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