(530) 671-6152

Real estate news for 2011...



Home buyers forced to shore up Social Security and Medicare programs
Lloyd Leighton
December 22, 2011 - The recently passed 2 month extension of the payroll tax cut along with the postponement of Medicare reimbursement cuts is being paid for by increased fees on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA loans. Not unexpectedly, the new legislation also places an increased reporting burden on employers. ...

the rest of the story...


Freddie Mac Forecast for 2012
Freddie Mac
December 14, 2011 - Economic growth will likely strengthen, unemployment will decline but stay above 8%, mortgage rates will remain low at least through mid 2012 and housing activity will be better but not robust ...

the rest of the story...


Freddie Chief Economist: Housing Threats Loom
Realtor Magazine
January 6, 2012 - While most recent indicators have been upbeat about the economy inching toward a recovery in 2012, Freddie Mac’s chief economist warns that threats still loom, particularly for housing.

Freddie’s Chief Economist Frank Nothaft says that foreclosures will continue to put downward pressure on overall home prices and most likely remain high throughout 2012, ...

the rest of the story...


Fed Identifies Markets Primed for Bulk REO-to-Rental Programs
DSNews
January 5, 2012 - The Federal Reserve is throwing its support behind a large-scale REO-to-rental program to address the oversupply of vacant foreclosed homes and prevent property values from falling further. ...

the rest of the story...


NY Fed believes Fannie, Freddie should order principal reductions
Housing Wire
January 6, 2012 - Investors who buy delinquent mortgages routinely reduce principal to maximize value on these loans, according to William Dudley, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Therefore the government-sponsored enterprises should do so as well. ...

the rest of the story...


2012 Home Sales: Positives on Many Fronts
Realtor Magazine
January 3, 2012 - NAR released its latest pending home sales index figure last week and for the second month in a row the index is up. But more than that, the index has broken 100. This is significant because the only time since the housing boom collapsed that the index has broken 100 is when the home owner tax credit was in effect. ...

the rest of the story...


Real Estate Outlook: Positive Buyer Sentiment
Realty Times
January 2, 2012 - The latest study from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), entitled, "The Great Recession and Attitudes Toward Homebuying," revealed some key findings about today's buyers.

The study found that almost 80 percent of home buyers still think that now is a good time to buy. ...

the rest of the story...


Freddie Mac Expects Low Mortgage Rates Through Mid-2012
DSNews
December 23, 2011 - Mortgage rates will likely remain very low, at least through mid-2012, according to Freddie Mac. ...

"While the headwinds remain strong going into 2012, there are indications the economy and the housing market are gaining ground, albeit slowly," ...

the rest of the story...


ProsUSA exec sees growing demand from foreign buyers
Inman News
December 29, 2011 - Real estate agents and brokers take note: investment property will see rapid growth in 2012, especially from foreign buyers, according to Professionals Realty Group USA President Glenn Melton. ...

the rest of the story...


Study Finds 38% of Homes Purchased in 2011 Bought with Cash
DSNews
December 23, 2011 - Despite record low mortgage rates, 2011 has seen a surprisingly high level of cash home purchases, according to the real estate research firm Hanley Wood Market Intelligence. ...

the rest of the story...


Economists Don't Foresee Home Price Appreciation Until After 2013
DSNews
December 23, 2011 - Prices are forecast to decline until the market’s bottom is reached in late 2012 or early 2013. After 2013, the panelists expect a relatively steady annual appreciation ...

the rest of the story...


Home prices up in 71% of markets
REALTOR.com
December 13, 2011 - Monthly Housing Summary - Home list prices were up year over year in 71% of markets nationwide according to statistics from the National Association of Realtors. The report includes a really neat chart showing year over year changes in median home prices by city. The chart let's you sort by column to show how your area compares to others. Sacramento ranks 139 out of 145 communities for change in median home price. ...

the rest of the story...


Mortgage Rates...How Low Can They Go?
DSNews
December 22, 2011 - Mortgage interest rates continue to head south. Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-mortgage rate as well as adjustable rate products all sank to new all-time record lows this week, ...

the rest of the story...


Housing Market Strengthening But Long Road to Recovery Lies Ahead
DSNews
December 23, 2011 - The year 2011 is ending on a high note as economists anticipate some signs of recovery ahead. Prices appear to be reaching their trough, visible supply is on the decline, and banks are beginning ...

the rest of the story...


How can renters solve the housing crisis?
RISMedia
Residential real estate is not rocket science. We know that this housing crisis is explainable, isolated and temporary ...

the rest of the story...


Residential Housing Ready to Awaken?
CNBC
December 9, 2011 - After half a decade of withering sales and slumping prices, there are strong and diverse signs that the single-family housing market is poised for a rebound. ...

the rest of the story...


Soaring student loan debt to delay homeownership, boost rentals
Inman News
December 13, 2011 - Student loan debt now totals $865 billion, which is greater than all credit card debt outstanding, as well as all other types of household debt except for mortgages. ....

the rest of the story...


BofA developing foreclosure rental programs to deal with distressed properties
DSNews
December 9, 2011 - Bank of America (BAC: 5.32 0.00%) is looking at a new program to rent a home back to the borrower after foreclosure. ....

the rest of the story...


Mortgage Default Risk Edging Toward "Normalcy"
DSNews
December 12, 2011 - Lenders and investors should expect defaults on mortgage loans currently being originated to be 31 percent higher than the average of loans originated in the 1990s, according to ....

the rest of the story...


Fannie Mae: Market Will Take Five More Years to Adjust
DSNews
December 6, 2011 - "We are five years through a 10-year adjustment process," said Fannie Mae chief economist Doug Duncan ....

the rest of the story...


Barclays analyst sees housing rebound coming in 2012
HousingWire
December 5, 2011 - Barclays Capital (BCS: 11.99 +7.05%) analyst Stephen Kim predicts a housing recovery buoyed by improving jobs numbers and the fact prices for non distressed homes will have stabilized without government support. ....

the rest of the story...


NY Fed: House flippers contributed to bust and boom
Housing Wire
December 8, 2011 - Four years after the housing bust, researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York are putting some of the blame on real estate speculators, saying they played a key role in blowing up the housing bubble ....

the rest of the story...


Hope for housing market?
Appeal-Democrat
December 8, 2011 - The volatile U.S. housing market finally is going to experience a little growth, predicts Chapman University's 34th annual economic forecast. ....

the rest of the story...


Radar Logic questions government bulk REO sales program
Housing Wire
September 14, 2011 - Analytics firm Radar Logic said Wednesday a proposal that would allow REO properties tied to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be sold in bulk could eventually cost taxpayers and hurt home values. ....

the rest of the story...


REO investors squeezing out owner-occupants
Housing Wire
December 2, 2011 - Owner-occupancy rates of real estate owned sales are plummeting as investors who recognize their economic value are taking advantage ....

the rest of the story...


Home refinancing and multifamily demand on the rise: Beige Book
Housing Wire
November 30, 2011 - Economic activity increased at a slow to moderate pace across Federal Reserve districts, except the St. Louis district, which reported a decline, according to the latest ....

the rest of the story...


Average time to foreclose sets new record of 631 days
Housing Wire
December 1, 2011 - Mortgage delinquencies continued their decline in October and are nearly 30% off their January 2010 peak, but foreclosure inventories and the foreclosure process reached all-time highs during the month, according to Lender Processing Services (LPS) ....

the rest of the story...


Tech-rich vacation home buyers head to Tahoe
San Jose Mercury News
November 21, 2011 - Lake Tahoe area real estate agents, hungry for sales in the aftermath of the housing bubble, are counting on the Bay Area's booming tech industry to help generate the next crop of million-dollar vacation home buyers. ....

the rest of the story...


Freddie Mac single-family delinquency rate edges up
Housing Wire
November 23, 2011 - Government-sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac reported Wednesday that its single-family seriously delinquent rate edged up in October, hitting 3.54%, compared to 3.51% in September. ....

the rest of the story...


IPO's stoke San Francisco housing market
Reuters
November 24, 2011 - Adam Holm has been looking to sell his three-bedroom Victorian house in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood all year, but he needs one thing to happen first: gaming-company Zynga's initial public offering. ....

the rest of the story...


European debt crisis threatens US recovery
Housing Wire
November 23, 2011 - Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011, 1:35 pm U.S. credit markets may freeze, leading the American economy to slide back into a recession, if the debt crisis plaguing a few European sovereigns spreads to the core euro zone countries. ....

the rest of the story...


Economic worries keep lid on mortgage rates
Inman News
November 23, 2011 - A weekly survey of lenders by Freddie Mac showed mortgage rates at or near record lows for a fourth consecutive week amid growing expectations that Europe is headed for a recession that will slow U.S. growth. ....

the rest of the story...


C.A.R. releases Q3 Housing Affordability Index
California Association of Realtors
November 10, 2011 - Lower home prices and record-low interest rates in the third quarter of 2011 contributed to an improvement in housing affordability for California home buyers ....

the rest of the story...


Smaller Homes to Grow in Demand, Surveys Suggest
Realtor Estate Magazine
November 18, 2011 - The square feet of new homes is expected to continue its decline in future years. The National Association of Home Builders predicts that U.S. houses will average 2,152 square feet in 2015, which will be down 10 percent compared to last year. ....

the rest of the story...


"I'm home!" Adult children move back in
CNNMonwey
November 4, 2011 - With job openings scarce, getting adult children to leave the nest is becoming a lot more difficult.

The number of adult children who live with their parents, especially young males, has soared since the economy started heading south. ....

the rest of the story...


Real estate moguls in the making
CNNMoney
These real estate investors are buying up properties as fast as they can, taking advantage of rock-bottom prices (and mortgage rates) with the knowledge that the markets have to recover at some point. While they wait, they're making a pretty nice return on their investments ....

the rest of the story...


Real Estate: Why home prices won't bottom out
Reuters
November 16, 2011 - Watching the U.S. home market struggle to rebound is like listening to children in the back of a car. No, we're not there yet. ....

the rest of the story...


Home prices: Your local forecast
CNNMoney
See how your market is expected to fair ....

the rest of the story...


Real estate market charts for Yuba City
Lloyd Leighton
These real estate charts will give you a bird's eye view of the Yuba City and Yuba-Sutter real estate market ....

the rest of the story...


The Coming Rental Housing Wave
CoStar Group
November 2, 2011 - While widespread recovery continues to elude the housing sector, the apartment market has become one of the real estate industry's -- and the broader economy's -- best hopes for a return to the good old days, ....

the rest of the story...


Mortgage delinquency rate up for first time in two years
Housing Wire
November 8, 2011 - The national delinquency rate for borrowers who are 60 days or more past due on their mortgages rose for the first time in two years during the recent third quarter,  ....

the rest of the story...


Homeownership Rate Rises After Two Years of Decline
DS News
November 2, 2011 - After falling to a 13-year low during the second quarter, the homeownership rate posted a highly unexpected rise in the third quarter, according to a Census Bureau report  ....

the rest of the story...


Ups and downs
Realtor Magazine
October 21, 2011 - REALTOR.com shows listing price changes on a year over year basis for most metropolitan areas. This list even lets you sort the list to show where every area ranks. ....

the rest of the story...


Freddie Mac calls for $100 billion in annual multifamily investment
Housing Wire
October 31, 2011 - The head of Freddie Mac's multifamily division projects that the asset class needs $1 trillion in capital over the next decade.

That is $100 billion every year earmarked to build 10 million additional apartment units over the next 10 years. ....

the rest of the story...


Prediction of Yuba-Sutter housing rebound met with skepticism
Appeal-Democrat
November 9, 2011 - A new report says the Yuba-Sutter housing market is poised to improve in 2012, but local real estate experts don't give the prediction much weight.

After sustaining more than a 50 percent decline in home prices since the end of 2005, the Yuba City metropolitan statistical area has been identified by a financial news and opinion website as one of 10 areas where home prices will increase in the next year. ....

the rest of the story...


Sharga: Several more years with nearly 1M foreclosures per year
Housing Wire
October 31, 2011 - The housing market faces several more years with 800,000 to 1 million new foreclosed properties per year, according to Rick Sharga, an executive vice president with Carrington Mortgage Services. ....

the rest of the story...


$68.8 Billion of Total Multifamily Lending in 2010; a 31 Percent Increase from 2009
Mortgage Bankers Association
October 19, 2011 - In 2010, 2,548 different multifamily lenders provided a total of $68.8 billion in mortgage financing for apartment buildings with five or more units, according to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The 2010 dollar volume represents a 31 percent increase from 2009 levels. ....

the rest of the story...


Foreign buyers scooping up U.S. homes
CNNMoney
October 21, 2011- Hey, wealthy foreigners! Want to live in the U.S.? Buy a home here.

International purchases of American homes are ramping up, and a new Senate bill designed to boost the ailing real-estate market would encourage globe-trotting investors to buy even more. ....

the rest of the story...


Rental Market Posting Record Gains
Realtor Magazine
October 26, 2011- Apartment rents and occupancies are nearing record highs as demand increases, particularly among former home owners who have faced foreclosure and are now forced to rent than buy. Nationwide, 1.5 million new rental households are expected in 2011 ....

the rest of the story...


Mortgage Bankers Association Economic Forecast for 2012 & 2013

Mortgage Bankers Association
October 11, 2011- The Mortgage Bankers Association released it's economic forecast for 2012 and 2013. Among the predictions are that median home prices will begin to rise in the 1st Quarter of 2012 and that 30 year mortgage rates will remain under 5% through the first half of 2013. ....

the rest of the story...


Barclays: Housing may not be as bad as some believe

Housing Wire
October 20, 2011- It is unlikely home prices will drop as much as 17%, but analysts with Barclays Capital evaluated that possibility during a recent analysis of future home prices. ....

the rest of the story...


REO sales may not peak until 2013

Housing Wire
October 17, 2011- The sale of properties repossessed through foreclosure may not peak until 2013, keeping home prices from a meaningful recovery for some time ....

the rest of the story...


Regulator unveils help for underwater homeowners

Reuters
October 24, 2010 - A leading U.S. housing regulator on Monday announced changes to a government refinancing program that could help up to one million homeowners whose homes are worth less than their mortgage. ....

the rest of the story...


To fix the economy, fix the housing market

Reuters, opinion by Lawrence Summers
October 24, 2010 - The central irony of financial crisis is that while it is caused by too much confidence, too much borrowing and lending and too much spending, it can only be resolved with more confidence, more borrowing and lending, and more spending. ....

the rest of the story...


Why Most Real Estate For Sale By Owners (FSBO) Fail

Massachusetts Real Estate News
May 3, 2010 - One thing that makes the world go around is the desire to save money. Everyone likes to save a few bucks. In Real Estate saving a commission translates into big dollars. ....

the rest of the story...


Home loan defaults jump by 26 percent in California

San Jose Mercury News
October 18, 2011 - SAN DIEGO -- Banks sent nearly 26 percent more default notices to California homeowners in the third quarter compared with the previous three months, stepping up actions against those with delinquent loans in what may herald a new wave of foreclosures ....

the rest of the story...


Positive Jobs Report Leads to Sharp Increase in Mortgage Rates: Freddie

Appraiser News Online
October 19, 2011 - Spurred by a better-than-expected employment report, fixed mortgage rates were up sharply from the previous week’s record-setting low, Freddie Mac reported Oct. 13 in its Weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey. However, rates remained near their 60-year low. ....

the rest of the story...


Hope in housing gap

Sacramento Bee
October 16, 2011 - Twenty-nine cents on the dollar.

That's what home buyers now pay for a typical house in the Sacramento region compared to buyers in San Francisco. And if history is any guide, that mounting price gap ....

the rest of the story...


Quiz: Am I Ready to Buy?

Realty Times
October 13, 2011 - There are lots of eager would-be buyers out there. It’s no wonder why! The market currently offers many ideal buying conditions. Interest rates are still at historic lows ....

the rest of the story...


MetLife to sell mortgage business, citing excessive regulation

Linkedin
October 13, 2011 - MetLife Bank, a division of insurer MetLife Inc. (MET: 32.17 +2.98%), is selling the bank's mortgage business, citing uncertainty in the marketplace and a regulatory environment that requires excessive resources. ....

the rest of the story...


After a Rejection

New York Times
October 13, 2011 - JUST because your mortgage application has been rejected doesn't mean you won’t eventually get funding.

Some borrowers succeed on the second or third attempt, usually ....

the rest of the story...


Triggers for Rejection

New York Times
October 16, 2011 - "We regret to inform you..." Nobody applying for a new mortgage or a refinancing wants to see or hear these words. But last year more than two million people were turned down for home loans ....

the rest of the story...


Solutions for Housing: Big Fixes or Small Tweaks?

Realtor Magazine
October 12, 2011 - The housing market doesn't necessarily require a major overhaul for a recovery, a panel of experts said yesterday morning at the Mortgage Bankers 2011 Convention & Expo in Chicago. A handful of relatively minor tweaks should hasten a turnaround that is already underway in some respects. ....

the rest of the story...


Refinance Now? Maybe Not

Wall Street Journal
October 8, 2011 - Mortgage rates have been hitting historic lows for five weeks in a row. But that doesn't mean you should refinance your mortgage just yet ....

the rest of the story...


Home ownership: Biggest drop since Great Depression

CNNMoney
October 7, 2011: 7:26 AM ET - The percentage of Americans who owned their homes has seen its biggest decline since the Great Depression, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The rate of home ownership fell to 65.1% in April 2010, 1.1 percentage points lower than it was in 2000. ....

the rest of the story...


Americans want to buy homes but in no hurry

Reuters
October 4, 2011 - Recovery will elude the troubled U.S. housing market in the near-term as stringent standards to qualify for mortgages and a lack of jobs discourage Americans from buying homes, a survey ....

the rest of the story...


Incentives Attract Buyers, But Do They Close Deals?

Realtor Magazine
October 3, 2011 - Real estate professionals say incentives to sweeten a real estate deal are certainly good ways to generate buzz about a property, but the asking price is the real key to getting a home sold.

Incentives to get home buyers’ attention have gotten lavish. ....

the rest of the story...


How North Dakota Became Saudi Arabia

Wall Street Journal
October 1, 2011 - Harold Hamm, the Oklahoma-based founder and CEO of Continental Resources, the 14th-largest oil company in America, is a man who thinks big. He came to Washington last month to spread a needed message of economic optimism: With the right set of national energy policies, the United States could be "completely energy independent by the end of the decade. We can be the Saudi Arabia of oil and natural gas in the 21st century." ....

the rest of the story...


Will Baby Boomers Rock the Housing Market?

AOL
September 16, 2011 10:55AM - As first-time buyers struggle with higher hurdles at the bank, some experts are pinning their hopes on baby boomers to boost the flagging housing market ....

the rest of the story...


New wave of foreclosures due to hit Sacramento area

Sacramento Bee
September 26, 2011 8:38 AM - A monster wave of new foreclosures threatens to engulf Sacramento's already battered real estate market as major banks move to slash their backlog of delinquent loans.

Nearly one out of every seven mortgages in the Sacramento region is somewhere in the foreclosure pipeline ....

the rest of the story ...


Analysis: Time to borrow? Debt is not a dirty word

Reuters
September 28, 2011 4:11pm EDT - Here's a crazy idea: Maybe, just maybe, you should be borrowing more money.

You don't have to tell Matt Kouri of Austin, Texas. Just last month, the chief executive officer ....

the rest of the story ...


Mortgage fraud reports spike as lawsuits pile up

Bloomberg Businessweek
September 28, 2011, 1:12PM ET - The wave of lawsuits and other demands from investors in mortgage-backed securities contributed to a big spike in reports of likely mortgage fraud during the second quarter, according to a Treasury Department report.

The department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said Wednesday that it received 29,558 tips about possible mortgage fraud in the April-to-June period, an 88 percent leap from 15,727 in the ....

the rest of the story ...


Shadow Inventory Continues to Decline

CoreLogic
September 27, 2011 - July Supply Falls to 1.6 Million Units. CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, reported today that the current residential shadow inventory as of July 2011 declined slightly to 1.6 million units, representing a supply of 5 months. This is down from 1.9 million units, a supply of 6 months, from a year ago, and follows a decline from April 2011 when shadow inventory stood at 1.7 million units. ....

the rest of the story...


Short Sales Lose Appeal Among First-time Buyers

Realtor Magazine
September 27, 2011 - Short sale transactions are becoming less popular among first-time home buyers. Buying a home in a short sale transaction may offer a huge bargain—sale prices average 27 percent lower than non-distressed properties—but more first-time home buyers say the processing delays aren't worth the trouble. ....

the rest of the story...


New-home sales on track for lowest level on record

MSNBC
September 26, 2011 - Sales of new homes this year could hit the lowest levels in the nearly 50 years the government has been tracking the data.

New-home sales fell 2.3 percent in August to an annual rate of 295,000 units, the government said Monday. ....

the rest of the story...


Mortgage Survivors Get Bargains as Risk Eases

Bloomberg
September 27, 2011 9:01 PM PT - Cynthia and Gerald Matthews left a booming property market in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, to buy a home in Bloomington, Indiana, where real estate prices are beginning to recover from a five-year slump.

"It was much cheaper than we thought it would be," said Cynthia Matthews, who got a ....

the rest of the story...


How to Tell if Your Housing Market Has Hit Bottom

Wall Street Journal
June 20, 2011 - At first glance, you're not likely to see a lot of similarities between stately Cambridge, Mass., and sprawling Denton, Texas.

Amid the continuing gloom in the U.S. housing market, you can find small pockets of home-price stability -- communities that are actually recovering from the housing bust. WSJ's David Crook talks with Kelsey Hubbard about what those communities can teach today's home buyers and sellers. ....

the rest of the story...


2 Important Factors in Judging Neighborhoods

National Association of Realtors
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 - With home prices falling, buyers are looking for a neighborhood that has a greater likelihood of holding its value over the long-term. But how do you know what neighborhood is doomed and which will appreciate over time? ....

the rest of the story...


Fewer U.S. Homeowners "Under Water"

Bloomberg
SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 - The number of U.S. homeowners who owe more than their property is worth slipped in the second quarter as more residences were lost to foreclosure, according to a report today from CoreLogic Inc. (CLGX)

About 10.88 million homes, or 22.5 percent of those with a mortgage, were “underwater” as of June 30, the Santa Ana, California-based company said. That’s down from 10.91 million, or 22.7 percent ....

the rest of the story...


C.A.R. releases its California Housing Market Forecast for 2012

California Association of Realtors
Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 - California home sales and median price are predicted to improve only slightly in 2012, as the continuation of the tepid economic recovery, uncertainty about the future, and funding challenges for residential mortgages are expected to keep the market moving sideways, with little foreseeable ....

the rest of the story...


How to rescue the housing market: Foreclosures!

CNNMoney
By Tami Luhby August 31, 2011: 5:27 AM ET - If the Obama administration really wants to save the housing market, it should speed up the foreclosure process -- not prolong the inevitable, experts say.

Four years into the housing crisis, the real estate market is still teetering on the edge. ....

the rest of the story...


Reverse Mortgages: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?

Daily Finance
By Laura Rowley Posted 10:20AM 08/31/11 - The reverse mortgage was invented decades ago to help seniors facing economic hardship access the equity in their homes. Between 1990 and 2010, more than 660,000 reverse mortgages were issued ....

the rest of the story ...


I bought my dream retirement home -- cheap!

CNNMoney - Taking advantage of today's beaten down home prices and record-low rates, baby boomers are buying their dream retirement homes -- years before leaving the workforce ....

the rest of the story ...


Fewer U.S. Homeowners "Underwater" as Foreclosures Mount

Bloomberg
By John Gittelsohn - Sep 13, 2011 6:00 AM PT - The number of U.S. homeowners who owe more than their property is worth slipped in the second quarter as more residences were lost to foreclosure, according to a report today from CoreLogic Inc. (CLGX) About 10.88 million homes, or 22.5 percent of those with a mortgage, were "underwater" as of June 30, ....

the rest of the story ...


Foreclosures rise in August

CNNMoney
By Annalyn Censky September 15, 2011: 5:36 AM ET - Foreclosure filings rose in August, as more home buyers fell behind on their mortgage payments.

Filings were up 7% compared to July, but were still 33% lower than they were a year ago -- marking the eleventh straight month of year-over-year declines, according to RealtyTrac ....

the rest of the story ...


Housing market may be making a comeback

MSNBC
September 14, 2011 - New data released on Wednesday from Realtor.com show that median list prices for single family homes, condominiums, townhouses and co-ops have surged within the last year in Florida, one of the states hit earliest and hardest by the housing market crash. ....

the rest of the story ...


Foreclosure starts surge in Western states

Inman News
September 13, 2011 - Foreclosure starts jumped by double digits from July to August in four out of five Western states tracked by ForeclosureRadar, reversing what had been a declining trend over the past several months, the company said ....

the rest of the story ...


Six Mistakes Housing Investors Make

Wall Street Journal
September 10, 2011 - Traditional investments are delivering low returns, and home prices are at bargain levels. Is it time to consider buying some rental housing?

Investing in real estate right now can be surprisingly profitable, if everything goes well. Rents are climbing ....

the rest of the story ...


How To Prepare Your House For Sale

About.com
Every seller wants her home to sell fast and bring top dollar. Does that sound good to you? Well, it's not luck that makes that happen. It's careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home that will send home buyers scurrying for their checkbooks ....

the rest of the story ...


Obama Home Refinance Plan: $7.4 billion in savings vs. $13 billion to $15 billion in losses

Newsmax
September 8, 2011 1:17 PM - Private investors would lose $13 billion to $15 billion in a massive federal plan to refinance millions of mortgages with new government-backed mortgages with super low interest rates, says the Congressional Budget Office ....

the rest of the story ...


White House, Regulator Considering Refinance Program Revamp

Wall Street Journal
SEPTEMBER 8, 2011, 10:14 P.M. ET - The White House is pushing to revamp an existing federal program to allow more Americans with government-backed loans to refinance, and a federal regulator is weighing changes to accommodate that effort, according to people familiar with the matter ....

the rest of the story ...


For Lender, Foreclosure Has Become Dirty Word

Wall Street Journal
September 8, 2011 - After Annalea Mace's employer reduced her hours two years ago, Ms. Mace and her husband pared their spending, sold jewelry on eBay and cashed in savings bonds she received at age two. That still wasn't enough, so the couple went to the bank in hopes of saving their house from foreclosure ....

the rest of the story ...


Average foreclosure is 599 days delinquent

Lender Processing Service
August 30, 2011 JACKSONVILLE, FL. - The July Mortgage Monitor report released by Lender Processing Services, Inc. (NYSE: LPS) shows that foreclosure timelines continue their steady upward trend, as a payment has not been made on the average loan in foreclosure in a record 599 days. Of the nearly 1.9 million loans ....

the rest of the story ...


Saving Money with Salvaged Building Materials

Amanda Abrams
March 8, 2010 - Salvaged building materials allow you to improve your home inexpensively — but might require an extra investment of time and energy ....

the rest of the story ...


Buying is cheaper than renting in most U.S. cities

CNNMoney
August 16, 2011: 6:07 AM ET - Home prices have taken such a beating and demand for rental units has increased so much that it's now cheaper to buy a two-bedroom home than to rent one in most major U.S. cities.

According to real estate web site Trulia, buying was cheaper than renting in 74% of the country's 50 largest cities in July ....

the rest of the story ...

Most of the homes on our Bargain Hunter
page are cheaper to purchase than to rent
Lloyd Leighton


Home prices soar in some areas as buyers opt for more expensive properties

LA Times;
09/04/2011 - What is it with Middle America? Haven't folks there heard the country is mired in a deep housing recession?

Apparently not in places like ....

the rest of the story ...



Real estate sector won't regain strength without real job growth

St. Paul Pioneer Press;
09/02/2011 07:37:14 PM CDT - The Fed's extension of low short-term interest rates may cheer some in the real estate industry, but investors in mutual funds investing in the sector shouldn't expect a repeat of last year's strong performance ....

the rest of the story ...



Cashing in on rental property

CNNMoney;
September 2, 2011, 6:07 AM, ET - Most of the news lately about real estate has been dismal: Home prices are swooning, foreclosures ballooning.

There is, however, one bright spot: the rental market, where demand is up and rents are rising ....

the rest of the story ...



Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates scrape bottom again

Los Angeles Times;
September 1, 2011, 7:08 AM, - Mortgage rates are scraping along near historic lows, Freddie Mac says in its latest survey of what lenders are offering to well-qualified borrowers.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.22% early this week, ....

the rest of the story ...



An Accidental Housing Chief Embraces the Power of "No"

Wall Street Journal
August 31, 2011 - Edward J. DeMarco has spent a career in the shadows of government, bouncing from one obscure post to another. Now, as the accidental head of the most powerful finance agency in housing, he controls the future of an industry weighing down the U.S. economy ....

the rest of the story ...



Home prices edge up 1.1% in June: Case-Shiller

Market Watch
August 30, 2011, 11:32 a.m. EDT - The gradual improvement in U.S. home prices continued in June, according to a report released Tuesday.

Prices rose 1.1% during June from May but are down 4.5% over the past year ....

the rest of the story ...



Is Now a Good Time to Buy Real Estate?

The Street
August 28, 2011 - People always ask, "Is it a good time to buy real estate?" The answer is always, "Yes, but it depends." To make that determination, we first must understand the three most important words in real estate ....

the rest of the story ...


Foreclosure Sales Tick Up While Prices Slide

Wall Street Journal
August 25, 2011 - Nearly one-third of all U.S. homes sold in the second quarter of 2011 were in some stage of the foreclosure process or had been repossessed by a lender, according to numbers released today by RealtyTrac ....

the rest of the story ...


U.S. May Back Refinance Plan for Mortgages

New York Times
August 24, 2011 - The Obama administration is considering further actions to strengthen the housing market, but the bar is high: plans must help a broad swath of homeowners, stimulate the economy and cost next to nothing ....

the rest of the story ...


July sales up as investors turn to real estate

Boston Globe
August 24, 2011 - Panicked investors are taking money out of the stock market and putting it into another recently distressed investment — real estate.

"We’re seeing more all-cash offers from people who have money sitting in accounts," ....

the rest of the story ...




California posts six-figure job gains

Sacramento Business Journal
August 22, 2011 - In the last 12 months, California has added 189,600 jobs, according to On Numbers.

Since July 2010, California's job growth was second only to Texas, which ....

the rest of the story ...
An improving economy is the first step
to a recovery in the housing market.
Lloyd


Shadow inventory improves but still threatens housing recovery

CNNMoney
August 22, 2011 - An ominous cloud is hanging over the housing market: Millions of distressed properties could be put up for sale at any moment, potentially adding to the glut of unsold homes that are already on the market and depressing home prices even further.

But there is one glimmer of hope in this otherwise ominous scenario ...

the rest of the story ...

How to Lower Your Property Taxes

Wall Street Journal
August 20, 2011 - Home prices are still going down in many markets. But your property-tax bill might well be going up.

The good news: There are ways to fight back.

the rest of the story ...

To buy house, build solid financial foundation

San Jose Mercury News
August 21, 2011 - "Getting ready to buy a home should mean that the prospective buyers understand that there is more to home-ownership than a housing payment," says Jim Walton, vice president of consumer credit with MetLife Bank in Irving, Texas. "Homeownership requires a commitment to a property and to a community ..."

the rest of the story ...

Facebook

What Clients Are Saying

quotes"I have nothing but great things to say about Lloyd and his wife, Tracy. They sold my home in four days and helped us get the home that we wanted. He followed up on all details above and beyond anything I expected. He has my highest recommendation.
- John

Contact

Lloyd Leighton Realtors

Address: 1212 Highland Ave.
Yuba City, CA 95991-6115

Phone: (530) 671-6152
Fax: (530) 671-3904

Cal BRE Lic. #00951505