Jerry Bice II
Daily Real Estate News  | January 22, 2010
30-Year Mortgage Rates Slide Below 5%
Long-term mortgage rates fell for the third straight week, pushing the average rate on 30-year fixed home loans below 5 percent again, according to Freddie Mac. Continue reading “30-Year Mortgage Rates Slide Below 5%”
8:45 a.m. September 1, 2009
WASHINGTON — A gauge of future U.S. home sales rose more than expected in July to the highest level in over two years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit that expires this fall.
The report showed the housing market is rebounding faster than expected from its historic bust. Low prices and the looming expiration on Nov. 30 of a first-time homebuyers’ tax credit of up to $8,000 have spurred sales. Prices in much of the country have begun to rise from the depths of the slump. Continue reading “July pending home sales rise to 2-year high”
Friday, August 14, 2009
Quick Facts:
· C.A.R. First-time Buyer Housing Affordability Index stood at 67 percent in the second quarter of 2009 compared with 49 percent (revised) in the second quarter of 2008
· The median price of an entry-level home in California was $224,180 in the second quarter of 2009
· The estimated monthly payment including taxes and insurance was $1,330 in the second quarter of 2009
· The minimum household income needed to purchase an entry-level home in California in the second quarter of 2009 was $39,930 Continue reading “Entry-level housing affordability reached 67 percent in Q2 09”
Existing-home sales rose for the third consecutive month with inventory easing and home prices declining less sharply in June, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Continue reading “NAR: Existing-Home Sales Rise Again”
Don’t forget to remind potential buyers of something that is obvious to real estate professionals: Now is the time to buy, but that opportunity may be slipping away.
For people who have a job and money, a dream house is within reach, writes Marc Roth, founder of Home Warranty of America and a columnist for BusinessWeek. Continue reading “Housing Experts: Now Is a Perfect Time to Buy”
California’s median sales price for an existing single-family home increased 4.2% in May from April, marking the third consecutive increase in the state’s housing prices and providing another signal that the California’s long drop in housing values could be at or near an end. Continue reading “Calif. Housing Prices Rise for Third Consecutive Month”
All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR “®” logo on the business card or other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR® again. Continue reading “Why Use a REALTOR®?”
On Wednesday, February 18, 2009, President Obama announced his new Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure. This plan will offer assistance up to 9 million homeowners and applies only to primary residences. The first component of the plan allows homeowners who are current to refinance an existing Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac conforming loan with a loan-to-value ratio up to 105 percent. The second component addresses homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure on their mortgages, but they do not have to be delinquent. The government will work with the lenders to ensure that monthly mortgages do not exceed 31 percent debt-to-income ratio. Furthermore, the government will seek to create clear and consistent guidelines for loan modifications. Continue reading “Mortgage Workout Programs for Homeowners”