sharexy

Tuesday, July 16, 2013


Shared by George Takei
September 19 every year is Talk Like a Pirate Day.   Prepare yourselves.
--------------------------------------------
Nat'l Real Estate Post:
Only Exxon, Apple, Cheveron, JP MOrgan Chase, Wells Fargo are more profitable than the GSE's Fannie and Freddie.  But Congress wants to eliminate the GSE's even though they are so very profitable.  Maybe it is because they make all the other government departments look really bad.

We are offically down to pre-housing bust foreclosures.
--------------------------------------------
When Federal Reserve policymakers start to curb $85 billion in
monthly bond buying, possibly before the end of the year, the last thing they want to do is spoil the nascent U.S. housing recovery.
That means the Fed may concentrate first on trimming purchases of Treasuries, while continuing to buy mortgage bonds to keep a lid on interest rates for home loans.  © Copyright 2013 Bloomberg News
--------------------------------------------
The housing recovery is slow.  This is due to several factors.  1. The lending institutions have tight credit requirements for buyers and builders.  This is because the U.S. Federal Reserve has imposed tougher regulation that has made big banks reluctant to lend to small suppliers due to the reckless lending that led to the last housing crisis. But the US needs new construction homes.  2. Another problem with getting new homes on the market is the lack of laborers.  A tough economy coupled with tougher immigration laws have shriveled the labor pool.  3.  The suppliers of materials are behind the supply demand.  If shingles haven't been produced, the builder can't finish the roof.

Here are the solutions:  1. Because the interest rates are rising, the banks are beginning to loosen the credit requirements.  This will allow more builders and buyers to satisfy their borrowing needs.  2.  Create really good temporary worker laws for agriculture and construction.  We had good temporary worker laws until the 70's when the unions convinced Congress to change them in favor of union workers.  Also, if we had the Fair Tax, the temporary workers would pay their share of taxes.  3.  Follow the money.  When building supplies are in short supply the price rises.  As the suppliers catch up with the demand, the prices will drop, that is if the government doesn't decide to place more regulations on the already over regulated industry.  Patience is the key.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas.... The House Financial Services Committee Chairman inserted a provision in a draft of his proposed mortgage finance legislation to stop eminent domain. The proposal, if passed, would block federally backed loans in any county that allows eminent domain to be enacted. -- kpanchuk@housingwire.com
-------------------------------------------------
And Yes, Yes, Yes, more people are ready and willing to hop into the housing market.  Whether they are first time apartment renters or buying second homes, the pent up demand is popping.  Sellers, we need you!
------------------------------------------------
Jill Pierce is Team Leader for RealEstateAuctions.com
-------------------------------------------------

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Foreclosures down, prices still going up.


Shared by Vijay Raja
-----------------------------------------------
For the first six months of 2013, RealtyTrac reported a total of 801,359 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings, which include default notices, schedules auctions and bank repossessions. This is down 19% from the previous six months and a 23% drop from the first half of 2012.
Year-to-date, 409,491 foreclosure starts have been filed throughout the country, on pace to reach more than 800,000, which would be down from 1.1 million foreclosure starts in 2012.
Florida, Nevada, Illinois, Ohio and Georgia posted the top five state foreclosure rates for the first half of the year, while five Florida cities posted the top five metro foreclosure rates: Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, Ocala and Tampa. -- mhopkins@housingwire.com
-----------------------------------------------------
Surprisingly, the recent run-up in rates has not greatly affected prices or home-purchase mortgage applications as of yet. According to the Trulia Price Monitor, asking prices only rose 1.5% month-over-month in June. Additionally, the Mortgage Bankers Association index for home-purchase mortgage applications in June rose 2% month-over-month.
"The interest rate increase hasn’t affected any homebuyer that I’m dealing with at this point in time," said (Matt) Weaver. "Has it affected their amount of monthly payments? Certainly. But it hasn’t taken them out of the game." -- mhopkins@housingwire.com
-----------------------------------------------------------

Shared by George Takei
----------------------------------------------------------
Nat'l Real Estate Post:

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Time for cartoons. Have a lovely summer.




Shared by Vijay Raja
---------------------------------------------------------

Shared by Vijay Raja
----------------------------------------------------
Nat'l Real Estate Post:
The Supreme Court has decided to hear the case of recess appointments which were done by the President when Congress was technically not in recess.  This means that the CFPB appointment of Richard Cordray may not be legal.  This means that all the work he has done to put more regulation on the mortgage industry may be going out the window. 
---------------------------------------------------
Chasing Excellence with Rick Floyd:
Twenty-five habits of Highly Successful People chapter 5:  Listen, Learn and Lead.  Listen first, learn second and then you can lead.  Ask the right questions, learn about each customer and connect them to others who can fill needs in other areas of their lives.  This will give  you more referrals and more business.
------------------------------------------------
Nat'l Real Estate Post:
In the month of June, credit became more available due to interest rates rising.  As interest rates rise, qualified buyers under present rules become less available.  Therefore in order to get more loans, the rules for underwriting must be relaxed and that is just what is starting to happen.  This should continue as interest rise and refi's decrease.
Foreclosures are down by 29% from last year.  As foreclosures decrease prices rise.  Expect more bottlenecks, multiple offers pushing prices up.
----------------------------------------------

Shared by Jeffery L.  Carter
-----------------------------------------------------


Shared by Rob Burns
---------------------------------------------
Jill Pierce is Team Leader for RealEstateAuctions.com

Sunday, July 7, 2013

The economy continues to chug along.


Shared by Dietr Birr
------------------------------------------------

Builders national and international are setting up shop in Texas.
http://www.dallasnews.com/business/residential-real-estate/20130627-dallas-areas-hot-housing-market-has-caught-the-eye-of-out-of-town-homebuilders.ece
-----------------------------------------------
The house prices are slowing, but that means a return to a normal housing market.  Also, as foreclosures disappear, sellers are increasing in number. 
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/06/28/housing-recovery-prices-2/
---------------------------------------------
Nat'l Real Estate Post:
House prices have risen 6.7% in the last month which is as much as in the previous 11 months.  Prices are up 12.1% from a year ago.  If we keep this up we are quickly heading for inaffordablility.  Income is only rising by 2%, but the U6 number is 14%, which means we are heading for another housing crisis if the market doesn't slow.  So, we need an interest rate hike.  This will cool the market, marginalize inflation, and encourage private mortgage lending.
http://thenationalrealestatepost.com/2013/06/28/real-estate-biz-is-walking-on-air/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNationalRealEstatePost+%28The+National+Real+Estate+Post%29
----------------------------------------
The Southern housing market is suffering shortages:  inventory, developed lots, construction workers, and ability to secure building loans.
http://www.housingwire.com/news/2013/06/28/southeastern-housing-markets-remain-lackluster-due-shortages
----------------------------------------------
Nat'l Real Estate Post:
BoA is outsourcing paperwork to India to check if appraisals are completed or not. 
Fannie Mae wants to speed up short sales.  So Fannie is asking realtors to submit their offer to Fannie Mae at the same time they submit the offer to the company that is servicing the mortgage if indeed Fannie is indeed servicing the mortgage.  The White House (Obama) is promoting a round table discussion to see how we can reduce our carbon footprint in mortgage underwriting and the appraisal process.  (Now that's weird!)
---------------------------------------------

Posted by Dietr Birr
--------------------------------------------------------

Shared by Vijay Raja
--------------------------------------------
North Las Vegas eminent domain proposal faces pushback from homeowner
http://www.housingwire.com/news/2013/07/01/north-las-vegas-eminent-domain-proposal-faces-pushback-homeowner
--------------------------------------------------
The 10 most secure places to live as shared by Jessi Hall
 http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2013/06/29/americas-safest-most-secure-places-to-live/
------------------------------------------

Shared by Vijay Raja
--------------------------------------------------

Looks rather other worldly.  By Arthur Dyson Architects
-------------------------------------------------------------