Lawmakers plan to push the Obama administration to come up with an exit strategy for the troubled housing finance agencies, which have been propped up by bailout money. By Jim Puzzanghera The Los Angeles Times Reporting from Washington – It is the forgotten bailout: $125.9 billion spent by taxpayers so far to rescue housing giants [...]
Filed under: Economic Recovery, Federal Housing Regulations, Foreclosures and Short Sales, Housing Market Trends, Mortgage Rates, National Real Estate News, Problem Solving on March 24th, 2010 | Comments Off
the 0.6% drop, less than expected, follows steeper declines in January and December. It comes KB Home reports a narrower loss in its first quarter. By Alejandro Lazo The Los Angeles Times The housing market stumbled anew in February as sales of previously owned homes fell for the third consecutive month and the number of [...]
Filed under: Economic Recovery, Federal Housing Regulations, First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, Foreclosures and Short Sales, Home Buying, Home Prices, Home Selling, Housing Market Trends, Market Update, National Real Estate News on March 24th, 2010 | Comments Off
Analysts attribute the increase, to $249,000, to more higher-end houses and fewer bank-owned properties changing hands. By Alejandro Lazo The Los Angeles Times California’s median home price rose a robust 11.2% in February from the same period a year ago as fewer foreclosure properties sold, while the number of homes sold fell 3.8%. The median [...]
Filed under: California Real Estate News, Economic Recovery, Foreclosures and Short Sales, Home Buying, Home Prices, Home Sellers, Home Selling, Housing Market Trends, Market Update on March 19th, 2010 | Comments Off
Led by double-digit jumps in coastal areas, the median sales price for the region reaches $275,000. The number of homes sold was nearly flat, up only 0.8%. By Alejandro Lazo The Los Angeles Times Southland home prices jumped 10% in February compared with the same month last year as foreclosure sales dropped significantly. San Diego [...]
Filed under: California Real Estate News, Economic Recovery, Foreclosures and Short Sales, Home Buying, Home Prices, Home Selling, Housing Market Trends, Jumbo Home Loans, Lending Info, Market Update on March 17th, 2010 | Comments Off
The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 4.95% this week from 4.97% last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. The mortgage giant’s weekly survey asks lenders what rates they were offering – and the upfront fees they would charge – for borrowers with good credit and a 20% down payment. Upfront fees [...]
Filed under: Credit Scores, Economic Recovery, Home Buying, Lending Info, loan modification, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, National Real Estate News, Refinancing on March 12th, 2010 | Comments Off
Courtesy of Greg Roberts, MBA The Roberts Group CS Financial Mortgage Banking www.gregroberts.com The real estate downturn that dominated 2009 leaves many on unfamiliar ground at tax time so here are some useful tax tips: On Foreclosure: “Homeowners here are really getting screwed. If they do what’s called a deed in lieu of foreclosure, their [...]
Filed under: Tax Issues on March 10th, 2010 | Comments Off
The rate, which has hovered around that mark since September, fell to 4.97% this week from 5.05% last week E. Scott Reckard The Los Angeles Times The typical rate offered by lenders on 30-year mortgages slipped back below 5% this week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. The mortgage giant’s weekly survey found that the average rate [...]
Filed under: Economic Recovery, Federal Housing Regulations, Home Buying, Home Prices, Housing Market Trends, Lending Info, loan modification, Mortgage Rates, National Real Estate News on March 5th, 2010 | Comments Off
The National Assn. of Realtors index of deals under contract fell to 90.4 from 97.8 in December. It’s 12.3% higher than January 2009. By Alejandro Lazo The Los Angeles Times In another sign that the U.S. housing recovery might be on a shaky foundation, the number of homes placed under sales contract fell 7.6% in [...]
Filed under: Economic Recovery, First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, Home Buying, Home Prices, Home Selling, Housing Market Trends, Market Update, National Real Estate News on March 5th, 2010 | Comments Off
By Kenneth R. Harney The Los Angeles Times If you plan to take out a mortgage or refinance any time soon, you might want to hear this blunt message from federal officials: Don’t fly blind. When you’re shopping among competing lenders for the best loan terms and fees, make sure you know which quotes come [...]
Filed under: Consumer Protection, Federal Housing Regulations, Home Buying, Lending Info, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, National Real Estate News, Refinancing on March 1st, 2010 | Comments Off
