Category Archives: Real Estate
Mortgage Fraud: How to Protect Yourself When Buying or Refinancing
The promise of a quick profit in real estate can be hard to resist. But consumers who misrepresent information when buying or refinancing a home could end up being responsible for any shortfall when the property is sold. If the … Continue reading
Tip of the Week: Time share scams on the rise (CAR)
The Better Business Bureau is warning people to avoid a company called Wade Capital Management, which bills itself as a “vacation ownership closing company.” The company has attempted to get consumers to wire money to an account in Mexico as … Continue reading
Obama administration releases March housing scorecard
Mortgage delinquencies continued a downward trend and were substantially below year-ago levels, while sales of existing homes in January and February marked the strongest start to a year since 2007, according to the Obama administration’s March housing scorecard. However, data … Continue reading
Debt Collector Calling? How to Spot a Fake
Judy and Nelson Horn, greater Palm Springs Realtors, blogging, provide their clients with the following advice. Consumers across the country are reporting creditor calls on loans they never received or on amounts they do not owe, according to the Federal … Continue reading
Mortgage Interest Deduction Softens Blow as Tax Day Approaches
With the April 17 tax-filing deadline right around the corner, the most important tax deduction for tens of millions of middle-class families could be on the chopping block as early as next year’s tax season if some policymakers get their … Continue reading
15-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Hits New All-Time Record Low
Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey ® (PMMS®) yesterday, showing average fixed mortgage rates declining for the third consecutive week on the heels of a weaker than expected employment report. The 30-year fixed averaged just … Continue reading
Fast California Real Estate Facts February 2012
Calif. median home price: February 2012: $266,660 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. highest median home price by region/county February 2012: Marin, $732,140 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. lowest median home price by region/county February 2012: Tehama, $85,000 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. Pending Home Sales Index: … Continue reading
Asking prices increase in March
Asking prices rose 1.4 percent nationally in March compared with the previous quarter, according to Trulia’s Price Monitor. On a month-over-month comparison, asking prices increased 0.9 percent in March and 0.6 percent in February. Throughout 2011, asking prices rose slightly … Continue reading
Consumer attitudes toward home buying shift
More consumers may be looking to purchase homes with a shift in several key housing market indicators, according to Fannie Mae’s March 2012 consumer attitudinal National Housing Survey. More Americans now expect both home rental and home purchase prices to … Continue reading
Home prices hit new lows
The Standard & Poor’s/Case Shiller index of 20 American cities fell 1.1 percent from November to December and 4 percent from December 2010. Read the full story