A Word from NAR

In recent years, the National Association of Realtors has stumbled. For too long they touted the 'It's a Great Time to Buy' shtick and found their credibility slightly tarnished. That being said, there is an effort to bring the real estate community, and the consumer, things that are a bit more authentic. This video is a bit dry - but good news - it's relatively short. Hang in there with it and there is some good information from Lawrence Yun, NAR's Chief Economist. …

Foreclosures Will Be on the Rise

No crystal ball needed here - we are about to see a sharp increase in foreclosures in the coming months. The foreclosure report for the month of March was recently released by Foreclosure Radar. During the final months of 2008, many lending institutions participated in a voluntary moratorium on…

So You Want to Buy a Short Sale? A Word of Caution

This post is LONG, but if you are thinking of buying a short sale (or if you're an agent looking for an outlet for your short sale frustrations), PLEASE read. Understanding this information is a must. I completely understand the allure of the short sales when you are a buyer. The prices…

Microscope on the Market – Laguna Niguel

So many of the media numbers focus on Orange County performance, but real estate performance can vary dramatically within our large county, and particularly at various price points. Today's Microscope on the Market focuses on the Laguna Niguel real estate market. Homes Under $500,000 # of Sales Short Sales Bank Owned Equity Sellers Active 119 63.9% 5% 31.1% In Escrow 71 53.5% 29.6% 16.9% Closed* 18 27.8% 38.9% 33.3% In the under $500,000 mark…

Quick and Anonymous Survey

I would like to invite you to take this quick (2 minutes or less) survey about your thoughts on the Orange County housing market. It is entirely anonymous and I will post the results in one week. Click Here to take survey I want your thoughts! I also invite you to share any additional things you would like to add in the comments section below. Thanks so much for participating!…

Microscope on the Market – Coto de Caza

So many of the media numbers focus on Orange County performance, but real estate performance can vary dramatically within our large county and particularly at various price points. Today's Microscope on the Market focuses on Coto de Caza. If you aren't from Orange County - yes this is the home of the infamous Real Housewives of Orange County, although I can't say that the friends that I have living in Coto are anything like the woman as depicted on that show. It's really a beautifu…

How We Got Here – Understanding Mark to Market

While many of us have a loose understanding of how the housing and financial markets contributed to our current recession, many of us are unaware of the ways that the accounting method - Mark to Market - contributed to the magnitude of the crisis. I've heard the term 'Mark to Market' before, but my understanding was loose at best. It was a blog post written by Pasadena's local expert, Irina Netchaev, that really broke it down in a way that was simple enough for me to get my head around. U…

Microscope On Mission Viejo

Today the microscope is on Mission Viejo. So many of the media numbers focus on Orange County performance, but real estate performance can vary dramatically within our large county and particularly at various price points. I'm going to spend the next several posts breaking down each of the South Orange County cities to give you an idea of local performance. Whether you are buying, selling, or just keeping an eye on your local market, these numbers tell the story. BTW Dear Friends/…

The Hits Keep On Comin’

The other day, I mentioned my astonishment at the Housing Affordability and Stimulus Plan and how it really leaves California (the most troubled housing markets in the country) out in the cold. Then the announcement came regarding an $8,000 tax credit. Forgive me, but whoop-dee-do. While thi…

State of the OC Market

Recently Jonathon Lansner posted a podcast that he did with Steven Thomas of Altera Real Estate. Great information whether you are a buyer or seller in Orange County. Mr. Thomas posts his Market Time Report every two weeks and continues to be an excellent resource for analysis on Orange County real estate. If you are sizing up a purchase or sale, looking for an opinion on 'the bottom', this is worth 13 minutes.…

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