs market,  have been looking better lately.
Today’s report though, via the Associated Press, indicates the US unemployment rate went up two tenths of a point in November, from 9.6% to 9.8%. (30,000 jobs added in November instead of the expected 150,000 or so.)
According to the article, this is a surprising setback and a reminder that the economic recovery is proceeding more … (1 comments)

associated press: Babe Ruth, US Housing Starts and South Lake Tahoe - 09/24/10 05:37 AM
What Does the Sultan of Swat have to do with the South Lake Tahoe housing market anyway? (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / September 22, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
We looked at two reports that came out yesterday about home construction, one by the Associated Press and the other in the New York Times. The source of these was yesterday’s release by the US Department of Commerce.
Lets look at the lead and difference in tone between the Associated Press and the New York Times. Here’s the AP lead: “Home construction increased last month and applications for building permits also grew. … (1 comments)

associated press: US Home Prices Up… so What about South Lake Tahoe? - 09/02/10 08:32 AM

South Lake Tahoe, CA home prices stable for last 11 months… but have declined by 36% since market high. (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / August 31, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
Today’s somewhat better national housing news comes via various media outlets, and it is based on the current Standard & Poor’s / Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released this morning. Here we’ll focus on what the Associated Press and CNNMoney.com has to say, then we’ll compare to South Lake Tahoe.
First here’s a synthesis of the bullet points in today’s real estate news: Home prices gain 3.6% in the … (0 comments)

associated press: The Lake Tahoe Thunderbird - 07/13/10 07:29 AM
70th Anniversary of Custom Lake Tahoe Master Craft… the Thunderbird! (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / July 11, 2010 / Richard Bolen)

Celebrating Lake Tahoe’s most famous boat, wood or otherwise, The Thunderbird is perhaps the most unique and valuable run-about in the world. At 55-feet long, it is a treasured Lake Tahoe masterpiece.
It has been on the Lake for the last 70 years, and when running about, it stops all who are in range to see or hear it. No other Lake Tahoe boat comes close to The Thunderbird’s reputation or history.
Built before 1940 by George … (1 comments)

associated press: News in a better direction: Home Sales Up, Job Losses Down… but what about South Lake Tahoe? - 06/28/10 06:16 AM

Today's News is A Picture of a Modestly Improving Economy (Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog / April 22, 2010 / Richard Bolen)
Needless to say we think this is news in a better direction. And the truth is we're seeing increases in the number of South Lake Tahoe, CA home sales too.
Here are some bullet points in today's Associated Press news article about housing sales: (article here)
US Home sales rose sharply last month. Claims for jobless benefits fell last week. Sales of previously occupied homes increased more than expected in March after three straight months of declines. The … (0 comments)