Orange County 
There are currently 73 blog entries related to this category.
How to Successfully Get a Mortgage in 2012
Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 12:32pm. 10 Views, 0 Comments.
Getting a mortgage in 2012 is a little more complicated than it has been in the past due to the
challenging economy and increased government regulation of the mortgage industry. In fact, it's
like a giant hurricane has swept through the housing and mortgage markets, leaving chunks of
debris and danger in its wake. But never fear; that's why I am here! As your Certified Mortgage
Planning Specialist, my role is to walk by your side, be your personal guide, and set you up for
success every step of the way. Here are a few of the challenges that we will tackle together as we
navigate the danger zone known as the 2012 mortgage process!
New Good Faith Estimate
The US government has created a new version of the disclosure form known as the Good Faith Estimate (GFE). The
THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON, REAL ESTATE PROSPERITY!
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 5:10pm. 27 Views, 0 Comments.
If past history is any guide, the new lunar year could be when the housing recovery really gets under way.
| Prices | U.S. | Calif. | O.C. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | +7.9% | +16.9% | na |
| 1988 | +4.3% | +18.4% | +24.9% |
| 2000 | +4.3% | +11.0% | +12.6% |
| Sales | |||
| 1976 | +23.7% | +23.0% | na |
| 1988 | +2.2% | +10.0% | +7.9% |
| 2000 | -1.0% | -0.4% | +2.2% |
The Year of the Dragon officially begins today.
Not only is this slice of the zodiac associated with prosperity, it’s also associated with rising home prices and, more often than not, increased home sales — at least the last three times it came around.
Just look at the statistics from state and national Realtor associations.
Home…
Orange County Rents on the rise!!!
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 4:56pm. 26 Views, 0 Comments.
Rents in the OC are on the rise as less people are out of work. Orange County Register reports Irvine, Calif. as the highest increase in rents with a meteoric 8.9% equating to a $155 monthly increase to $1,897. The irony is the 30-year mortgage as fallen to a record low and home prices have not been appreciating. One reason rents are rising is occupancy has gone up and many people still don’t qualify for homes because banks are requiring pristine credit. Politically speaking the Federal Reserve’s monetary easing of rates only benefits the 1% while the 99% are taxed in other obscure ways, in this case, rising rents. Now that banks don’t have an insatiable appetite to push loans through so they can package and repackage them in investments that fueled…
Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Home in 2012
Saturday, January 14th, 2012 at 4:36pm. 38 Views, 0 Comments.
The American dream of homeownership is a very feasible aspiration for 2012.
There are many benefits of owning a home. Yet some first-time buyers are skeptical of purchasing with the uncertainty surrounding the housing market.
The uncertainty many reference when speaking about the housing market involves a specific date when home values will increase. Since no one can pinpoint this date, the word uncertainty (when paired with the housing market) often reveals a negative connotation.
There are some factors we can be certain about in this housing market such as home values rebounding. This is true; the housing market often moves in cycles.
It’s safe to assume that many Americans harbored the same uncertainty during the George…
Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Home in 2012
Saturday, January 14th, 2012 at 4:36pm. 36 Views, 0 Comments.
The American dream of homeownership is a very feasible aspiration for 2012.
There are many benefits of owning a home. Yet some first-time buyers are skeptical of purchasing with the uncertainty surrounding the housing market.
The uncertainty many reference when speaking about the housing market involves a specific date when home values will increase. Since no one can pinpoint this date, the word uncertainty (when paired with the housing market) often reveals a negative connotation.
There are some factors we can be certain about in this housing market such as home values rebounding. This is true; the housing market often moves in cycles.
It’s safe to assume that many Americans harbored the same uncertainty during the George…
Ex-Doomsayer: ‘It’s a great time to buy a home’
Friday, January 13th, 2012 at 10:46am. 24 Views, 0 Comments.
IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BUY A HOME!
A former housing market skeptic has become a housing market booster, telling a gathering of real estate insiders Thursday that now is “a great time to buy a home.”
Chris Thornberg, a former UCLA economist and a founding principal of Beacon Economics, once derided the National
Association of Realtors and other housing industry bulls for saying that same thing back when the economy was overheated.
Thornberg told the Orange County Register that buying a home was folly in 2007, soon after the Realtor association launched an ad campaign telling Americans back then it was a good time to buy or sell a home.
“What’s the point of buying today when you can buy it for 10 percent less in a year?” Thornberg…
People Are Buying Homes AND GETTING MORTGAGES!
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 6:17am. 31 Views, 0 Comments.
Many believe that very few houses are selling and that almost no one can get a mortgage.
We want to let everyone know that neither of these assumptions is true. Recently, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Existing Homes Sales Report. According to the report there are, on average, 12,109 homes selling in the United States EACH and EVERY DAY! That means that approximately 12,000 houses sold yesterday, approximately 12,000 will sell today and approximately 12,000 will sell tomorrow.
So the thinking that homes aren’t selling just isn’t true.
Another interesting fact in the report was that 72% of these transactions were accompanied by a mortgage. That means that approximately 8,719 people qualify for a mortgage on a daily…
Those Fools… The Housing Bust is OVER
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 at 1:28pm. 39 Views, 0 Comments.
"The bursting of the global housing bubble is only halfway through," The Economist magazine wrote recently.
I disagree…
Here in the U.S. at least, the housing bubble is completely over.
It drives me nuts when I hear commentators say, "We're halfway through," and, "We have more pain to come."
Here's the FACT: Right now, houses in America are the best value they've been in many generations.It's not hard to understand…
The Economistshowed
a chart of home prices relative to incomes in that article. Instead of
showing that home prices are expensive, the chart shows that U.S. houses are the best deal in history (going back four decades), relative to U.S. incomes.
Now, how can The Economisthave
an article about the continuing global housing bust… and…
Do 20% Down Payments Make Sense or Not
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 at 11:13am. 56 Views, 0 Comments.
Despite the “doom and gloom” in today’s headlines, in the
current economic climate, homeownership is more affordable than ever,
thanks to low interest rates and lower home values. For those buyers who
manage to have a 20% (or more) downpayment, they believe this will get
them the lowest monthly mortgage payment. However, simply because buyers
can afford to put down this amount does not necessarily mean they
should.
Those buyers who have saved enough to put 20%—or more—down on the
purchase of a home may want to consider another approach—preserving some
of their cash for savings, investing or other purposes. It may sound
counterintuitive, but with today’s interest rates and the competitive
pricing of private mortgage…
HERE WE GO AGAIN- HISTORIC LOWS ON MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES!!!!
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 at 11:05am. 39 Views, 0 Comments.
| 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Matches All-Time Record Low |
| |
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, Monday, December 19, 2011—
Freddie Mac recently released the results of its Primary
Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates at
or near their all-time lows. The 30-year fixed matched the average
all-time record low of 3.94 percent, and a new all-time record low was
set for the 15-year fixed, both previously set in the October 6, 2011
Freddie Mac PMMS. The five-year ARM also set a new all-time record low
at 2.86 percent for the week. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.94 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending December 15, 2011, down from the previous week when it… |