A recently completed survey by the National Association of Realtors reveals that 79 percent of home buyers and sellers are using a real estate professional in their buying and selling transaction. That’s up from 77 percent over the past three years, and nearly nine out of 10 buyers were satisfied with their agent’s knowledge of [...]

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One particularly bright facet of mortgage lending in today’s market relates to multifamily property lending. This segment of mortgage lending grew by four percent last year and is continuing to grow, according to a report from Mortgage Bankers Association.
"The growth in multifamily lending comes amid different results for different market segments," the report stated. "The [...]

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Major changes are taking place in the reverse mortgage industry. And with its rapid growth during the past year or so it certainly has become an industry. First, a basic definition: A reverse mortgage is a loan against the equity in the home owned by a senior individual or couple. In most cases the owner(s) [...]

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New single-family homes sales are finally heading in an upward direction, at least for the last reported month. Home sales increased by 1.7 percent in October compared with the previous month, according to a report from the U.S. Commerce Department. October’s seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was 728,000 units.
"The progressive tightening of mortgage lending during [...]

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Many metro areas are now showing rising or stable home prices, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors. In NAR’s latest study, 93 out of 150 metropolitan statistical areas showed increases in median existing single-family home prices from last year. That includes six areas with double-digit annual gains and another 21 [...]

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Fixed-rate mortgages are definitely the "loan of choice" by today’s homeowners seeking a refinance mortgage. About 85 percent of refinance mortgages in recent months have been fixed-rate loans, according to Freddie Mac, a major government-sponsored buyer of existing mortgages. Those applications include many homeowners who initially had a hybrid ARM (adjustable-rate mortgage).
"Mortgage rates on 30-year [...]

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PawYards Holiday Pawty     December 16
It’s a doggie Christmas with Santa and all the trimmings! Well-behaved dogs on leashes can bring their owners for a fun day browsing and sniffing. It’s a place where dogs and people can meet and play. The event offers doggie merchandise, goodie bags, games, and a costume contest for your pooch! [...]

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   The next 18 months will be a particularly good time to buy real estate, according to Jim Wagner, an attorney specializing in real estate investments and retirement planning issues. He notes the following reasons:
Home construction starts are now at the lowest volume in the past 14 years. Foreclosures are on the rise, providing many [...]

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As we move into the last month of 2007, mortgage interest rates are continuing to decrease. They are now at the lowest point in more than two years, thus opening a bit wider the door of opportunity for home buyers.
The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now down to 6.10 percent, with 0.5 [...]

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Calif. median home price - October 07: $497,110  
Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region October 07: Santa Barbara So. Coast $1,325,000 
Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region October 07: High Desert $265,880
Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index - Third Quarter 07: 24 percent
(Source: C.A.R.)  

Mortgage rates - week ending 11/29: 30-yr. [...]

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