ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2010
Standard & Poors released its Case-Shiller Index Tuesday. The index is a monthly home valuation report from select cities and among the private sector's most popular home pricing models. In reviewing the April Case-Shiller Index and its accompanying analysis, it appears that the housing market'...
06/30/2010
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One of the things that I have found over the years in working with clients that own real estate portfolios is that people love buying real estate, but they constantly make fundamental mistakes when doing so. The starting point in deciding what to buy and how to buy it should begin with the answe...
06/29/2010
All day, every day, conforming and FHA mortgage rates are in flux. Rates move in response to hundreds of factors which exact varying levels of influence. Among the biggest influences on mortgage rates is inflation. When inflation is unexpectedly high, mortgage rates tend to rise quickly. Conver...
06/29/2010
Mortgage markets improved last week in response to mostly negative data about the U.S. economy, and the Federal Reserve's acknowledgement that Eurozone financial ills could cross the Atlantic. Conforming and FHA mortgage rates fell last week, extending a rate rally that dates to early-April. Mor...
06/28/2010
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Many tax delinquencies occur during the first year of property ownership. As a new property owner you should be aware of the following: Name on Tax Roll & Tax Bill -- The assessment roll from which tax bills are prepared is required, by law, to list the assessee as of January 1st of that year. P...
06/28/2010
One month after the federal homebuyer tax credit's official expiration, the New Home Sales report turned in its worst showing ever. In May 2010, for the first time in 11 months, the inventory of unsold new homes crossed the 8-month marker, posting an 8.5 month supply overall. Additionally, new h...
06/25/2010
Living in the heart of the wine country gives it's residents easy access to more than just amazing wine. It's close to San Francisco, a city with vibrant nightlife, world-renowned festivals, and famous attractions. The city also has a great nightlife and many activities in the bay area including...
06/25/2010
Today, in its first meeting in 5 weeks, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-to-1 to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged. The Fed Fund Rate remains within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. In its press release, the FOMC said that, since April, "the economic recovery is proceeding" and...
06/24/2010
Existing Home Sales dropped in May for the first time in 3 months but still managed to post its second-highest since November 2009, buoyed by the expiring federal tax credit program. An "existing home" is a home that cannot be considered new construction; a resale of an existing home. Existing H...
06/23/2010
Everyone thought that when the Federal government stopped buying mortgage-backed securities in March of this year that interest rates on home mortgages would rise. They will probably by the end of the year, but in the meantime, our friends in Europe have given us that temporary pot of gold at th...
06/22/2010
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Michael Haigh
Production Manager/Top Producing Sr. Loan Officer