home buyers: A Great New Program for Homebuyers!
- 04/09/09 09:20 AM
WOW! The California Association of Realtors has just rolled out another great service for the buyers who work with California Realtors to purchase a home. Through the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Mortgage Protection Program, first-time buyers who lose their jobs due to layoffs may be eligible to receive up to $1500 a month for 6 months to help make their mortgage payments. A co-buyer may be eligible to receive up to $750 a month to help make the payments. This program also includes death benefits and accidental disability insurance for qualified buyers. A first-time homebuyer is anyone who has not owned a home in … (0 comments)
home buyers: It's Your Move!
- 10/24/08 04:53 PM
Why Purchase a Home in Today's Market KANE AND ASSOCIATES REALTORS Buying a home in today's market may be a challenge. And given the economic news we're getting, it may take nerves of steel to jump in right now. But there are many homes on the market right now that are great values. If you have good credit, money for a down payment and are pre-approved by a bank, there are homes that may fit your needs. There are many factors that make buying a home today a great option. Interest rates are near their all time lows. The rate on … (0 comments)
home buyers: Consumers Do Value Realtors!
- 03/14/08 10:25 AM
I have had the pleasure a couple of times to hear a presentation from Bob Hale, CEO of the Houston Association of Realtors HAR.com . He spoke about Houston's great website and how consumers have flocked to their website to get wonderful real estate information and also to find Realtors to represent them in a transactions. The Houston Association of Realtors is the most progressive group of Realtors that I have seen in my 24 years as a real estate broker. They have knocked down the fears that if we give the Public more information then we as Realtors will not be … (1 comments)
home buyers: Best Time to Buy in 4 Years
- 03/13/08 09:11 AM
Home values have declined across the country, giving homebuyers the best buys they've had since 2004. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It may be the best time to buy a house in more than four years. Home prices have dropped so quickly and so far that valuations - the difference between what a home should cost and its actual price - are the lowest they've been since 2004, according to a report. The Cleveland-based bank National City Corp. (NCC, Fortune 500), together with financial analysis firm Global Insight, revealed Tuesday that more than 88% of the 330 housing markets surveyed showed price declines and improved … (1 comments)
home buyers: State Senator Briefs Realtors in California!
- 03/08/08 02:27 AM
State Senator briefs REALTORS®: On Friday (3/7), State Sen. Ellen Corbett gave the Valley Marketing Meeting in Pleasanton a behind-the-scenes look at what's happening in Sacramento and legislation she's working on that addresses real estate issues. Corbett represents the 10th Senate district which includes the cities of San Leandro, Fremont, Hayward, Union City, Pleasanton, Milpitas and Newark and part of San Jose, as well as the communities of Castro Valley, San Lorenzo and Sunol.Here's a quick summary of her comments:State budget: The governor's plan to deal with the state's multi-billion dollar budget deficit could have major negative consequences for public schools. … (0 comments)
home buyers: There are Pockets of Pain Around the US but Not as if Most Americans are Losing Their Homes!
- 03/06/08 02:45 PM
Sure, there are pockets of pain around the US, but it's not as if most Americans are losing their homes. More than 99% of homes aren't in foreclosure.By Scott BurnsA recent list of year-end mortgage foreclosure rates in 100 top metropolitan areas drew a lot of attention. Released by RealtyTrac, a company that compiles data on home foreclosures, the list showed the number of foreclosure filings in each metro area, the percentage of homes being foreclosed and the percentage change from the previous year.Though the report had some dismal news -- such as the nearly 4.9% foreclosure rate in the Stockton, … (1 comments)
home buyers: Good News! FHA New Mortgage Limits for California Counties
- 03/05/08 04:08 PM
GOOD NEWS !!!!! FHA Releases New Mortgage Limits for California CountiesFHA Max Limits Include 14 CA Counties* FHA Press Release * WASHINGTON - Tens of thousands of California families could be eligiblethis year to purchase or refinance their homes using affordable,government-backed mortgages, thanks to the economic growth packagesigned into law by President Bush. The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008will allow HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to temporarilyincrease its loan limits and insure larger mortgages at a moreaffordable price in high cost areas of the country. "The Bush Administration is expanding the pool of eligible borrowers,enabling more American families to qualify … (2 comments)
home buyers: Are You Over d55? Do You Want to Transfer Your Property Tax Base in California?
- 03/02/08 03:16 PM
In California Proposition 13 prohibits property tax increases until property ownership is changed. If either spouse is over age 55 (when the old home is sold), PROP 60 allows replacement of a primary residence with a new home of equal or lesser value (but see below) within the same county and transfer of the Prop 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property. This is allowed once in your lifetime, if a spouse has done it before then the other spouse is prohibited from transferring his or her base. PROP 90 allows counties to elect to accept transfers … (2 comments)
home buyers: More About Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007
- 02/29/08 10:55 AM
PRESIDENT SIGNS MORTGAGE FORGIVENESS DEBT RELIEF ACT OF 2007 TAX RELIEF FOR SHORT SALES As many of you may know, one of the big impediments to short sales was the fact that the taxpayer would be charged with ordinary income for any debt which was forgiven by a lender in the short sale. So the taxpayer might get out from under the property but was left with a big income tax bill. The long awaited tax relief from this provision has now been signed into law. On December 20, 2007, President Bush signed into law the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 … (0 comments)
home buyers: Court Strikes Down Bond Requirement for Home Equity Sales Contract!
- 02/28/08 12:41 PM
Brought to you by the California Association of REALTORS® COURT STRIKES DOWN BOND REQUIREMENT FOR HOME EQUITY SALES CONTRACTThe bond requirement for buyers' agent under the home equity sales contract law is unconstitutionally vague and unenforceable. That was the decision of a recent appellate case Schweitzer v. Westminster Investments, 2007 WL 4340853 (filed December 13, 2007).This case involved a homeowner who sued to reclaim real property that he voluntarily sold to an investor the day before a scheduled foreclosure sale. That sales agreement fell within the scope of the home equity sales contract law which has certain requirements for investors who buy … (0 comments)
home buyers: Transfer Property Tax Base if You are Over 55 in California
- 02/27/08 03:15 AM
Office of Assessor COUNTY of Alameda CALIFORNIA 1221 Oak St., County Administration Building Oakland, California 94612-4288 R O N T H O M S E N A S S E S S O R South County Toll Free (800) 660-7725 www.acgov.org/assessor TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TAX BASE FOR PERSONS 55 AND OLDER OR SEVERELY AND PERMANENTLY DISABLED (Revenue and Taxation Code 69.5) (Proposition 60, 90, or 110) PURPOSE This pamphlet will acquaint you with Section 69.5 which allows any person age 55 or older or severely and permanently disabled to transfer the base year value of their original property to a replacement dwelling of "equal or lesser value" that is … (0 comments)
home buyers: Proposition 8: Decline in Market Value
- 02/25/08 05:21 AM
Proposition 8: Decline in Market Value Proposition 8, passed in November 1978, amended Proposition 13 to reflect declines in property value. As a result, Revenue & Taxation Code Section 51 requires the Assessor to annually enroll either a property's Proposition 13 base year value factored for inflation, or its market value as of January 1st (taking into account any factors causing a decline in value), whichever is less. Prop 8 reductions in value are temporary reductions which recognize the fact that the current market value of a property has fallen below its current (Prop 13) assessed value. Once a Prop 8 value has … (2 comments)
home buyers: Why Purchase a Home in Today's Market?
- 02/24/08 02:37 PM
Why Buy a Home in Today's Market? www.yourpieceofcalifornia.com 1 Interest rates on long-term, fixed, and adjustable mortgages are at historically low levels. The rate on a 30-year, fixed mortgage is hovering just below 6 percent, while, by comparison, interest rates were hitting 8 percent and higher during the last market downturn in the late 1990s, and were between 10 and 12 percent at the height of the last housing boom in the 1980s. Lower interest rates make it easier to qualify for a loan, and your monthly payments are more affordable.
2 No one can put a price on the intrinsic value of homeownership. Home prices also reflect financial worth … (4 comments)
home buyers: I Want to Sell my Home! Where Do I Start?
- 02/23/08 06:25 AM
1. Find the Right Representative The experience and knowledge of a dedicated real estate professional can be priceless. A good Realtor® forms a powerful team with his or her clients that makes it possible for them to have a smooth, successful, stress-free sale. 2. Determine your Needs/Wants for the Sale and for Your New Home Selling your primary residence can be tricky because you have to simultaneously be thinking about where you would like to buy. First weigh your priorities - selling price is certainly important, but having a quick and efficient sale can often be worth accepting a slightly lower … (5 comments)
home buyers: Californians Can Purchase a New Home!
- 02/21/08 11:57 AM
Group says more Californians can afford to buy their first homeBy ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer (02-19) 12:13 PST Los Angeles (AP) -- Frustrated California renters take heed: A trade group says it's getting easier for people to afford their first home. With home prices in a downward spiral in many once-booming areas, the percentage of California households that can afford to finance an entry-level home increased in the last three months of 2007 compared to the same period a year earlier, the California Association of Realtors said Tuesday. The trade group for real estate agents calculates affordability based on the minimum household income … (0 comments)
;)
;)
