9 Questions To Ask Before Buying Your First Home
“While the dream of home ownership may have taken a beating during the recent recession, a majority of Americans still say that buying a house is in their life plan.”
Buy vs. rent: What you’ll pay in the 10 biggest cities
“Despite rising home prices and climbing mortgage rates, it’s still cheaper to buy a home than rent one in major cities across the country, according to real estate web site Trulia, which analyzed data in 100 metro areas.”
How to Know If a Neighborhood Is Gentrifying
“Bargains may be few and far between in the current real estate market, but buyers can get a deal if they are willing to purchase a home in an up-and-coming neighborhood. But discovering a neighborhood with potential can be tricky.”
Questions You Need to Ask a Real Estate Agent
“Real estate agents are key to buying or selling a home, but not all agents are created equal.”
What The Home-Price Slowdown Really Looks Like
“The Trulia Price Monitor and the Trulia Rent Monitor are the earliest leading indicators of how asking prices and rents are trending nationally and locally. They adjust for the changing mix of listed homes and therefore show what’s really happening to asking prices and rents. Because asking prices lead sales prices by approximately two or more months, the Monitors reveal trends before other price indexes do. With that, here’s the scoop on where prices and rents are headed.”
Michael Milken: How Housing Policy Hurts the Middle Class
“The American dream traditionally meant that anyone could get ahead based on ability and hard work. But over the past few decades, the United States government created incentives through housing programs and the tax code that changed the dream for many Americans. Middle-class families began to think of homes as investments, not just shelter. When the housing market crashed, everyone suffered—homeowners, investors, wage-earners and taxpayers.”
Is the Economy Stronger Than Current Measures Show?
“Numerous indicators have been flashing warning signals recently, sending economists and policymakers scrambling to determine how much of the deterioration is caused by unusually cold and stormy weather.”
Mortgage rates fall again
“After three weeks of trending higher, mortgage rates have once again turned lower.”
Cheap Obama mortgages to get more expensive
“Nearly 783,000 homeowners whose mortgage rates were reduced under the government’s Home Affordable Modification Program are going to see their rates increase over the next few years, which will likely lead some borrowers to re-default, a federal watchdog warned.”
“In early February, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) gathered for the first annual Design and Construction Week in Las Vegas, a new event that combined the building industry’s two primary trade shows — the International Builders’ Show (IBS) and Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) — into one mega-event that drew over 75,000 builders, designers, and product manufacturers. “
“The economy merely muddled along at the end of the year, but economists call it “impressive” given the federal spending cuts and the government shutdown in October.”
Fed’s Dudley flags easy money now, rate rise around mid-2015
“The Federal Reserve is not about to back off its highly accommodative policy, though investor predictions of a rate rise by midway through next year are reasonable, an influential U.S. central banker said on Friday.”
Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates down; 30-year fixed averaging 4.28%
“The cost of a home loan dropped early this week on less than robust news about the economy and housing, with Freddie Mac reporting that the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 4.28%, down from 4.37% a week earlier.”
Investors ready for mortgage-credit risk: Treasury
“WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Congress’s lack of progress on reforming the U.S. housing-finance system shouldn’t be “an excuse” to delay rebuilding the market for private-label mortgage securities, a senior U.S. Treasury Department official said Thursday. “
Household Worth in U.S. Climbs by $2.95 Trillion to Record
“Household wealth in the U.S. increased from October through December, as gains in stock portfolios and home prices boosted Americans’ finances. “
Mortgage rates fall amid lower economic data
“Mortgage rates fell lower amid weaker-than-expected economic news and housing data, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey revealed.”
3 signs the economy is in a quagmire
“The official U.S. Labor Department jobs report comes out Friday morning and HousingWire will have it, but in the meanwhile a series of economic indicators and events suggest a continued weakness in the U.S. economy.”
Property ETFs Draw More Money Than in All of 2013: Mortgages
“Investment flowing into exchange-traded funds focused on real estate this year has already eclipsed the 2013 total as concern over rising interest rates subsides and property markets improve.”
REAL ESTATE: Where are the boomerang buyers?
“It appeared in a March 4 newsletter by Irvine-based John Burns Real Estate Consulting, as Sean Fergus makes the point that of the 5.3 million households that lost a home to a foreclosure or short sale from 2007 to 2013, many are regrouping to become homeowners again.”
HOUSING: ‘Precipitous’ drop in institutional investors
“Investors bowed out of the Inland Southern California and national homebuying scene in January in bigger numbers, a new report from a real estate information service notes.”
Home-equity loans make a comeback
“Home-equity lending surpassed 2009 levels in 2013, with $111 billion in new home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) opened. In the fourth quarter, new lending increased 43% from quarter four 2012, according to data from Experian-Oliver Wyman Market Intelligence Reports and Experian’s IntelliView tool. “
Investing in farm, single-family home REITs
“Buying a farm isn’t cheap. But the average investor with an appetite to own crop-yielding real estate has another avenue these days: investing in a farmland REIT. “
Video killed the commercial real estate broker: A new marketing strategy
“Everywhere you look, it seems as though video is taking over. (Remember when LCD installations were still notable at gas stations and taxi seat backs?) Now commercial real estate is getting into the act with high-end video marketing videos, a trend I write about in this week’s real estate special issue.”
Appraiser: Johnson County real estate downturn is over
“The recession and real estate slump clearly are over in Johnson County, according to a 2014 revaluation report released by the Johnson County Appraiser’s Office.”
These guys say, ‘Don’t invest like it’s 1980’
“Bret Sinak and Ron Portell, managing partners at Endeavor Wealth Management in Chesterfield, with $100 million in client assets, believe a lot of small and midsize institutional investors are. They contend too few are venturing beyond stocks, bonds and cash into alternative investments, such as real estate and commodities, through mutual funds and exchange traded funds.”
14 Real Estate Terms That Everyone Should Understand
“Whether you are trying to buy or sell a home (or do both!), you need to familiarize yourself with the lingo.”
California Upgrades Homebuyer Grants and Loans Programs, Says Broadview Mortgage Long Beach
“Broadview Mortgage Long Beach reports a guideline to homebuyer assistance loans and grants in California. Long Beach, California (PRWEB) March 08, 2014. Broadview Mortgage Long Beach offers detailed information on homebuyer grants and loans available. “
The 70% Rule: One Critical Formula Investors Need to Know
“The 70% of ARV (after repair value) “rule” is a formula commonly referred to by real estate investors, and used as a barometer when purchasing distressed real estate for a profit. The formula will calculate the maximum you can pay for a given property once you input two key factors, namely the ARV and”
Report: Sacramento area led nation in median home sales price growth in 2013
“Amid an improving housing market nationwide, the Sacramento area led the nation in year-over-year percentage median sales price growth at the close of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, according to Emeryville-based ZIPRealty Inc.”
California housing leaving the middle class behind in the dust
“California is a land of booms and busts. Generations ago gold rush fever brought many to speculate and gamble for future glory. In the 1900s the promise of uninterrupted sun and great weather lured families to the area. “
California’s unemployment rate decreases to 8.1 percent
“California’s unemployment rate decreased to 8.1 percent in January, and nonfarm payroll jobs decreased by 31,600 during the month for a total gain of 1,171,000 jobs since the recovery from the Great Recession began in February 2010, according to data released Friday by the California Employment Development Department from two separate surveys.”
“The pace of downsizing declined in February as U.S.-based employers announced plans to cut payrolls by 41,835, according to the report Thursday from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.”
Realtor/economist: 2014 will be ‘better’ year for local real estate
“Leslie Appleton-Young, vice president and chief economist for the California Association of Realtors (CAR), delivered her “2014 Housing Market Forecast” at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa on Tuesday.”
“A triple-net (NNN) leased investment is a type of lease where the tenant is responsible for paying not only the rent, but all three of the “net” expenses, hence the “NNN.””
Things You Should Be Doing Right Now if You Plan to Sell Your House This Spring
“If you’re thinking about putting your house on the market this spring, the time to start preparing is now! With persistent cold and blustery weather, it may feel like the spring selling season is in the distant future, but if you begin taking actions now, you can avoid the pressures of last minute preparations. Remember, you’ll be faced with much stiffer competition because the housing market gets flooded with new listings every spring. So, if want your property to stand apart from the competition, it’s going to take extra effort on your behalf. If you want your house to be in good shape when the weather starts to warm up, here are 5 tips to follow.”
Valley housing market off to tepid start
“The San Fernando Valley housing market’s tepid pace dragged into the new year as the supply of distressed properties continued to dry up in January, according to two reports released Wednesday.”
First-time San Fernando Valley home buyers getting squeezed out
“It’s pretty clear distressed properties have finally been flushed out of the San Fernando Valley’s real-estate market.”
Reverse Mortgages: New Rules Make Them Safer for Homeowners
“The promises of a reverse mortgage — never having to pay a mortgage bill again and using your home’s equity to finance retirement — can sound too good to be true. It almost was too good to be true during the Great Recession, when more borrowers were withdrawing most of their home equity at closing and the federal government’s reverse mortgage program was failing. Legislation in 2013, however, kept the program from dying by instituting some changes, and made it safer for older Americans.”
Mortgage Rates Fall, Reverse Recent Upward Trend
“WASHINGTON — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages fell after three weeks of increases, edging closer to historically low levels.”
Houses With Curb Appeal, for Under $100,000
“While you can’t always judge a home by its exterior, a welcoming entry is often a sign of a welcoming interior. Even when it comes to affordable real estate, curb appeal is worth considering, as it can indicate how much past owners have cared for a property.
Home Prices Rise at Solid Pace in January
“WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices rose in January after three months of declines. A tight supply of homes might have helped boost prices and offset sales slowed by cold weather.”
Zillow analyst says new exec has good shot at forging partnerships with MLSs
“Zillow lured former realtor.com executive Errol Samuelson away from Move Inc. to do pretty much the same thing it had hired former Arizona Regional MLS CEO Bob Bemis to do: improve industry relations and beef up the quality of listings data on the website by forging more direct partnerships with multiple listing services. – See more at: http://www.inman.com/2014/03/07/zillow-analyst-says-new-exec-has-good-shot-at-forging-partnerships-with-mlss/#sthash.gSKH1BGf.dpuf”
17 Hacks to Get Your House Sold
“If you’re like many sellers, you think your house is perfect and you can’t imagine why it wouldn’t sell exactly like it is right now. This is a common problem. It’s called “You can’t see what’s right in front of your face because you’re enamored with your house-itis.”
Attract Serious Buyers, Discourage Lookie-Loos
“Serious buyers want to find a home. They’ve been pre-qualified by a lender, chosen a real estate agent, and are ready to make an offer on the right home.”
Worst Week for Mortgage Rates since August 2013
“Mortgage rates rose sharply for the third time this week, bringing them to levels not seen since January 15th. Today’s move followed a stronger-than-expected Employment Situation report. This is the most significant economic report each month and when it’s strong, rates tend to suffer. Today was no exception as job creation moved back in line with recent averages, defying the expectation that the historically harsh winter weather would make for downbeat data.”
10 cities where ordinary people can no longer afford homes
“It now seems pretty clear that late 2012 or early 2013 was the ideal time to purchase a home: Real-estate prices and interest rates were both near record lows, creating an unprecedented buying opportunity for those who could muster a down payment and qualify for a mortgage.”