Home Supplies Fall To 7 Months Nationwide; Buyer Demand Strong

Existing Home Supply 2010-2011

Home resales moved to a 10-month high in November, the latest in a series of strong showings from the housing sector. Home buyers and sellers throughout Sacramento should take note of November’s numbers because — behind the headlines — there’s a series of statistics that foretell higher home prices ahead. Continue reading

Mortgage Payments Fall 12% Since February 2011

Mortgage payments in 2011

This is for my good friend Mark! We were at a year-end get-together (aka Drinking beer at the pub) with my rowing crew and he kept reminding me that rates are dropping. Thank you Mark! As mortgage rates drop, so do housing payments. It’s a good time to consider refinancing your home, or making an offer on a new one. Mortgage payment affordability has never been so high in history. Continue reading

Home Affordability Ranking: Where does California Rank?

As 2011 comes to a close, I pose the question I asked 9 months ago, should you buy or keep renting? It is a question I hear almost daily from first time homebuyers and those who lost homes when the housing bubble burst. Well, I have some good news!

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Where do mortgage rates come from?

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Mortgage rates fluctuate daily – sometimes even multiple times a day. Have you ever wondered where those rates come from?

 

The answer lies on Wall Street – specifically the trading of Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS). MBS trading can result in a dramatically higher or lower payment when you are ready to lock in your rate. Unfortunately, the indicators needed to see these real-time MBS trading feeds, are not readily available to the public.  The big question is – are they keeping track of rates in real-time and making you aware of sudden changes in the market? Continue reading

Green Mortgages: the Future is here

A decade ago, our culture didn’t place much emphasis on living a “green” lifestyle. Thankfully, the importance of making daily decisions that benefit the environment are finally permeating the American psyche.  As consumers, we are starting to understand that the way a home is built or designed, has a huge impact on how much energy we consume. We understand that small changes; like lowering the thermostat, watering our lawn less, or changing a light bulb or two, will not solve our energy crisis – we need big changes. Continue reading