Why you should buy now

by Ana Connell on September 2, 2010

Stranahan House, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
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Lower property values are making homeownership more attractive than renting in many of our local markets, which means that paying a mortgage may be cheaper than renting in your area, whether you live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, Glendale or Studio City.

Buyers have the upper hand as inventories are rising and sellers are forced to make critical pricing decisions based on how motivated they are to sell.

Lower mortgage rates are the result of the current recession.  What it means to you is that on a 30-year fixed-rate loan amount of $200,000 at 5%, the interest paid over the life of the loan is $186,512. That brings the total loan payments to $386,512. At 6%, the amount of interest paid rises to $231,676, a 24% increase. At 7%, it’s $279,018, a 49% increase.  Given that rates have gone below 5% for many loan types this is an unbelievable time to buy.

The housing market collapse of the last few years  has created one of the best buyer affordability conditions with the percentage of median household income needed to pay the mortgage on a median priced home at a 30-year low.

Consider the decision to buy carefully as it has to make sense for your situation, but if you are waiting because you think prices are going lower, you may want to think about how good your ability to time the market is versus the sustainability of low interest rates.  Also keep in mind that the real estate market is and will continue to be a cyclical industry, so at some point, the jobs picture will look better, the economy will start to rebound and housing prices will increase, along with interest rates.

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Case Shiller home price index data shows gains

by Ana Connell on September 1, 2010

C_01 College Hill - H. P. Lovecraft’s Home fro...
Image by California Cthulhu (Will Hart) via Flickr

S&P Case-Shiller home price index, which tracks monthly changes in 20 different real estate markets,  showed continued gains for home prices in June.  The composite-10 index rose 1.0 percent in June vs. a 1.3 percent gain in May (revised from plus 1.2 percent).

It is a slower pace and the warm weather usually has a positive impact in home prices.  The adjusted data showed a much smaller 0.3 percent rise, slower than the 0.5 percent rises in May and April. The year-on-year rate in June also slowed, to plus 5.0 percent for both the unadjusted and adjusted index vs. a plus 5.4 percent unadjusted rise in May and a rise of 5.5 percent when adjusted.

The outlook for home prices does not look great for the short term as big drops were reported for new home prices in June and July and you have a  ballooning inventory or supply of homes.  Add to that future distressed sales and it’s not a pretty picture.

Again though, I have to point out that real estate is very local and national data gives us part of the picture, but not the whole picture.

Given that mortgage rates are truly at an all time low, 4-5% last I checked, and very low housing prices you have the makings for an attractive opportunity, especially since the real estate market and housing prices are cyclical.

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New home sales follow in existing home sales footsteps

by Ana Connell on August 26, 2010

Single-family home
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New home sales fell 12.4 percent in July to a record low 276,000 unit annual rate.

As with existing home sales , all areas of the country felt the decline.  Supplies are up to 9.1 months from June’s 8.0 months.

New home prices are showing signs of weakness as the median price is down 6.0 percent to $204,000 for a - 4.8 percent year-on-year comparison. The median price is the lowest since 2003.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s existing home sales report, the carnage was felt across the country and it will be some time before we see a more normalized real estate market.

The California Association of Realtors (C.A.R. ) reported Tuesday that the median home price of existing, single-family homes in California rose 10.4 percent in July compared with the year prior and home sales declined 20.8 percent.

What’s interesting and somewhat surprising is that the year-over-year statewide median home price posted its ninth consecutive gain and seventh consecutive double-digit gain in July.  The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during July 2010 was $314,850, up 0.9 percent compared with June’s $311,950 median price.

There are buyers out there, but they are cautious and are not willing to buy a property just for the sake of becoming homeowners.  As important as finding the right property is, many buyers today want value for their money and are looking very closely at the numbers-pending home sales, current active listings and recent closed escrows-in order to make informed decisions.

Lending has been somewhat tight lately, so if lenders decide to open the lending gates in the next few months that will have a strong impact on the current rising inventories.

California real estate facts:

  • Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region July 2010: Santa Barbara So. Coast $871,250 (Source: C.A.R.)
  • Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region July 2010: High Desert $128,950 (Source: C.A.R.)
  • Mortgage rates: Week ending 8/19/2010 30-yr. fixed: 4.42 Fees/points: 0.7% 15-yr. fixed: 3.90% Fees/points: 0.6% 1-yr. adjustable: 3.53% Fees/points: 0.7% (Source: Freddie Mac)
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Existing home sales post sharpest decline in 15 years

by Ana Connell on August 24, 2010

Existing Home Sales, Inventory and Months to Sell
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Existing home sales posted the largest decline nationwide, down 27.2% from June and 25.5% from same period last year.  This is the lowest level in 15 years and to further add salt to the wound housing supplies went from 8.9 months to 12.5 months, the worst reading in 11 years.

What is very interesting and points to some strength is that median prices were only down .2%  from June and .7%($182,600) from last year.  The reality is that with increased inventories and more short sales and foreclosures on the way, there will be pricing pressure in the months to come.

The carnage was felt across the country and very telling are the figures that foreclosures represented 22% of sales, while short sales made up another 10%.  Distressed sales will continue to plague homeowners that are hoping to sell in the coming months.

Here in the Burbank area we are seeing similar findings as our inventories have risen to between 5-6 months and prices were down 1.5% month over month in July.   We have to go back to jobs and the local economy for a glimpse into the future, but make no mistake that foreclosures and short sale properties will be with us for a few years.

We may not officially be in a double dip, but the numbers are pointing to a significant amount of slowing.  Whether this will go up from this point or give us a few months of lackluster sales is hard to say, but it is all part of the housing market recovery process, which overall is a good thing and will lead us to a more stable housing market.

More to come tomorrow as the fun continues with New Home Sales data being reported.

Call me at 818-795-8474 or email me at ana@anaconnell.com  if you would like to schedule a free comparative home analysis for the sale of your home discuss sales in your neighborhood.

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Half million dollar house in Salinas, Californ...
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The weekly economic news continues to point to weakness in jobs, the economy and the housing market.

The jobs market is less than optimal as many corporations continue to keep huge cash reserves and are not hiring, add to that the weakness in the economy, which of course is trickling down to the housing market and you have a current outlook that is dismal.  I would argue that when we do finally start to see the jobs recovery, then we’ll see that effect trickle down to the economy, housing and hopefully lending that is not quite as tight as it is today.

Foreclosure activity increases 4 percent in July


Foreclosure filings – representing notices of default, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions – increased 4 percent in July as compared with June, but the better news is that filings decreased almost 10 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to RealtyTrac.

Properties receiving a notice of default increased 1 percent in July compared with June, but decreased 28 percent compared with July 2009.

Foreclosure auctions increased 2 percent in July compared with the prior month, while bank repossessions increased 9 percent during the same period, according to the report.

California accounted for 21 percent of the total number of properties receiving a foreclosure notice in July, a decrease of 3 percent from June and down 38 percent compared with July 2009.

Housing Market Index

The housing market index for August fell one point to 13 and is down nine points from a recovery peak of 22 in May.  This is the third month of decline and problems such as tight credit, inaccurate appraisals and competition from distressed properties continue to plague the market.

Existing home sales are due out tomorrow and new home sales are due out on Wednesday, both expected to come in lower.

On a local level we’ve seen the inventory here in the Burbank housing market continue it’s upward spike as we’re now at 5 months of inventory as compared with a 2-3 months supply early this year.

Burbank Real Estate Market-July 2010

  • Homes listed for sale: 114
  • Homes sold in September: 55
  • Average home sale price: $502,049-down 1.5% from June 2010
  • Average days on market: 63
  • Pending sales:41
  • Average selling price % of list price: 97.37%

Source: Southland Regional Association of Realtors

Calif. median home price: June 2010: $311,950 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region June 2010: Santa Barbara So. Coast $914,760 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region June 2010: High Desert $125,620 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index - First quarter 2010: 66 percent (Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates: Week ending 8/12/2010 30-yr. fixed: 4.44 Fees/points: 0.7% 15-yr. fixed: 3.93% Fees/points: 0.6% 1-yr. adjustable: 3.53% Fees/points: 0.7% (Source: Freddie Mac)

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Yay legal documents!
Image by ifindkarma via Flickr

Many first time home buyers sometimes wonder why they need to go through a title search.

Let’s first define what a title report is, which is the process of  search through the historical ownership and restrictions of real property.

  • It makes a determination that the seller does indeed own the property and has the right to sell it
  • It tells you about any types of land use restrictions on the property such as easements
  • It looks for any liens or claims on the property for unpaid taxes, unpaid mortgages or mechanic liens.

Here are some possible problems that you could uncover:

  • Unpaid or postponed property taxes.  Postponed taxes are a program for seniors that allows the owner to postpone the taxes until the property is sold or refinanced.
  • Old trust deeds from previous owners that may already have been paid and need to be removed from the public record.
  • Previous trust deeds with private party beneficiaries, usually individuals that loaned money on the property, such as a seller carry back may be difficult to get removed, especially if many years have gone by.  So a bond may be required in order to clear the title.
  • Encroachments-If there is a common fence or driveway that encroaches on the property, the buyer will have to accept the property with the encroachment and the lender may decide not to lend on that property.
  • Open bankruptcies will require the seller to get permission from to sell the property.
  • Court judgements, while not common, can be issued for back spousal or child support.

Especially from a buyer’s perspective this report is critical to the home buying process and is required in most instances.

For more in depth information, please check out this website for more detailed information:  http://www.chicagotitle.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=27

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Economic and real estate news for Burbank, Toluca Lake and surrounding areas

by Ana ConnellAugust 10, 2010

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The National Association of Realtors reported that its pending home sales index, a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts, fell 2.6% in June after a 30% decrease in May. On a year-over-year basis, pending home sales are down 18.6%.
The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted composite index of [...]

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National news and California real estate facts

by Ana ConnellAugust 2, 2010

Image via Wikipedia

On the National news front:
· New home sales rose 23.6% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 330,000 units from a revised rate of 267,000 units in May. Economists had expected a pace of 310,000 units. On a year-over-year basis, sales of new homes have fallen 16.7%.
· The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller [...]

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Accurately pricing your home for sale

by Ana ConnellJuly 29, 2010

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Accurately pricing a home for sale continues to be one of the most important factors in determining whether a home sells or lingers on the market. In some cases, sellers may need to reduce their asking price to attract buyers and offers.
Many homeowners struggle with determining whether or not [...]

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Real estate facts for California

by Ana ConnellJuly 21, 2010

Calif. median home price: May 2010: $324,430 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region May 2010: Santa Barbara So. Coast $905,000 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region May 2010: High Desert $126,430 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index - First quarter 2010: 66 percent (Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates: Week [...]

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