Buying a home is one of the biggest milestones in life, and it often comes with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. For many buyers, the biggest sticking point is interest rates. It is tempting to wait for rates to drop before committing to a mortgage, but in reality, waiting can mean missing out on the home that truly fits your needs. The phrase “date the rate, marry the house” has gained popularity among realtors, especially in competitive markets like California and Humboldt County, because it captures an important truth: interest rates are temporary, but the home you buy can shape your fu... Read more

As we have seen in many cycles of North Western California Real Estate, the market is about to take a more aggressive move up. Now is the time to buy. One of the best old timer sayings in real estate, ring true today, and it goes like this: "Marry the House but Date the Rate". What that means is buy now, and obtain a loan that gives you freedom to easily either refinance without penalty or many loans have a clause that allow for a one time rate decrease. Once the market has made the move, the competition will increase to where you may not be able to purchase because of competition from man... Read more

We’re currently experiencing historically low mortgage rates. Over the last fifty years, the average on a Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been 7.76%. Today, that rate is 2.81%. Flocks of homebuyers have been taking advantage of these remarkably low rates over the last twelve months. However, there’s no guarantee rates will remain this low much longer.

Whenever we try to forecast mortgage rates, we should consider the advice of Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American:

“You know, the fallacy of economic forecasting is don’t ever try and forecast intere... Read more

Wish You All A Very Happy New Year 2010!!

Online real estate marketing gets more effective this year by including real estate videos on websites. Real estate videos provide access to all property for sale on the online listings. These videos provide buyers a very powerful buying solution that can be accessed from anywhere on the internet. With innovative technology tools, real estate videos provide access to property for sale in the neighborhood on the listings on the local MLS. The instinctive tools designed for the real estate videos make inspection of property and the neighborhood ... Read more

"We’re in a slow, but definite recovery mode"

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/real_estate/archives/2009/06/were-in-a-slow.html?mi_atom=Home%20Front


So says Alexis McGee, president of Fair Oaks-based Foreclosures.com, which tracks the nation’s foreclosure markets for real estate investors. Here’s McGee’s new national roundup:


SACRAMENTO, Calif. -While President Obama, Congress, and the American people debate financial regulatory reform, foreclosures continue to mount as embattled housing markets bump along the bottom. ... Read more

Waiting game on low mortgage rates backfires

By Mark Glover
mglover@sacbee.com


http://www.sacbee.com/business/story/1903523.html


Sacramento-area homeowners and prospective first-time homebuyers might be wondering: Did we miss the boat on mortgage rates?

The short answer from experts is: Probably, but rates are still very attractive.

For 10 weeks, mortgage rates were riding well below 5 percent on 30-year loans, but housing and industry analysts speculated that many first-time homebuyers and homeowners looking to refinance existing mo... Read more

Home Front: Fewer empty new homes means supply, demand in balance

ShareThisBy Jim Wasserman
jwasserman@sacbee.com

Published: Friday, Apr. 10, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
The first quarterly report on new-home sales in the Sacramento area during 2009 is in – and there’s one good sign amid a new low of 699 sales in January, February and March.

Excess supply – houses built or almost built without buyers – are back to lows last seen in mid-2004 and early 2005, the height of the buying frenzy.

The tally as March ended was 1,159 empty houses in El D... Read more

by Eric Bramlett
Purchasing real estate with the intent of turning it into an apartment or a house for rent can be an excellent financial decision. When you buy a property with the intent of renting it, however, there are several factors you should take into consideration in order to guarantee the best chance of successfully finding a tenant and making money from your investment.

Assessing Your Goals Before Buying

Before you buy real estate with the intent of renting it out, you need to determine what your goals will be. For example, do you want to create a steady sou... Read more

The Secret to Pricing Your Home to Sell
by Jim Remley, Pro Performer Seminars

Contrary to popular belief, when selling your home its value is determined by one thing and one thing only - what a qualified buyer is willing to pay for it. No more and no less. Sure, many sellers will argue that their home has an insurance replacement value, or an appraised value, or a tax assessed value, but unless your insurance agent, your banker, or your tax assessor is willing to write you a check for the home - guess what? None of that matters. A home without a buyer has no value in the market p... Read more