West Portal, S.F. Market Trends as of July 23, 2010

By Cheryl Bower | July 23, 2010

West Portal, SF, CA Market Trends as of July 23, 2010   If you have a West Portal home that you are thinking about selling now may be the perfect time.  There is solid buyer demand, the properties that are well priced & show well are receiving multiple offers and inventory is really low (a…

Read More

Yes, You Can Still Get A Mortgage If You’re Pregnant

By Cheryl Bower | July 21, 2010

The New York Times ran an important story this week concerning pregnancy and mortgage approvals. Titled “Need a Mortgage? Don’t Get Pregnant”, the article discussed the difficulties that expecting and recently-expanded families are having with their mortgage financing.

Related posts:

  1. Your Mortgage Approval Isn’t Final Until It’s Funded
  2. How Today’s Employment Data Is Hurting Mortgage Rates
  3. The New Conforming Mortgage Guidelines, Effective September 1, 2009
Read More

Sagging Homebuilder Confidence Opens The Door For Good Deals

By Cheryl Bower | July 20, 2010

Remember, it wasn’t too long ago that most builders were flush with home inventory, unable to find willing buyers. To help move product at that time, builders dropped prices and offered incentives including free upgrades. If confidence continues to sag going forward, home purchase deals of that nature may return — especially as the foreclosure market gets larger.

Related posts:

  1. The Housing Market Index Reaches A 16-Month High
  2. Home Supplies Plummet, Putting Pressure On Home Prices To Rise
  3. Housing Starts Make Its Largest Leap Since 2004
Read More

The Fed’s June Minutes Keep Mortgage Rates In Rally-Mode

By Cheryl Bower | July 16, 2010

At 7,333 words, the June Fed Minutes is the unabridged version of the more well-known, post-meeting press release. The corresponding press release was just 360 words. It turns out, the Fed’s words are doing wonders for mortgage rates.

Related posts:

  1. The Fed’s April Minutes Push Mortgage Rates Even Lower
  2. How The “Fed Minutes” Can Change Mortgage Rates And Home Affordability
  3. Mortgage Rates Spike On The Federal Reserve’s January 2010 Meeting Minutes
Read More

Foreclosure Activity Slows Again In June 2010

By Cheryl Bower | July 15, 2010

June marks the 16th straight month the filings topped 300,000. 1 in every 411 U.S. homes received some form of notice last month with foreclosure density varying wildly from state-to-state. Like everything else in real estate, it seems, foreclosures are a local phenomenon.

Related posts:

  1. Foreclosures Per Capita | February 2010
  2. Foreclosure Activity Slows For The First Time In Several Years
  3. Foreclosure Activity Falls For The 4th Straight Month
Read More

Mandatory Loan Fees Keep Borrowers From Getting Their Absolute Lowest Rate

By Cheryl Bower | July 14, 2010

Conforming mortgage rates may be posting all-time lows this week, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be eligible for them. You may have already called your loan officer and found this out the hard way. It’s because of a federally-mandated mortgage-pricing scheme known as “loan-level pricing adjustments”.

Related posts:

  1. Fannie Mae Increases Its Mandatory Loan Fees For All Borrowers
  2. Mandatory FHA Loan Fees Increase For Some, Fall For Others
  3. Mortgage Rates Fell But You May Have A Higher Rate To Pay
Read More

Reducing Your Tax Burden by Owning Real Estate

By Cheryl Bower | April 23, 2009

April 2009: With tax season in full swing and April 15th just a few short weeks away, we figured it would be appropriate to discuss the significant tax benefits that accompany real estate ownership. With real estate, there are tax advantages available while both owning and selling real estate.  Let’s first discuss the advantages available…

Read More