With Bear Stearns Cos.’ temporary rescue in place, the $200 billion subprime crisis joins the history of government bailouts to preserve jobs, homes and savings when economic disaster looms.
Ever since Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo shut the New York Stock Exchange for four months in 1914, to prevent foreign investors from cashing out and throwing […]

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The housing slowdown isn’t being felt in some of the most desirable areas of the country.
For instance, in Ross, Calif., about 18 miles north of San Francisco, real estate practitioner Tracy McLaughlin says, “It’s supply constrained.”
Other metropolitan areas that continued to post gains in home prices nearly every month are Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Charlotte, […]

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A new company, named Mortgage Help Now, has been formed to provide assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure due to problems in the mortgage industry. The company, affiliated with The Liput Group, is comprised of mortgage industry executives and lawyers. Many of the participants are professional mortgage consultants who were formerly mortgage industry executives and lawyers […]

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People are feeling very positive about their homes these days, despite a generally sluggish housing market. A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive revealed an interesting insight into consumer sentiments. It indicated that about 77 percent of homeowners believe the value of their home has increased or remained the same during the past year. Also, […]

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The number of households headed by persons over age 55 is growing, and will continue to grow. They now make up 20.9 percent of all new home buyers and 24.3 percent of new custom home buyers, according to a study by the National Association of Home Builders.
The good news for home builders is that many […]

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A swath of green is covering the real estate industry. An increasing number of Realtors are taking special courses to learn about geo-thermal heat pumps and success-proven techniques home buyers can use to qualify for grants and tax credits for energy-saving improvements. They then market themselves as eco-friendly "green" Realtors.
New housing developers are also hopping […]

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The Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 (S. 2636) may not be signed into law. The White House indicates it’s headed for a veto. The bill would change bankruptcy laws by giving judges the latitude to reduce interest rates and the amount that is owed on mortgages of at-risk homeowners.
"We appreciate the Senators’ efforts to try […]

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• The first $250,000 to $500,000 in capital gains from the sale of an owner-occupied home is excluded from taxation. Owners also are able to deduct local and state property taxes. There are very few comparable tax breaks for renters, and the few that exist are mostly restricted to low-income families.
• Owners reap the costs […]

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Calif. median home price - January 08: $430,370 
Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region January 08: Santa Barbara So. Coast $1,135,000
Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region January 08: High Desert $234,310
Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index - Third Quarter 07: 33 percent
(Source: C.A.R.)  
Mortgage rates - week ending 02/28: 30-yr. fixed: 6.24%; […]

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Online posted job vacancies in February grew by only 3 percent from February 2007 levels, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series™ released Monday. The 3,927,500 online advertised vacancies posted in February represent an increase of 17 percent, or 565,000 jobs, compared with January levels, but reflect an expected post-holiday up-tick in employment. […]

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