Month: April 2014

1.Stocks flat as all eyes turn to Fed
“Investors looked past a weak report on U.S. economic growth Wednesday as they await the latest statement from the Federal Reserve.”

2.U.S. economy stalls on inventories, trade
“The U.S. economy barely grew in the first quarter as the severe winter hampered exports and led businesses to curtail investment spending, but activity already appears to be bouncing back.”

3.Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
“Mortgage applications decreased 5.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 25, 2014.  “

4.U.S. Stocks Fluctuate Before Fed as Economic Growth Slows
“U.S. stocks fluctuated, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index heading for a monthly gain, as data showed growth in the world’s largest economy stalled before a Federal Reserve decision on monetary policy. “

5.U.S. homeownership rate lowest since mid-1990s
“The U.S. homeownership rate hit its lowest level since the mid-1990s, according to a Census release that showed that despite two years of recovery in the housing market there are still fewer homeowners than there were before the recession. “

6.Home prices in major US cities flat in February
“Year-over-year gains in home prices in large U.S. cities slowed in February, another sign the market cooled before the spring home buying season kicked off, according to a closely watched index.”

7.Real Overpriced Counties of America: Orange County named most overpriced county in the entire United States. Fitch Ratings and Trulia point to a bubble in the OC with prices overvalued by 30 percent.
“When it comes to real estate, we know that Californians enjoy drinking from the gold cup of mania. Lusting over real estate seems to be as common as traffic on the 405. People in California have a deep rooted cultural and economic amnesia”

8.Economy shows slight pulse: GDP up just 0.1 percent
“The U.S. economy, as measured by the Gross Domestic Product, grew by an almost imperceptible 0.1 percent in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter of last year, the Bureau of Economic Analysis says Wednesday.”

9.Home prices kept cooling as cold winter progressed
“U.S. home price gains cooled in February from the previous year for the third month in a row, as harsh winter weather and high buying costs have slowed sales. “

10.Pooled MLS listings create new market opportunity for Realtors
“More than 88,000 agents and brokers belonging to two of California’s biggest multiple listing services will soon be able to seamlessly access each other’s listing information and offer buyers and sellers listings from across the state on their public websites.”

11.10 Essential Ways to Prevent Damage and Stay Safe During Upcoming Storm Season
“Storm season is here, and with it comes increased opportunity for home damage, both major and minor. Whether you have to deal with hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, or hail, preparation is key for securing your personal safety and assets against the ravages of inclement weather. Protect your family and home this spring and summer by following these ten tips.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Why Conforming Loan Limits Should Be Part of Housing-Finance Reform — But Aren’t
“The current system of conforming loan limits falls far short of reflecting the actual differences in local home prices and ends up favoring borrowers in lower-cost markets. More than 30% of homes for sale in many California and Northeastern markets are above the conforming loan limit, versus less than 10% in much of the rest of the country. “

2.Real Estate Sees Return of ‘Boomerang Buyers’
“Boomerang buyers, homeowners once in a state of mortgage distress who are buying again, may be just what the economist ordered.”

3.Home prices cool in February
“Home prices cooled off in February, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index.”

4.Pending Home Sales Increase in March
“After months of stagnant activity, pending home sales rose in March, marking the first gain in the past nine months, according to the National Association of Realtors®.”

5.Homeownership rate slips to 19-year low while rental market tightens
“The nation’s homeownership rate slipped to its lowest level in 19 years in the first quarter as more households rented and home sales remained low.”

6.U.S. Homeownership Rate Falls to the Lowest Since 1995
“The homeownership rate in the U.S. declined to the lowest in almost 19 years as rising property prices and mortgage rates held back demand.”

7.Real-estate investing without the headaches
“From the time he was young, he started buying old houses to rent. He had a good feel for what would be a good buy and what he should pay considering the future rents. By the time he was about 60, he had a total of over 50 houses in his stable. “

8.Inside a bankruptcy — Part 1
“I recently sold a well-known commercial property in Napa as part of a bankruptcy. After more than a year and a half of working with the property owner, two lenders, the bankruptcy attorney, trustee, the trustee’s attorney and the two brokers who represented the buyer, we were able to get some relief to the owners.”

9.Home prices kept cooling as cold winter progressed
“U.S. home price gains cooled in February from the previous year for the third month in a row, as harsh winter weather and high buying costs have slowed sales. “

10.US home price gains slow for third straight month
“U.S. home price gains cooled in February from the previous year for the third month in a row, as harsh winter weather and high buying costs have slowed sales.”

11.Case-Shiller: Home Prices Gain Ground in February
“U.S. home price gains cooled in February from the previous year for the third month in a row, as harsh winter weather and high buying costs have slowed sales”

12.The Real Reason New Home Sales Are Down
“The real estate industry has been trying to explain lagging new home sales in the best way it can, but are such interpretations  correct? If you’re a real estate investor or home buyer there’s an alternative you may want to consider. “

13.Real Trends rankings reveal which real estate brokerages grew the fastest in 2013
“Most of the U.S.’s largest brokerages grew their businesses in 2013 at a pace exceeding the growth of the market as a whole, according to an annual analysis by Real Trends that also reveals which companies grew the fastest.”

14.The Critical First Two Weeks of Marketing Your Home For Sale
“Brokers share their listings with other brokers in the multiple listing service (MLS) under certain rules of cooperation and compensation. One of the rules of cooperation is that each broker and agent make a new listings available to other MLS members within 24 or 48 hours of signing the listing agreement with the seller.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Slowing Housing Market Needs the ‘Boomerang Buyer’
“The real estate has exhausted the refi boom, and the investor money is drying up as well. If the market is going to keep growing, it’s going to need a new crop of buyers.”

2.U.S. pending home sales rise in March; first gain in nine months
“Pending home sales rose in March, as the national housing market showed signs of life at the start of the spring buying season.”

3.Pending Sales of U.S. Existing Homes Rise Most Since 2011
“Contracts to purchase previously owned U.S. homes climbed in March by the most in almost three years, showing residential real estate was starting to stabilize entering the spring selling season. “

4.Groundfloor stretches crowd-funding’s limits
“A renovated historic home near downtown Atlanta hits the market this week, an accomplishment for 39 Georgians who lent $40,000 for the project through Groundfloor, an online crowd-funding platform.”

5.Contracts to Buy US Homes up, 1st Time Since June
“More Americans signed contracts to buy homes in March, the first increase since June and a sign that the housing market might pick up after a sluggish start to the year”

6.Home sales still weaker than last year
“look, march numbers were better than expected, but far weaker than a year ago. that as analysts revising down dramatically.”

7.A fading middle-class perk: lower mortgage rates
” WASHINGTON — For three decades, the U.S. middle class enjoyed a rare financial advantage over the wealthy: lower mortgage rates.”

8.What will be the impact of cash investors slowing purchases in California? Large investor sales drop 31 percent year-over-year in California. 1.2 million homeowners underwater.

“The market in California is starting to splinter off into two distinct segments. First, in lower priced areas the pullback of investors has caused inventory to steadily rise.”

9.Bay Area house flippers star in new reality TV series
“In an era of rising home prices, making money flipping a house seems like a slam-dunk. But buying, remodeling and quickly selling a house at a profit is an art practiced successfully by only a few, even as many of us dream that we could do it ourselves.”

10.Is Housing Ringing The Stock Market’s Bell Again?
“It is said that they don’t ring a bell at stock market tops. However, the housing industry has sometimes been quite adept at doing just that. In fact, it has been quite prescient in leading the economy, and thus the stock market, in both directions.”

11.Pending Home Sales Jump, End Losing Streak
“WASHINGTON — Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes rose in March for the first time in nine months, a sign the housing market could be stabilizing after suffering a setback from a rise in interest rates and a severe winter.”

12.6 market insights your real estate clients can use for a quicker sale this spring
“The spring housing market is about to get into full swing. And while agents may be fully aware of the state of this year’s emerging housing market, your clients may not be. It’s your job to get your sellers up to speed with what the 2014 home-selling season will bring.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.U.S. Stocks Drop Amid Earnings as Kerry Warns Russia
“U.S. stocks declined, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index erasing a weekly gain, as results from Amazon.com Inc. to Visa Inc. disappointed and tension escalated over Ukraine. “

2.Denver real estate market favors sellers, homes move in record time
“Homes in the Denver metro area are among the fastest selling in the nation, ranking fourth in pace of sales out of 100 metro markets, according to a report released Thursday by Trulia.”

3.Carefully weigh real-estate investments
“Most people can succeed investing in real estate if they’re willing to do their homework, which includes selecting top real-estate professionals”

4.Why I still like real estate
“I have said this many times. You will not get rich in the stock market, you will get reasonable rates of return over time but people who are wealth generally do not do it that way. Wealthy people are wealth because of 1 of 4 things. “

5.Why the housing market is still stalling the economy
“If the economy still feels stuck, blame the housing market.”

6.Housing goes from hopeful to underwhelming as 2014 moves along
“WASHINGTON — A spate of new economic reports shows that a speedier recovery of the housing market does not appear in the cards this year.”

7.A fading middle-class perk: lower mortgage rates
“WASHINGTON — For three decades, the U.S. middle class enjoyed a rare financial advantage over the wealthy: lower mortgage rates.”

8.Pending homes sales jump in March, short sales decline
“Pending home sales in California rose to their highest level in eight months in March and the percentage of short sales plummeted to levels not seen since 2008, the California Association of Realtors reported Wednesday.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.A new housing bubble?
“Even though the recent financial crisis is barely in the rearview mirror, risk is starting to build once again in both the U.S. mortgage and housing markets.”

2.March new home sales plunge 14.5%
“Sales of new single-family homes dropped sharply last month as severe winter weather and higher mortgage rates continued to slow the housing recovery”

3.U.S. stocks rebound; Nasdaq leads gains
“NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The U.S. stock market staged a late-morning rebound and moved higher, shaking off worries about Russia’s military drills on the border with Ukraine. “

4.UPDATE 2-D.R. Horton, PulteGroup raise prices in tight U.S. home market
“D.R. Horton Inc and PulteGroup Inc, the two biggest U.S. homebuilders, said a tight supply of homes is helping them to raise prices, suggesting that the market is regaining strength ahead of the crucial spring selling season.”

5.Survey: Most small business owners optimistic about the economy
“For the first time in five years, a majority of small business owners are optimistic about the economy, and business owners in regions of the country that last year were most concerned about the economy are now looking up, according to results of a new survey paid for by U.S. Bank.”

6.Sales of new U.S. homes plunge 14.5 percent in March
“WASHINGTON — The number of Americans buying new homes plummeted in March to the slowest pace in eight months, a sign that real estate’s spring buying season is off to a weak start. “

7.Home Staging on a Budget: 10 Simple Steps That Sell
“You’ve decided to sell your home, and you want to get top dollar for it. And you’ve seen TV shows where homeowners spend thousands of dollars staging their homes for sale, but there’s an important detail to consider: You don’t have thousands and thousands to spend.”

8.Compensation model crucial when creating real estate team
“You’re working 14 hours a day, you haven’t had a day off in months, and you’re losing market share to competitors because you can’t keep up with all the incoming business. Is the time right to start a team? “

9.Sell Your Home With Words
“What is written about a home that’s for sale may have a positive impact on its sale price. I’ve written many times about how professional videos and photos can help sell your home faster and possibly for more money but we can’t forget the power of the written word. “

TonyAlvarez.com

1.March new home sales
“Trulia chief economist Jed Kolko on the drop in new home sales in March.”

2.Where Homes Are Going Fastest This Spring
“For-sale homes are disappearing from the market fastest in the San Francisco Bay Area, Denver, Seattle, and southern California. The 2014 spring market is moving slightly faster than 2013, led by the lowest price tier of homes.”

3.Cities where home prices are hitting new highs
“Big Oil, and the big money it has brought with it, has kept Dallas’ economy running on all cylinders. “

4.New-home sales tumble in March; prices rise
“New-home sales tumble in March; prices rise”

5.Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
“WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 23, 2014) — Mortgage applications decreased 3.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 18, 2014.  “

6.Rising Home Prices Crack Foundation of U.S. Real-Estate Recovery
“A crack is starting to form in the foundation of the U.S. housing-market recovery that extends beyond bad winter weather. “

7.Housing rebound in U.S. loses steam as prices rise
“The housing recovery in the U.S. is running out of steam as buyers balk at record prices and higher mortgage rates that are making properties less affordable.”

8.Foreclosures in Sacramento fall far below historic norms
“Sacramento-area foreclosures fell far below long-term averages in the first few months of this year, continuing to decrease as the housing and job markets recovered, DataQuick reported Tuesday.”

9.The façade of a recovering housing market: New home sales collapse and supply of inventory finally reaches six months.
“New home sales had a horrible reading in the latest set of data. Hard to blame the polar vortex on this one since the only area in the country that saw a jump in sales was in the frigid Northeast but what of the other areas?”

10.Realtors: California pending home sales jump in March
“California pending home sales increased more than usual in March and rose to the highest level in eight months, according to figures compiled by the California Association of Realtors.”

11.San Fernando Valley housing inventory jumps 50 percent
“The number of homes for sale soared 50 percent in the San Fernando Valley during March, but sales remained soft as prices crested the half-million-dollar mark, a trade association said Monday.”

12.10 Reasons Why Homeowners Have an Edge on Renters
“Homebuying has earned a bad rap in recent years: The subprime mortgage crisis and ensuing economic meltdown left many homeowners underwater, unable to pay their mortgage and even facing foreclosure.”

13.47 Least Affordable U.S. Housing Markets
“RealtyTrac recently analyzed the affordability of renting and buying in 1,586 U.S. counties and found a surprising number of Americans living in markets that are unaffordable by traditional standards.”

14.California Foreclosure Starts Hover Near 8-Year Low
“La Jolla, CA.–For the third consecutive quarter California foreclosure starts remained little changed at a level last seen in early 2006, the result of steady economic growth and higher home values. Foreclosure processors are still mostly plowing through a pool of toxic subprime mortgages originated back in mid-to-late 2006, a real estate information service reported. “

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Home sales slip in March across U.S.; price growth slows
“Home sales slipped across the U.S. in March as would-be buyers continue to grapple with tough credit standards and too few houses on the market.”

2.Sales of US Existing Homes Slip to a 20-Month Low
“Sales of existing U.S. homes slipped in March to their lowest level since July 2012 as rising prices and a tight supply of available homes discouraged many would-be buyers.”

3.UPDATE 2-U.S. home resales hit 1-1/2 year low, but may be stabilizing
“WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) – U.S. home resales fell to their lowest level in more than 1-1/2 years in March, but there were signs a recent downward trend that has plagued the housing market may be drawing to an end”

4.Foreclosure rates edge downward in Central Valley
“The pace of homes falling into the foreclosure process declined in February across much of the Central Valley, once the epicenter of the nation’s mortgage meltdown, according to a report Tuesday from financial information company CoreLogic Inc. (NYSE: CLGX) of Irvine.”

5.Thawing out: Warmer temperatures lift U.S. economy
“A recent batch of government and business reports show a U.S. economy emerging from winter’s deep freeze. “

6.Real Estate Q&A: Money-Saving Home Improvements, Who To Call If There’s A Fire In Your Home
“I just bought a house that was built in the late 1950s and has no insulation in the walls, attic or crawl space. It also has older single-pane windows that I’m considering replacing. For my limited budget, which project is the most financially advantageous, if any?”

7.San Fernando Valley housing inventory jumps 50 percent
“The number of homes for sale soared 50 percent in the San Fernando Valley during March, but sales remained soft as prices crested the half-million-dollar mark, a trade association said Monday.”

8.Alternatives to Putting 20 Percent Down on a Home
“It’s a mantra often repeated in the real estate industry: If you want to buy a house, you need a 20 percent down payment. But with the average house in the U.S. costing $311,400 as of December 2013, according to the Census Bureau, all one has to do is the math to get a coronary. Raising a 20 percent down payment isn’t an easy thing to do.”

9.What we are lacking right now is not intelligence, but wisdom
“When you look around the world right now, you see an amazing number of leaders, with very high IQs, making terrible decisions,” says Huffington Post Media Group Chairwoman, President and Editor-in-Chief Arianna Huffington. “The problem is not that they are not smart. The problem is they are not wise. What we are lacking right now is not intelligence, but wisdom.”

10.Best Renovation To Add Value? Income Suites
“What’s the best renovation project if you want to add resale value to your home? Most of us would say improving the kitchen or bathroom, but the correct answer is adding an income suite, says Scott McGillivray, a real estate investor, contractor and the host of Income Property on HGTV Canada.”

11.Rich Dad Poor Dad: How to Buy Your FIRST Real Estate Investment Available for FREE Download
“The Rich Dad Company makes How to Buy Your FIRST Real Estate Investment workbook available for free eBook download beginning today. “

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Listing in winter may yield higher home price
“WASHINGTON — It’s common knowledge verging on holy writ in real estate: Spring is the absolute best time of the year to sell a house.”

2.Property-Tax Collections Rising at Fastest Pace Since U.S. Crash
“Property-tax collections are rising at the fastest pace since the U.S. housing market crash sent government revenue plunging, helping end an era of local budget cuts. “

3.Gauge of US Economy up for 3rd Straight Month
“A measure of the U.S. economy’s health rose in March for the third consecutive month, a sign of stronger growth after harsh winter weather caused the economy’s pace to slow.”

4.Rent or buy a home? This map has the answer
“To help make the decision simpler, RealtyTrac crunched the numbers and created an interactive map of the rent/buy fault lines across America”

5.Home sales getting crimped by more than the weather
“Officials will release monthly sales data this week for new and existing homes, and economists polled by MarketWatch expect to hear that both series remained at lackluster rates in March. “

6.A mortuary of 7,000,000 foreclosures and counting: Nation still faces 9.1 million properties that are seriously underwater.
“If a foreclosure happens in the wilderness, does it make a sound? It seems like people have conveniently forgotten that since the housing crisis hit we have witnessed more than 7,000,000+ foreclosures.”

7.Economy Stuck in Lower Gear But Expected to Accelerate in Q2 2014
“WASHINGTON, DC – A slow growth pattern dominated the first quarter of the year, but the economy is expected to gain momentum in the second quarter amid an increase in government spending and diminishing drag from a slowdown in inventory stockpiling, according to Fannie Mae’s (FNMA/OTC) Economic & Strategic Research Group.”

8.Is starting a team the right solution for your real estate business?
“At Real Estate Connect, Ben Kinney, who runs one of the most successful real estate teams in the country, claimed, “Real estate teams are the future of real estate.” Whether you agree or disagree, before you go down the path of starting a team make sure you are prepared for what is required.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.Buying a House? Why Putting 20 Percent Down Is the Smartest Decision
“There are many challenges that come into play when you’re in the market to buy a home. According to Trulia’s American Dream survey, consumers said the number one obstacle to homeownership was saving enough for a downpayment. “

2.Americans have fallen in love with real estate once again
“FORTUNE — As the real estate market recovers, so does America’s faith in housing as an investment.”

3.Rent or buy a home? This map has the answer
“To help make the decision simpler, RealtyTrac crunched the numbers and created an interactive map of the rent/buy fault lines across America”

4.The Incredible Comeback Of The American Love Affair With Real Estate
“This recent Gallup survey on expected future returns of asset prices is pretty interesting.  It shows that most Americans still think that owning a home is the best way to generate a high return in the future”

5.Even after the crash, Americans still love real estate best
“Five years after a real estate bubble popped in epic fashion, it seems Americans are looking to get back in the trade”

6.Secrets to Getting Multiple Offers on a Home
“Homeowners hear that the real estate market has finally turned a corner and assume that means multiple offers and bidding wars are back.”

TonyAlvarez.com

1.The real economy is finally doing better than the money economy
“FORTUNE — Here’s a switch: The bankers are all of a sudden doing worse than the butchers, the bakers, and the candlestick makers.”

2.Treasuries Decline With Dollar as U.S. Stocks Fluctuate
“Treasuries fell with the dollar and oil climbed as U.S. jobless claims hovered near the lowest level in almost seven years. “

3.O.C. median home price hits $580,000
“Sales of new and luxury homes in March helped boost the Orange County median home price to $580,000, the highest point in seven years, according to DataQuick Information Systems.”

4.HOME SALES: Spring sales hit a 6-year-low
“Home sales across Southern California fell to a six-year low as median prices rose to its highest point since 2008, a new report from the real estate aggregator DataQuick said.”

5.Average US 30-Year Mortgage Rate Falls to 4.27 Pct
“Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages fell this week for the second straight week as the spring home-buying season begins.”

6.Sellers’ market has few homes
“Home sales in the Sacramento region were stuck in an odd rut in March, traditionally the start of the spring homebuying season.”

7.Orange County and Los Angeles County. Southland homes sales reach 6 year low while median price hits 6 year high.
“I always found it fascinating that one of the most toxic mortgage products ever created, the option ARM was pushed heavily by California banking institutions.  Places like WaMu, Countrywide Financial, First Fed, and other bygone institutions were heavily into this crack for housing mortgage.”

8.Americans still think real estate is best long-term investment
“Americans today are more likely to think real estate is the best option for long-term investments than in the past, ranking it ahead of gold and stocks, according to Gallup Inc.”

9.How to sail through a home appraisal
“Real estate appraiser Matt Cook just finished working his way through a house to gauge its value when the homeowner reached out to shake his hand.”

10.Should Fannie and Freddie Bankroll ‘Affordable Housing’
“On Jan. 24, 33 Democratic senators sent a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency director Mel Watt, requesting funding for two initiatives that have been suspended since their inception in 2008 — the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) and the Capital Magnet Fund (CMF). The NHTF, created by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, was intended to send money to  states which would end up benefiting low-income renters as well as first-time homebuyers. “

TonyAlvarez.com