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 [...]
Foreclosures Will Be on the Rise
April 20, 2009 By 3 Comments
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 foreclosures. Notice of Defaults (NOD’s), the [...]
So You Want to Buy a Short Sale? A Word of Caution
April 17, 2009 By 5 Comments
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 are attractive and [...]
Microscope on the Market – Laguna Niguel
March 30, 2009 By 3 Comments
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 [...]
Quick and Anonymous Survey
March 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Microscope on the Market – Coto de Caza
March 17, 2009 By 1 Comment
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 [...]
How We Got Here – Understanding Mark to Market
March 16, 2009 By 3 Comments
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 [...]
Microscope On Mission Viejo
March 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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 [...]
The Hits Keep On Comin’
February 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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 this may be meaningful in the lower price points, [...]
State of the OC Market
February 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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 [...]
