Yes, it’s FINALLY back – the first and longest running real estate podcast in the SF Bay Area – the Gory Details, is back again for its first monthly installment of 2010. In this episode, I interview the always entertaining, highly regarded speaker Carole Rodoni, to discuss the current state of affairs in today’s real [...]
It’s safe to say that mortgage interest rates have been at historic lows since the summer of ’09, mostly around and sometimes even under 5%. Currently, they’ve been floating around the 5 & 1/8% range. Part of the reason for these low rates has been because the Fed has been on a buying binge of [...]
Ok, so obviously there’s nothing in Les Propheties that I can think of that predicts any real estate market. But if I was Nostradamus, here’s what I’d predict: “ Your local housing market will be one of the following; up, down or the same.” Whoah, Ed….prolific yet prescient. How can you be so sure? Ok, [...]
Be forewarned — no, this is not about kidney harvesting, Nigerian Lottery winnings, or Bill Gates giving everyone lots of money for forwarding an email — there is an email making the rounds titled “HR 2454: CAP AND TRADE ENERGY BILL”, which purports that new legislation will require all homes to retroactively pass new energy [...]
An early Christmas present for many home buyers came in the form of the extension of the federal tax credit for home buyers, and was signed into law by President Obama Friday, Nov. 6. The tax credit, which was set to expire Nov. 30, has been extended through April 30, 2010 with a 60-day extension [...]
Ever want to know how many mortgages your lender does, in your area, and what kinds? Well, with much kudos to my preferred B of A mortage loan officer Shaveta Sareen (who can also be reached at 650-358-4874), take a look at this market share data for San Mateo County, from January to June of [...]
Because the FHA loan is becoming more and more popular in today’s changed market, I’m presenting a quick little article, courtesy of Brandon over at MortgageLoanPlace. So, first off, the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) does not loan a home buyer money; it insures the loan. This means that if the borrower is unable to [...]
So there’s this new law affecting the real estate and mortgage industry, called the HVCC – short for “Home Valuation Code of Conduct”, which went into effect last month, and is the byproduct of a legal settlement between NY attorney general Andrew Cuomo and Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. Here’s how it was “supposed” to [...]
It seems like just yesterday – ok, maybe 2 or 3 years ago – when a new listing in Mt. Carmel that came on the market with a price tag higher than $1M didn’t raise an eyebrow. Heck, there were even some bordering close to $2M that I thought “well, if someone’s willing to pay [...]
Ok, now this just sounds insane. Or maybe I should have started it as “I never thought this would happen to me, but…” (echoes of Seinfeld’s Kramer reading from Penthouse Forum). It’s mind boggling, but the notion of multiple offers – particularly on the lower 1/3 of the market here in the Bay Area– is [...]
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