What the Crystal Ball Says about the housing market in 2012 | Trulia Pro

What the Crystal Ball Says about the housing market in 2012 | Trulia Pro: "Delinquencies will go down, but foreclosures will go up."

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New Foreclosure Wave is Coming - US Business News - CNBC

New Foreclosure Wave is Coming - US Business News - CNBC:

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LoopNet - #1 in Commercial Real Estate Online

LoopNet - #1 in Commercial Real Estate Online:

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Bond Dealers See Fed Buying $545 Billion of Home-Loan Debt in Third Easing - Bloomberg

Bond Dealers See Fed Buying $545 Billion of Home-Loan Debt in Third Easing - Bloomberg: "Primary Dealer Forecasts for Likelihood of Fed Bond Purchases

Firm Fed Purchases Amount Timing

Bank of America Mortgages# $800 billion Q2/Q3 2012
Bank of Nova Scotia Treasuries $600 billion 1st half 2012"

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Bond Dealers See Fed Buying $545 Billion of Home-Loan Debt in Third Easing - Bloomberg

Bond Dealers See Fed Buying $545 Billion of Home-Loan Debt in Third Easing - Bloomberg: "Housing Glut
At the current pace of sales it would take eight months to clear the inventory of available properties, compared with the average of 4.8 before 2007."

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HARP 2 refinance plan a boost to borrowers, banks

HARP 2 refinance plan a boost to borrowers, banks:

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The Foreclosure Report - October 2011 | ForeclosureRadar

The Foreclosure Report - October 2011 | ForeclosureRadar: "The Foreclosure Report - October 2011

Little Change in California, as Nevada and Washington Foreclosure Starts Plummet"

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REO sales may not peak until 2013 « HousingWire

REO sales may not peak until 2013 « HousingWire: "The sale of properties repossessed through foreclosure may not peak until 2013, keeping home prices from a meaningful recovery for some time, analysts estimated Monday."

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August 2011 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report

August 2011 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report: "Overall  Year-Over-Year Activity Decreases for 11th Consecutive Month,
    But  Default Notices Jump 33 Percent from July"

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Real Estate | Who are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? | Seattle Times Newspaper

Real Estate | Who are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? | Seattle Times Newspaper: "Who are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?"

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New home sales drop to six-month low - latimes.com

New home sales drop to six-month low - latimes.com: This year is shaping up to be the worst year on record for new home sales

1250 AM WTMA: The Big Talker | News and Talk from Charleston, South Carolina

1250 AM WTMA: The Big Talker | News and Talk from Charleston, South Carolina: "Rise in Short Sales Offers 'Glimmer of Hope' for Housing Market"

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CHF Platinum - Participant Guide

CHF Platinum - Participant Guide: "CHF PLATINUM — PARTICIPANT GUIDE"

How to Start a Payday Loan Business, payday loan franchise, cash advance business, cash advance franchise

How to Start a Payday Loan Business, payday loan franchise, cash advance business, cash advance franchise: "Want to Start a Payday Loan Business ?"

Bank of America Real Estate Agent Resource Center

Bank of America Real Estate Agent Resource Center: "Now You Can Substitute a New Buyer for One Who Walked Without Restart"

SB 458

Short Sale Soundoff: Victory for short sale sellers
Last Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 458 (Corbett) into law. SB 458 extends the protections of SB 931 (2010), to ensure that any lender that agrees to a short sale must accept the agreed upon short sale payment as payment in full of the outstanding balance of all loans.

Under previous law (SB 931 of 2010), a first mortgage holder could accept an agreed-upon short sale payment as full payment for the outstanding balance of the loan, but unfortunately, the rule did not apply to junior lien holders. SB 458 extends the protections of SB 931 to junior liens.

SB 458 contains an urgency clause making it effective upon signing

Earthquake Guide - Cripple Walls

Earthquake Guide - Cripple Walls: "CRIPPLE WALLS"

Foreclosure Backlog Gives Homeowners a Reprieve - NYTimes.com

Foreclosure Backlog Gives Homeowners a Reprieve - NYTimes.com: "In the 27 states where the courts play no role in foreclosures, the pace is much more brisk — three years in California"

Medical bill collection accounts may be depressing loan applicants' credit scores - latimes.com

Medical bill collection accounts may be depressing loan applicants' credit scores - latimes.com: "Titled the Medical Debt Responsibility Act, the bill would require the three national credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — to expunge medical collection records of $2,500 or less from files within 45 days of their being paid or settled."

Bay Area foreclosure slowdown continues - San Jose Mercury News

Bay Area foreclosure slowdown continues - San Jose Mercury News: "'I think this definitely is evidence the lenders are not just foreclosing because someone is delinquent. They are considering other options,' such as short sales or loan modifications, he said. 'They are also considering if the market can absorb that foreclosure before they complete the process and put it on the market.'"

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Which Housing Values Have Suffered the Most?

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Which Housing Values Have Suffered the Most?: "High-priced homes have lost 38 percent of their value since values peaked in 2006. Lower priced homes, on the other hand, have dropped 63 percent since peaking in 2007."

About TransUnion: Newsroom -

About TransUnion: Newsroom -: "Life After Foreclosure Study: Mortgage-Only Defaulters Not as Risky as Expected -- Says TransUnion"

Financing Foreclosed Homes - Mortgages - NYTimes.com

Financing Foreclosed Homes - Mortgages - NYTimes.com: "FORECLOSED homes don’t show very well — financially strained borrowers may ignore maintenance; lenders turn off the water and power to cut the cost of letting the place sit. A poor appearance can complicate financing, but it doesn’t prevent sales."

Existing-Home Sales in U.S. Unexpectedly Fall - Bloomberg

Existing-Home Sales in U.S. Unexpectedly Fall - Bloomberg: "Sales of existing U.S. homes unexpectedly declined in April, indicating the industry is struggling to gain traction as the economy expands."

housing-crash-getting-worse-marketwatch: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

housing-crash-getting-worse-marketwatch: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance: "Commentary: But all this bearish news makes me bullish

If you thought the housing crisis was bad, think again.

It's worse."

Fannie Mae Falls Back Into the Loss Column - WSJ.com

Fannie Mae Falls Back Into the Loss Column - WSJ.com: "Fannie Mae reported a net loss of $6.5 billion for the first quarter as a weakening housing market dashed hopes that the company had stabilized."

March Pending Home Sales Index

March Pending Home Sales Index: "LOS ANGELES (April 20) – The share of distressed homes sold in March declined from February, but was unchanged from a year ago,  the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today. "

Federal government sues Deutsche Bank in NYC, alleging it committed mortgage fraud - The Washington Post

Federal government sues Deutsche Bank in NYC, alleging it committed mortgage fraud - The Washington Post: "NEW YORK — The federal government sued Deutsche Bank Tuesday, saying the bank committed fraud and padded its pockets with undeserved income as it repeatedly lied so it could benefit from a government program that insured mortgages."

S&P | Indices | Equity | Americas

S&P | Indices | Equity | Americas: "Latest Press Release
Home Prices Edge Closer to 2009 Lows According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices(PDF)
26-Apr-2011 09"

Home building trends: Housing expert John McIlwain talks about what a building revival would look like - latimes.com

Home building trends: Housing expert John McIlwain talks about what a building revival would look like - latimes.com: "The numbers report for the home-building industry couldn't have been more grim in February: New-home construction in the U.S. fell to a pace that would translate to about 250,000 homes for all of 2011, which would be the fewest built since the Commerce Department began keeping track in 1963.

If home building isn't dead, there's certainly time to think about what it would look like when it revives, perhaps from 2013 to 2015. That's according to John McIlwain, a senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, which studies trends in housing and development."

U.S. home sales rise - DailyBulletin.com

U.S. home sales rise - DailyBulletin.com: "Investors lifted U.S. home sales last month, plunking down cash to grab cheap homes at risk of foreclosure. But purchases made by first-time homebuyers fell, a troubling sign for the weak housing market.
Sales of previously occupied homes rose in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.1 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That's a 3.7 percent increase from the February pace, but far below the 6 million homes a year that economists say represents a healthy market."

NCMSDC: Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council

NCMSDC: Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council: "MBE Certification Application Instructions
Please read the detailed instructions CAREFULLY before you proceed:

Step 1: Fill out the online Minority Business Certification Application.  Do not use all caps or all lower case when filling out the application.  Do not use symbols or punctuation when entering in numbers or percentages (ex. $, %, commas).  Simply enter in the digits only, otherwise the system will not save your application."

Media: News Releases > Fannie Mae Announces 3.5 Percent Buyer Assistance on

Media: News Releases > Fannie Mae Announces 3.5 Percent Buyer Assistance on: "Washington, DC — Fannie Mae announced today that people purchasing a Fannie Mae-owned HomePath property will receive up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance. The initial offer must be submitted on or after April 11, 2011; and the sale must close on or before June 30, 2011 to be eligible for the incentive. Additionally, buyers must reside in the home as their primary residence (sales to investors are excluded)."

For Good or For Bad: Further Foreclosure Delays Likely to be Caused by California Senate Bill 729 | ForeclosureTruth

For Good or For Bad: Further Foreclosure Delays Likely to be Caused by California Senate Bill 729 | ForeclosureTruth: "California Senate Bill 729 would require that lenders evaluate a timely loan modification request and provide the homeowner with a clear denial before beginning the foreclosure process with the Notice of Default. This is intended to stop the lender from double tracking the loan modification process with the foreclosure process, which has been said to sometimes result in a premature foreclosure on an otherwise qualified loan modification candidate. Stopping a premature foreclosure sale is good thing, but let’s not forget that there may be times when a denied loan modification is also a good thing."

Homepath Financing on FNMA REO's

Homepath Financing on FNMA REO's: "Investment Properties
The HomePath program is perhaps the only program that allows for the purchase of investment properties with as little as 10% down (only singles and 2-units; 3-4 require 25%). This really opens a door that has been closed for a while as there appears to be many interested in acquiring real estate as an investment but the down payment is a hurdle. Under this program the current limit of not more than 4 properties financed by same borrower with Fannie Mae is expanded to the “old” 10 unit rule. Note that after 4 properties the down payment required goes to 25%. The adjustment for the property being investment is 2.5 points vs. normal 3 points but with less than 20% down the buyer would also have to pay for the no PMI option and that is an additional 1.75 points for a total of 4.25 points. No special treatment for seller credits on investments, standard rules apply."

Housing market: 11.4% of all U.S. homes are vacant - Mar. 28, 2011

Housing market: 11.4% of all U.S. homes are vacant - Mar. 28, 2011: "The national vacancy rate at 11.4% according to a release Tuesday from the Census Bureau.

'Vacant homes equal more downward pressure on home prices,' said Brad Hunter, chief economist for Metrostudy, a real estate information provider."

The chart above depicts the annual returns of the 10-City and the 20-City Composite Home Price Indices.
In January 2011, the 10-City and 20-City Composites recorded annual returns of -2.0% and -3.1%,
respectively. On a monthly basis, the 10-City Composite was down 0.9% and the 20-City Composite fell
1.0% in January versus December 2010. Only San Diego and Washington D.C. posted positive annual
growth rates in January 2011. These are the only two cities whose annual rates remained positive
throughout 2010. Every other MSA has either moved back into or has always been in negative territory

Real Estate News and Advice

Real Estate News and Advice By 2015, new homes will be 10 percent smaller, greener and packed with more technology and "universal" features than today's homes, according to a new study by the National Association of Home Builders.

New home sales break record low set last August. - Mar. 23, 2011

New home sales break record low set last August. - Mar. 23, 2011: "New home sales fell 16.9% in February, to the lowest level since the government began keeping records in 1963, as the reeling housing market failed to generate any momentum."

Home resales decline: Home resales fall 9.6% in February and prices are near 9-year low - latimes.com

Home resales decline: Home resales fall 9.6% in February and prices are near 9-year low - latimes.com: "Sales of previously owned homes dropped 9.6% in February and prices fell to their lowest level since 2002, reflecting a continued slump in the U.S. real estate market."

State by State Estimate of Shadow Inventory : Economists' Outlook

State by State Estimate of Shadow Inventory : Economists' Outlook: "REO that is not currently on the market is added back to get the final shadow inventory estimate. Again, the REO not currently on the market is estimated based on state level share of existing sales that are foreclosures and this data comes from the NAR’s RCI."

One More Worry About Reverse Mortgages - NYTimes.com

One More Worry About Reverse Mortgages - NYTimes.com: "It is the saddest of paradoxes: a government-backed financial maneuver intended to free up extra money for struggling older people turns out to have left some widows and widowers on the brink of foreclosure."

Earthquake Shakes Dollar

Earthquake Shakes Dollar: "But, as Japanese demand for new debt drops and the supply of outstanding debt being offered for sale increases, that will inevitably result in much higher interest rates for U.S. Treasury debt. The higher interest rates go hand in hand with a lower value for the U.S. dollar. The dollar was already near a multi-year low before this disaster. The catastrophe will almost certainly accelerate the further decline of the value of U.S. currency."

New Rules for First-Time Home Buyers - SmartMoney.com

New Rules for First-Time Home Buyers - SmartMoney.com: "Not long ago, first-time buyers accounted for 40% of home sales. Now they're down to 29% and falling, experts say, as first-time buyers confront a steady accumulation of rising fees, costs, and rates."

Foreclosures: Foreclosure activity drops sharply nationwide - latimes.com

Foreclosures: Foreclosure activity drops sharply nationwide - latimes.com: "The decline in foreclosure actions — from default notices to bank repossessions — dropped the most in states where a court order is required to take back a home; such so-called judicial states do not include California."

If you’re the owner of even a single unit of rental property, starting this year you must start tracking all vendors doing at least $600 worth of work for you. Federal law now requires you to send them an IRS 1099 form.

Government wants fewer wild horse and burro roundups

The federal corrals in Ridgecrest, the closest to the Inland area, hold about 650 horses and 350 burros rounded up in California, Arizona and Nevada, said Art DiGrazia, who oversees the corral.

Green On Green “Violence” in California

In June 2009, Southern California Edison announced it signed a contract to purchase energy from Ridgecrest. However, in January of this year, Solar Millenium announced it canceled the project. The company’s CEO Josef Eichhammer stated in a letter to the California Energy Commission and the BLM that the project is “unlikely to be open to a recommendation of approval.”

Ridgecrest came under heavy criticism from conservationist groups and local citizens for its potential impact on Mojave Desert tortoises (listed as an endangered species) and ground squirrels, the amount of water it would use, and Valley Fever spores it might stir up. Valley Fever is a respiratory disease native to the Mojave Desert, the San Joaquin Valley of California, and parts of Arizona.

solar news ridgecrest

Borrego Solar purchased 10 MW of Yingli Solar PV modules in 2010, which were used in several high-profile projects, including the San Diego Community College District (San Diego, CA, 2.8 MW), City of Ridgecrest (Ridgecrest, CA, 500 kW), and San Diego County Water Authority (San Diego, CA, 1.8 MW). In total, these projects created approximately 400 green jobs, and are expected to deliver enough clean solar energy to power approximately 8,500 homes.solar news ridgecrest

Obama to offer solutions for housing finance - BusinessWeek

Obama to offer solutions for housing finance - BusinessWeek: "Homebuyers will face potentially higher interest rates under any of three Obama administration options for reducing government support of the mortgage market, the price of ending the country's dependence on financially teetering housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

Home sales: U.S. home prices slide into 'double dip' - latimes.com

Home sales: U.S. home prices slide into 'double dip' - latimes.com: "U.S. home prices slide into 'double dip'
After rebounding last year with help from tax incentives, home sale prices fell in November — the fourth month-to-month decline in a row — according to the Case-Shiller Index."

Home Owners Recoup More with Exterior Replacement Projects, REALTORS® Report

"“This year’s Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report highlights the importance of exterior projects, which not only provide the most value, but also are among the least expensive improvements for a home,” said National Association of REALTORS® President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. “Since resale value can vary by region, it’s smart for home owners to work with a REALTOR® through the remodeling and improvement process; they can provide insight into projects in their neighborhoods that will recoup the most when the owners are ready to sell.”"