Information about first time home buyer tax credits as amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (HR 1).
Please consult your tax advisor / accountant to determine whether you are eligible for this tax credit before making any decisions or changes to your tax status. This website is for information only and should be verified by a tax professional.
The 3 changes to the first-time home buyers tax credit program include:
Tax credit has been increased to $8,000.
Homes have to be purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009
No repayment/recapture clause for homes sold after 36 months of occupancy and ownership.
The Tax Credit is for home buyers (either spouse if filing jointly) who have NOT owned a principle residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. Ownership of vacation property or rental property does not disqualify home buyers from this program.
The maximum credit is $8,000 or 10% of the home purchase, whichever is less.
The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 31, 2009.
To qualify for the full tax credit, married couples' modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) should be under $150,000 and single filers' MAGI should be less than $75,000. Partial tax credits may be available for married couples with MAGI incomes of over $150,000 but under $170,000 and single filers with incomes over $75,000 but under $95,000. If married couples who qualify for the first-time tax credit file separately, they would both claim 5% of the home purchase or $4,000 each (whichever is less) on their tax returns.
Home buyers who qualify for this program, but who do not intend to purchase a home till the end of 2009, may elect to alter their tax withholdings (up to the amount of the of the tax credit) in order to save up money for a down payment. However, if the purchase of the home does not occur, the taxes must be repaid to the IRS.
There is no recapture or repayment clause IF the home is owned for at least 36 months.
The effective date of purchase for new construction (even if buyer owns title to the lot) is the date the owner first occupies the house. So even if construction began in 2008, as long as the home and buyers qualify for the tax credit, they will be eligible if they take possession any time during 2009. However, new construction bought from the builder is only eligible if the settlement date (closing) takes place between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.
The law allows taxpayers to elect to treat qualified 2009 purchases as a 2008 purchase so that they can receive the tax credit on their 2008 tax returns.
The full amount of the eligible tax credit is refunded to the buyer, regardless of whether the buyer has paid an equivalent amount in taxes.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Affordability More than Doubles
Affordability More than Doubles
Lower resale prices and recent declines in the mortgage interest rate are prompting more people to jump into a market that is dramatically more inviting for entry-level buyers.
A study conducted recently found that the percentage of households that could afford to buy an entry level home in California stood at 53 percent in the third quarter of 2008.
That's more than double for the same period from a year ago when only 24 percent of households could qualify.
The First-Time Buyer Housing Affordability Index study conducted by the California Association of Realtors found that the minimum household income needed to purchase an entry-level home at $287,760 in California in the third quarter of 2008 was $56,100, based on an adjustable interest rate of 5.91 percent and assuming a 10 percent down payment.
First-time buyers typically purchase a home equal to 85 percent of the prevailing median price. The monthly payment including taxes and insurance was $1,870 for the third quarter of 2008.
At $56,100, the minimum qualifying income was 44 percent lower than a year earlier when households needed $100,500 to qualify for a loan on an entry-level home.
Recent decreases in home prices and mortgage rates have brought affordability into better alignment with income levels of the typical California households, where the median household income is $59,160.
The Index also rose 5 percentage points in the third quarter of this year compared to the second quarter of 2008, due to an 11.9 percent decrease in the entry-level median home price.
At 73 percent, the High Desert region was the most affordable area in the state.
The San Francisco Bay Area region was the least affordable in the state at 35 percent, followed by the San Luis Obispo County region at 38 percent.
In Los Angeles County the index stood at 42 percent, up from 20 percent a year ago.
The L.A. entry-level price of $332,680 requires a minimum-qualifying income of $64,8000 and comes with a monthly loan payment of $2,160.
Lower resale prices and recent declines in the mortgage interest rate are prompting more people to jump into a market that is dramatically more inviting for entry-level buyers.
A study conducted recently found that the percentage of households that could afford to buy an entry level home in California stood at 53 percent in the third quarter of 2008.
That's more than double for the same period from a year ago when only 24 percent of households could qualify.
The First-Time Buyer Housing Affordability Index study conducted by the California Association of Realtors found that the minimum household income needed to purchase an entry-level home at $287,760 in California in the third quarter of 2008 was $56,100, based on an adjustable interest rate of 5.91 percent and assuming a 10 percent down payment.
First-time buyers typically purchase a home equal to 85 percent of the prevailing median price. The monthly payment including taxes and insurance was $1,870 for the third quarter of 2008.
At $56,100, the minimum qualifying income was 44 percent lower than a year earlier when households needed $100,500 to qualify for a loan on an entry-level home.
Recent decreases in home prices and mortgage rates have brought affordability into better alignment with income levels of the typical California households, where the median household income is $59,160.
The Index also rose 5 percentage points in the third quarter of this year compared to the second quarter of 2008, due to an 11.9 percent decrease in the entry-level median home price.
At 73 percent, the High Desert region was the most affordable area in the state.
The San Francisco Bay Area region was the least affordable in the state at 35 percent, followed by the San Luis Obispo County region at 38 percent.
In Los Angeles County the index stood at 42 percent, up from 20 percent a year ago.
The L.A. entry-level price of $332,680 requires a minimum-qualifying income of $64,8000 and comes with a monthly loan payment of $2,160.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Good News for Investors
To speed recovery of the housing market, Fannie Mae in March will begin purchasing and guaranteeing mortgages for borrowers carrying loans on as many as nine other properties, up from the current limit of three. However, the number of months of reserve payments that must be held by investors will rise to six in June from two currently. "One of the things that leads the economy out of a housing crisis is when prices get cheap enough that investors start moving in and buying things," says Joe Garrett of the Berkeley, Calif.-based consulting firm Garrett, Watts & Co.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Local property tax scam targets underwater homeowners
Company charges for free tax reassessment filing
By Josh Premako
Signal Senior Writer
jpremako@the-signal.com
661-259-1234 x519
Posted: Feb. 5, 2009 12:52 a.m.
Local residents might have noticed an official-looking letter in their mail lately, touting a rate of $179 to file a homeowner's property tax reassessment form.
Of course, they could just opt to download the one-page form off the Los Angeles County Web site and file it for free.
Los Angeles-based Property Tax Reassessment mailed the two-page letters that looks very much like a bill.
The company advertises a filing fee of $179, or $209 after Feb. 26.
"Right now, the scams out there are rampant," said City Councilman Bob Kellar, who is a real estate agent. "They're taking advantage of people."
If homeowners have questions about lowering their property tax by proving their home's value has decreased, Kellar advised they speak with a real estate agent or the county assessor's office.
A Property Tax Assessment customer service representative named Thomas said Wednesday the company serves, "pretty much California."
"Some people don't have time. We're just offering a service," said the representative, who didn't give his last name.
A man who said he was a supervisor refused to answer any further questions and said all media inquiries must be submitted by mail.
The company notes in the fine print of the letter that, "Property Tax Reassessment is not a government agency."
The Los Angeles County Assessor's Office provides the reassessment form for free, requiring the homeowner to provide two recent homes sales, preferably in their neighborhood.
"There's no benefit (in paying)," said Rayleen, an intermediate assessor who asked her last name not be used. "They could do this for free."
She said what Property Tax Reassessment does is not illegal but certainly unnecessary.
On the county form, a homeowner must list two recent comparable home sales that were less than the current assessed value of their home.
Property tax bills are sent out in October.
For information about property tax reassessment, or to download the necessary form visit www.assessor.lacounty.gov.
jpremako@the-signal.com
By Josh Premako
Signal Senior Writer
jpremako@the-signal.com
661-259-1234 x519
Posted: Feb. 5, 2009 12:52 a.m.
Local residents might have noticed an official-looking letter in their mail lately, touting a rate of $179 to file a homeowner's property tax reassessment form.
Of course, they could just opt to download the one-page form off the Los Angeles County Web site and file it for free.
Los Angeles-based Property Tax Reassessment mailed the two-page letters that looks very much like a bill.
The company advertises a filing fee of $179, or $209 after Feb. 26.
"Right now, the scams out there are rampant," said City Councilman Bob Kellar, who is a real estate agent. "They're taking advantage of people."
If homeowners have questions about lowering their property tax by proving their home's value has decreased, Kellar advised they speak with a real estate agent or the county assessor's office.
A Property Tax Assessment customer service representative named Thomas said Wednesday the company serves, "pretty much California."
"Some people don't have time. We're just offering a service," said the representative, who didn't give his last name.
A man who said he was a supervisor refused to answer any further questions and said all media inquiries must be submitted by mail.
The company notes in the fine print of the letter that, "Property Tax Reassessment is not a government agency."
The Los Angeles County Assessor's Office provides the reassessment form for free, requiring the homeowner to provide two recent homes sales, preferably in their neighborhood.
"There's no benefit (in paying)," said Rayleen, an intermediate assessor who asked her last name not be used. "They could do this for free."
She said what Property Tax Reassessment does is not illegal but certainly unnecessary.
On the county form, a homeowner must list two recent comparable home sales that were less than the current assessed value of their home.
Property tax bills are sent out in October.
For information about property tax reassessment, or to download the necessary form visit www.assessor.lacounty.gov.
jpremako@the-signal.com
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
SCV Sheriff's Launch Vacant House Check Program
During these challenging economic times and the downturn in the housing and real estate markets we may see an increase in the number of vacant houses and other structures throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. If not maintained, secured, and frequently checked, some of these vacant structures can become a haven for those intent on wrong doing. These vacant properties can lead to incidents of trespassing, vandalism, unlawful parties or gatherings, arson, drug use, and other illegal or nuisance related activities that can further reduce property values and challenge the peace, serenity, and safety of our neighborhoods.
As part of our forward-thinking approach towards best protecting our community, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station's Crime Prevention Unit, in direct partnership with the City of Santa Clarita and County of Los Angeles, has developed and launched a new "Vacant House Check" program. Although we also want property owners and agents to pay extra attention to these types of properties, the new program puts in place a system where deputies, volunteers on patrol, reserve deputies, and other station staff members can work directly with them. The personnel will randomly check vacant properties including houses, condominiums, businesses, or other structures, submitted by you throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.
If you are aware of a vacant or abandoned structure in your neighborhood or business community that appears to be run-down or attracting a criminal element, simply fill out the form at the following link: www.scvsheriff.com/vacanthouse/. Provide as much information as you can about the property and they will check it out. Working together during challenging times we can make a difference.
As part of our forward-thinking approach towards best protecting our community, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station's Crime Prevention Unit, in direct partnership with the City of Santa Clarita and County of Los Angeles, has developed and launched a new "Vacant House Check" program. Although we also want property owners and agents to pay extra attention to these types of properties, the new program puts in place a system where deputies, volunteers on patrol, reserve deputies, and other station staff members can work directly with them. The personnel will randomly check vacant properties including houses, condominiums, businesses, or other structures, submitted by you throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.
If you are aware of a vacant or abandoned structure in your neighborhood or business community that appears to be run-down or attracting a criminal element, simply fill out the form at the following link: www.scvsheriff.com/vacanthouse/. Provide as much information as you can about the property and they will check it out. Working together during challenging times we can make a difference.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Is now the time to buy a home?
Is now the time to buy a home? It depends on...
A simple question -- Is now the time to buy a home? -- generated heated debate at a recent dinner party, an argument that made attacks by political candidates appear tame.
"You'd be a ... fool to buy now!" one woman said, noting that resale prices are soft and falling, foreclosures and short sales are still emerging, and the national economy is on less than stable ground.
"You'd be a ... fool NOT to buy now!" another speaker growled, stating that prices are already at their lowest in decades, the selection of homes for sale is stunning, it's best to act while others are still waiting, and, despite popular belief, home loans, especially for first-time buyers, are available at low interest rates, albeit for individuals with a modest down payment and a solid credit history.
Eventually, a consensus emerged: Both positions were correct, because the answer boiled down to two words: "It depends."
It depends on: Where you want to buy? How long will you stay in the house? What is your annual income? Is your job stable? Is a work-related move likely anytime soon? Do you have a decent FICO credit score and a good credit history? How big a loan can you obtain? What is the interest rate? What is the list price of the house? Is the sale the result of a foreclosure? How much of a down payment do you have? What are you currently paying per month in rent? Do you believe home prices will rise or fall over the coming years and by what percentage rate up or down? What's happening in the local market? Are there many foreclosed properties on the market, like in areas of the Inland Empire, or relatively few by comparison, such as here in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys?
And, perhaps most importantly, what are your genuine housing needs -- are you a single renter with no imperative to move, does your family of five require room to grow, or is the nest empty and you’d like to downsize to a smaller house?
The list of questions went on and on with each raising valid points on both sides of the debate. Eventually, there was agreement on several additional points:
For example, all markets recover; Southern California will continue to lure new residents; and, there are not enough existing houses to satisfy burgeoning demand. That weighed the argument more in favor of buying, but then the debate shifted to timing, and prices, and home loans, and interest rates.
Renters currently paying a low monthly rent and of the belief that home resale prices will fall farther for months to come saw little advantage in buying now. But other renters who pay a high monthly rent and were optimistic about the market, argued in favor of capturing today's low prices, decent interest rates, and wide selection of homes listed for sale.
They wanted to get into the market before the herd returned and prices started marching up again. Plus, efforts to revive the national economy and stabilize the housing market already are yielding programs and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that may vanish once recovery is underway.
If a renter today captured a home at a favorable price of say $300,000 with appreciation of a modest 3 percent annually, within three to four years the benefits of buying would totally outweigh any perceived benefit of renting. The sooner that houses start appreciating and the higher the rate of appreciation, the sooner that buying would make sense.
Unlike other investments, any return on a home purchase requires a relatively small initial investment. Few buyers plop down cash to pay the full cost of a $200,000 house, while most make a down payment of as little as 3.5 percent on up to 20%, again depending on individual circumstances. A 3.5% down payment of $7,100 on a $200,000 condominium would require a 5% loan of $192,900 with good credit. Principal and interest payments would equal $1,031.00 taxes (and home owners dues if a condo) would average about $400.00 per month. After tax benefits ownership is less than rent and you can upgrade and improve your own home.
If the home increased in value by 5 percent during the first year -- either due to true appreciation or simply because the purchase price was significantly below market -- that means the buyer earned $10,000 on an investment of $7,100. In that instance, the annual "return on investment" would be a whopping 141 percent.
Of course, owners must make mortgage payments and must pay property taxes, along with other costs of home ownership. However, since the interest on a mortgage and property taxes are both tax deductible, the government is essentially subsidizing a portion of the home purchase.
Is it likely that renters could find a safer, better investment elsewhere? It depends, although real estate has always fared well over the years. And in the long haul real estate has out performed nearly all other investment vehicles.
If a renter today captured a home at an extremely favorable price of say $300,000 with only 3.5% or $10,500 down, and appreciation of a modest 3 percent annually, within three to four years the benefits of buying would totally outweigh any perceived benefit of renting. The sooner that houses start appreciating and the higher the rate of appreciation, the sooner that buying would make sense.
But it always came back to the particulars of each prospective buyer's situation. It always came back to "It depends" and for the real answer each individual needs to seek expert advice from me your local Realtor and your accountant.
[Thanks, David!]
A simple question -- Is now the time to buy a home? -- generated heated debate at a recent dinner party, an argument that made attacks by political candidates appear tame.
"You'd be a ... fool to buy now!" one woman said, noting that resale prices are soft and falling, foreclosures and short sales are still emerging, and the national economy is on less than stable ground.
"You'd be a ... fool NOT to buy now!" another speaker growled, stating that prices are already at their lowest in decades, the selection of homes for sale is stunning, it's best to act while others are still waiting, and, despite popular belief, home loans, especially for first-time buyers, are available at low interest rates, albeit for individuals with a modest down payment and a solid credit history.
Eventually, a consensus emerged: Both positions were correct, because the answer boiled down to two words: "It depends."
It depends on: Where you want to buy? How long will you stay in the house? What is your annual income? Is your job stable? Is a work-related move likely anytime soon? Do you have a decent FICO credit score and a good credit history? How big a loan can you obtain? What is the interest rate? What is the list price of the house? Is the sale the result of a foreclosure? How much of a down payment do you have? What are you currently paying per month in rent? Do you believe home prices will rise or fall over the coming years and by what percentage rate up or down? What's happening in the local market? Are there many foreclosed properties on the market, like in areas of the Inland Empire, or relatively few by comparison, such as here in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys?
And, perhaps most importantly, what are your genuine housing needs -- are you a single renter with no imperative to move, does your family of five require room to grow, or is the nest empty and you’d like to downsize to a smaller house?
The list of questions went on and on with each raising valid points on both sides of the debate. Eventually, there was agreement on several additional points:
For example, all markets recover; Southern California will continue to lure new residents; and, there are not enough existing houses to satisfy burgeoning demand. That weighed the argument more in favor of buying, but then the debate shifted to timing, and prices, and home loans, and interest rates.
Renters currently paying a low monthly rent and of the belief that home resale prices will fall farther for months to come saw little advantage in buying now. But other renters who pay a high monthly rent and were optimistic about the market, argued in favor of capturing today's low prices, decent interest rates, and wide selection of homes listed for sale.
They wanted to get into the market before the herd returned and prices started marching up again. Plus, efforts to revive the national economy and stabilize the housing market already are yielding programs and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that may vanish once recovery is underway.
If a renter today captured a home at a favorable price of say $300,000 with appreciation of a modest 3 percent annually, within three to four years the benefits of buying would totally outweigh any perceived benefit of renting. The sooner that houses start appreciating and the higher the rate of appreciation, the sooner that buying would make sense.
Unlike other investments, any return on a home purchase requires a relatively small initial investment. Few buyers plop down cash to pay the full cost of a $200,000 house, while most make a down payment of as little as 3.5 percent on up to 20%, again depending on individual circumstances. A 3.5% down payment of $7,100 on a $200,000 condominium would require a 5% loan of $192,900 with good credit. Principal and interest payments would equal $1,031.00 taxes (and home owners dues if a condo) would average about $400.00 per month. After tax benefits ownership is less than rent and you can upgrade and improve your own home.
If the home increased in value by 5 percent during the first year -- either due to true appreciation or simply because the purchase price was significantly below market -- that means the buyer earned $10,000 on an investment of $7,100. In that instance, the annual "return on investment" would be a whopping 141 percent.
Of course, owners must make mortgage payments and must pay property taxes, along with other costs of home ownership. However, since the interest on a mortgage and property taxes are both tax deductible, the government is essentially subsidizing a portion of the home purchase.
Is it likely that renters could find a safer, better investment elsewhere? It depends, although real estate has always fared well over the years. And in the long haul real estate has out performed nearly all other investment vehicles.
If a renter today captured a home at an extremely favorable price of say $300,000 with only 3.5% or $10,500 down, and appreciation of a modest 3 percent annually, within three to four years the benefits of buying would totally outweigh any perceived benefit of renting. The sooner that houses start appreciating and the higher the rate of appreciation, the sooner that buying would make sense.
But it always came back to the particulars of each prospective buyer's situation. It always came back to "It depends" and for the real answer each individual needs to seek expert advice from me your local Realtor and your accountant.
[Thanks, David!]
Buyer's Market: Dive In!
A great opportunity awaits buyers in 2009. The perfect combination of lower prices, lower interest rates, and substantial inventory has come together to create values that we may never see again. Prices are down 25 to 40% from their high in the summer of 2005. Fixed interest rates have fallen below 5% on conforming-rate loans. Additionally, the moratorium that Congress imposed on lender foreclosures over the holidays will gradually be adding to the already ample inventory in 2009. These changes can create a dramatic benefit for a buyer.
Let’s compare buying the same home in 2005 versus 2009 with a similar loan program. Assume the purchase price of a home in 2005 was $800,000, with a 20% down payment. The interest rate for a 30-year, fixed, jumbo loan would have been 6.5%. The monthly payment for principal and interest would have been $3,467 per month. The same home today, down 33% in value, would be $536,000 . The interest rate, with a 20% down payment, would be 4.75% for a conforming, 30-year, fixed-rate loan. The monthly principal and interest payment would be $1,698. The 2009 monthly payment is less than half of the 2005 payment. If you were to stay in the home for 30 years and pay off the loan, you would actually pay $636,840 less in principal and interest, compared to a 2005 purchase. Oh, by the way, the down payment in 2005 would be $160,000, while in 2009, it would only be $108,000...and yes, the property taxes would be 33% less, too.
Let’s compare buying the same home in 2005 versus 2009 with a similar loan program. Assume the purchase price of a home in 2005 was $800,000, with a 20% down payment. The interest rate for a 30-year, fixed, jumbo loan would have been 6.5%. The monthly payment for principal and interest would have been $3,467 per month. The same home today, down 33% in value, would be $536,000 . The interest rate, with a 20% down payment, would be 4.75% for a conforming, 30-year, fixed-rate loan. The monthly principal and interest payment would be $1,698. The 2009 monthly payment is less than half of the 2005 payment. If you were to stay in the home for 30 years and pay off the loan, you would actually pay $636,840 less in principal and interest, compared to a 2005 purchase. Oh, by the way, the down payment in 2005 would be $160,000, while in 2009, it would only be $108,000...and yes, the property taxes would be 33% less, too.
Friday, January 16, 2009
10 Cities Boasting Mini Sales Booms
10 Cities Boasting Mini Sales Booms
Some cities that were hardest hit by the real downturn are experiencing mini sales booms.
Las Vegas real estate properties are down 28 percent in price, but sales of homes are up 15 percent.
Motivated buyers accounted for 64 percent of Las Vegas sales in October, says Radar Logic, a derivatives firm. That’s the highest rate in the country.
"There's a pretty active housing market, it's simply at a lower-priced inventory," says Michael Feder, chief executive of Radar Logic. "And there are now bidding wars taking place over homes in foreclosure."
Phoenix and San Diego are reporting similar experiences.
"We're clearing out the bad news," says Kiva Patten, a director at Merrill Lynch specializing in housing derivatives.
"By the end of 2010 – that's where we're calling the bottom in the forward market. You're going to get a small price appreciation in 2011," says Patten. "It's not like the turn is 10 percent per year, it'll be something like 3 percent or 4 percent."
Here are the cities where experts say it makes the most sense to buy now.
1. Las Vegas
2. Sacramento, Calif.
3. San Diego, Calif.
4. Los Angeles
5. Detroit
6. Phoenix
7. San Francisco
8. Washington, D.C.
9. San Jose
10. Atlanta
Source: Forbes, Matt Woolsey (01/12/09)
Some cities that were hardest hit by the real downturn are experiencing mini sales booms.
Las Vegas real estate properties are down 28 percent in price, but sales of homes are up 15 percent.
Motivated buyers accounted for 64 percent of Las Vegas sales in October, says Radar Logic, a derivatives firm. That’s the highest rate in the country.
"There's a pretty active housing market, it's simply at a lower-priced inventory," says Michael Feder, chief executive of Radar Logic. "And there are now bidding wars taking place over homes in foreclosure."
Phoenix and San Diego are reporting similar experiences.
"We're clearing out the bad news," says Kiva Patten, a director at Merrill Lynch specializing in housing derivatives.
"By the end of 2010 – that's where we're calling the bottom in the forward market. You're going to get a small price appreciation in 2011," says Patten. "It's not like the turn is 10 percent per year, it'll be something like 3 percent or 4 percent."
Here are the cities where experts say it makes the most sense to buy now.
1. Las Vegas
2. Sacramento, Calif.
3. San Diego, Calif.
4. Los Angeles
5. Detroit
6. Phoenix
7. San Francisco
8. Washington, D.C.
9. San Jose
10. Atlanta
Source: Forbes, Matt Woolsey (01/12/09)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Foreclosure Evictions in the City of LA
The HCED committee of Los Angeles city council met December 10, to approve the ordinance provided by the City Attorney's office as a result of discussion in the November 2008's meeting (November 21,2008). The plight of renters of foreclosed properties being evicted has concerned the city council. The city council has extended the RSO regulating evictions to cover foreclosed residential rental property of all types.
Details of the Ordinance:
A bank will NOT be able to evict a tenant from a foreclosed rental property in the city of Los Angeles including, single family dwellings, guest rooms, suites, mobile homes, RVs, new construction, condominiums or multifamily. It does not include hospitals, convents and educational institutions.
Once the property has been sold to non-bank entity the tenant can be given a 60 day notice of eviction but will not receive relocation if the unit was not originally under rent control. Residents of rent controlled units receive existing relocation fees.
This ordinance will sunset in one year. Review in 6 months.
Tenancy must be in existence on the date that a property is foreclosed and does not cover a tenancy created after the foreclosure date. This item is at the discretion of the council.
A posting of renters' rights in foreclosure is required to be posted at rental units in the entry or a communal area, if not a fine of $250.00 will result.
A buyer closing escrow on any multifamily building in the city of Los Angeles must notify the city of the transaction, a penalty of $250.00 will result for those that do not comply.
Items added at the meeting by the LAHD 12/10/08
Position of the Association of Realtors:
In an attempt to protect innocent residents from the foreclosure crisis the city has suggested a temporary measure to alleviate the impact on renters in the city.
The Association recognizes the city's motives, but would like to bring the following implications of the ordinance to the notice of the city council:
1) The payment of utilities (multi-family) and maintenance of the units may create a problem and result in blight and/or termination of the services for the tenants.
2) Occupation of a unit, preventing the refurbishment and showing of the unit, may result in a delayed sale. A longer time period on the market and the resulting reduced sales price may exacerbate the housing problems in the area contributing to blight.
3) Lenders may create restrictions on future mortgage products in the city of Los Angeles making renting a home more difficult or expensive for a borrower thus decreasing the rental housing stock in the city or making loans less affordable and decreasing the private property rights of the owner.
Details of the Ordinance:
A bank will NOT be able to evict a tenant from a foreclosed rental property in the city of Los Angeles including, single family dwellings, guest rooms, suites, mobile homes, RVs, new construction, condominiums or multifamily. It does not include hospitals, convents and educational institutions.
Once the property has been sold to non-bank entity the tenant can be given a 60 day notice of eviction but will not receive relocation if the unit was not originally under rent control. Residents of rent controlled units receive existing relocation fees.
This ordinance will sunset in one year. Review in 6 months.
Tenancy must be in existence on the date that a property is foreclosed and does not cover a tenancy created after the foreclosure date. This item is at the discretion of the council.
A posting of renters' rights in foreclosure is required to be posted at rental units in the entry or a communal area, if not a fine of $250.00 will result.
A buyer closing escrow on any multifamily building in the city of Los Angeles must notify the city of the transaction, a penalty of $250.00 will result for those that do not comply.
Items added at the meeting by the LAHD 12/10/08
Position of the Association of Realtors:
In an attempt to protect innocent residents from the foreclosure crisis the city has suggested a temporary measure to alleviate the impact on renters in the city.
The Association recognizes the city's motives, but would like to bring the following implications of the ordinance to the notice of the city council:
1) The payment of utilities (multi-family) and maintenance of the units may create a problem and result in blight and/or termination of the services for the tenants.
2) Occupation of a unit, preventing the refurbishment and showing of the unit, may result in a delayed sale. A longer time period on the market and the resulting reduced sales price may exacerbate the housing problems in the area contributing to blight.
3) Lenders may create restrictions on future mortgage products in the city of Los Angeles making renting a home more difficult or expensive for a borrower thus decreasing the rental housing stock in the city or making loans less affordable and decreasing the private property rights of the owner.
How Do You Determine A Home's Value?
Determining a home's value is not an exact science and it's never a fixed number. Very few people outside of the real estate business can accurately come up with a value. Why? Homeowner's think their house is always "the best". Appraisers look at a home based primarily on statistical data. Buyers and Realtors have their own views. Depending on who you are, you may give more weight to different factors. So, will you have a wide variety of opinions? You bet. These are some of the factors to consider:
1 The home's square footage
2 Quality of construction
3 Home design, general appeal, amenities
4 The home's floor plan
5 Proximity to transportation, schools and shopping
6 Lot size, topography, landscaping, view
7 In the case of a purchase transaction, what a seller and buyer negotiate also contributes to the value
8 And of course, the most recent sales of similar properties nearby
Thanks to Adam Ford of Mortgage Advisors Group for the above article.
Adam can be reached at 661-254-3744, adam@adamford.net
1 The home's square footage
2 Quality of construction
3 Home design, general appeal, amenities
4 The home's floor plan
5 Proximity to transportation, schools and shopping
6 Lot size, topography, landscaping, view
7 In the case of a purchase transaction, what a seller and buyer negotiate also contributes to the value
8 And of course, the most recent sales of similar properties nearby
Thanks to Adam Ford of Mortgage Advisors Group for the above article.
Adam can be reached at 661-254-3744, adam@adamford.net
Monday, January 05, 2009
New Laws affecting real estate for 2009
With the housing market taking center stage among the nation's concerns, both Congress and California's State Legislature have enacted significant new laws affecting REALTORS® and their clients and customers. Highlights of some of the new laws are summarized below.
To view the full text of a California legislative bill, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act May Help Homeowners: Enacted on October 3, 2008, this historic federal legislation earmarks $700 billion for the Treasury Secretary to purchase troubled assets from financial institutions. The Secretary and other federal agencies are also charged with the task of mitigating foreclosures for mortgages and mortgage-back securities and encouraging loan modifications. Furthermore, this law strengthens the FHA-insured refinance loans for troubled mortgages under the HOPE for Homeowners program, including authority for the program's board of directors to increase the maximum loan amount above 90% of the appraised value. This bill also extends the tax exemption for debt forgiveness on home loans under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 from December 31, 2009 to December 31, 2012. Source: H.R. 1424.
Debt Relief Income Exempt from State Income Tax: Starting September 25, 2008, the federal income tax exemption for debt forgiven on a home loan now applies to state income taxes to a limited extent. Federal law provides a tax exemption for debt forgiveness on a loan incurred for acquiring, constructing, or substantially improving a principal residence up to $2 million if the debt is discharged from 2007 through 2012. Under the new California law, the maximum qualifying debt is only $800,000, not $2 million, and the maximum exclusion is $250,000. Moreover, the California law only applies to a debt discharged in 2007 or 2008. Senate Bill 1055.
Pool Drains Must Be Properly Covered: As a red alert for apartment and condo managers, all U.S. "public pools and spas" as defined must be equipped with anti-entrapment drain covers by December 19, 2008. The suction from pool and spa drains can be so strong as to entrap children, and cause injuries or drowning deaths. Under the new federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, a "public pool or spa" includes pools and spas open to the public, as well as those open exclusively to residents of multi-unit apartment buildings or multi-family residential areas (such as condominiums). The new law requires, among other things, that drain covers for pools and spas conform to the performance standard of ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-2007 and that single main drains be equipped with anti-entrapment devices as specified. For more information, visit the Web site of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which includes a list of manufacturers, given the uncertainty as to whether the supply of compliant drain covers is adequate. Source: S. 1771.
Tenant Victimized by Domestic Violence Can Terminate Tenancy: Beginning on September 27, 2008, a tenant can terminate a tenancy upon giving a 30-day written notice to terminate, if the notice also informs the landlord that the tenant or a household member has been a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking as defined. The tenant must attach to the notice a copy of a temporary restraining order, emergency protective order, or police report issued within the last 60 days. The tenant is also entitled to a proration of the last month's rent if, within those last 30 days, the tenant vacates and the landlord re-rents the premises to a new tenant. This law will sunset on January 1, 2012. Assembly Bill 2052.
Landlords and REO Lenders Must Take Charge of Abandoned Animals: Effective January 1, 2009, any person or private entity with whom a live animal has been "involuntarily deposited" must take charge of it, if able to do so, and immediately notify animal control officials to retrieve the animal. An "involuntary deposit" includes the abandonment of a live animal on a property that has been vacated upon, or immediately preceding, the termination of a lease or foreclosure of the property. The animal control officers who respond can secure a lien to recover the rescue cost, but this law imposes no other liability upon a depositary who complies with these rules. Assembly Bill 2949.
Smoke Detector and Water Heater Bracing for Manufactured Homes: Starting January 1, 2009, all used mobile homes and manufactured homes that are sold must have an operable smoke alarm in each sleeping room (whereas prior law only required one smoke detector per manufactured home). If the manufactured home was manufactured on or after September 16, 2002, the smoke alarm must comply with the federal Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act. If the manufactured home was manufactured before September 16, 2002, the smoke alarm (which can be battery-powered) must be installed in terms of its listing and installation requirements. A seller satisfies the above requirements by signing a declaration, within 45 days before transfer of title, that the smoke alarms are properly installed and operable. For a manufactured home manufactured before September 16, 2002, the seller must provide the buyer with the manufacturer's information on the operation, testing, and proper maintenance of the smoke alarms. An agent is not liable for any error, inaccuracy, or omission in any required disclosures that the agent did not know was false. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) may establish new rules as needed to clarify or implement the smoke alarm requirements. This law also requires all replacement fuel-gas-burning water heaters in existing mobile homes and manufactured homes that are offered for sale or lease to be seismically braced, anchored or strapped in accordance with rules and standards to be established by the HCD by July 1, 2009. Assembly Bill 2050.
No Text Messaging While Driving: Commencing January 1, 2009, a person driving a motor vehicle is prohibited from writing, sending, or reading a text message, instant message, or e-mail from an electronic wireless communication device. However, a person may read, select, or enter a name or phone number in a wireless device to make or receive a phone call. A violation of this law is an infraction punishable by a base fine of $20 for the first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense. Senate Bill 1613.
Other Significant Laws: Some of the other new laws of interest: an increase in the fine for acting as a licensee without a license from $10,000 to $20,000 (Senate Bill 1448).
Realegal® is published by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, a trade association representing nearly 200,000 REALTORS® statewide.
To view the full text of a California legislative bill, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act May Help Homeowners: Enacted on October 3, 2008, this historic federal legislation earmarks $700 billion for the Treasury Secretary to purchase troubled assets from financial institutions. The Secretary and other federal agencies are also charged with the task of mitigating foreclosures for mortgages and mortgage-back securities and encouraging loan modifications. Furthermore, this law strengthens the FHA-insured refinance loans for troubled mortgages under the HOPE for Homeowners program, including authority for the program's board of directors to increase the maximum loan amount above 90% of the appraised value. This bill also extends the tax exemption for debt forgiveness on home loans under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 from December 31, 2009 to December 31, 2012. Source: H.R. 1424.
Debt Relief Income Exempt from State Income Tax: Starting September 25, 2008, the federal income tax exemption for debt forgiven on a home loan now applies to state income taxes to a limited extent. Federal law provides a tax exemption for debt forgiveness on a loan incurred for acquiring, constructing, or substantially improving a principal residence up to $2 million if the debt is discharged from 2007 through 2012. Under the new California law, the maximum qualifying debt is only $800,000, not $2 million, and the maximum exclusion is $250,000. Moreover, the California law only applies to a debt discharged in 2007 or 2008. Senate Bill 1055.
Pool Drains Must Be Properly Covered: As a red alert for apartment and condo managers, all U.S. "public pools and spas" as defined must be equipped with anti-entrapment drain covers by December 19, 2008. The suction from pool and spa drains can be so strong as to entrap children, and cause injuries or drowning deaths. Under the new federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, a "public pool or spa" includes pools and spas open to the public, as well as those open exclusively to residents of multi-unit apartment buildings or multi-family residential areas (such as condominiums). The new law requires, among other things, that drain covers for pools and spas conform to the performance standard of ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-2007 and that single main drains be equipped with anti-entrapment devices as specified. For more information, visit the Web site of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which includes a list of manufacturers, given the uncertainty as to whether the supply of compliant drain covers is adequate. Source: S. 1771.
Tenant Victimized by Domestic Violence Can Terminate Tenancy: Beginning on September 27, 2008, a tenant can terminate a tenancy upon giving a 30-day written notice to terminate, if the notice also informs the landlord that the tenant or a household member has been a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking as defined. The tenant must attach to the notice a copy of a temporary restraining order, emergency protective order, or police report issued within the last 60 days. The tenant is also entitled to a proration of the last month's rent if, within those last 30 days, the tenant vacates and the landlord re-rents the premises to a new tenant. This law will sunset on January 1, 2012. Assembly Bill 2052.
Landlords and REO Lenders Must Take Charge of Abandoned Animals: Effective January 1, 2009, any person or private entity with whom a live animal has been "involuntarily deposited" must take charge of it, if able to do so, and immediately notify animal control officials to retrieve the animal. An "involuntary deposit" includes the abandonment of a live animal on a property that has been vacated upon, or immediately preceding, the termination of a lease or foreclosure of the property. The animal control officers who respond can secure a lien to recover the rescue cost, but this law imposes no other liability upon a depositary who complies with these rules. Assembly Bill 2949.
Smoke Detector and Water Heater Bracing for Manufactured Homes: Starting January 1, 2009, all used mobile homes and manufactured homes that are sold must have an operable smoke alarm in each sleeping room (whereas prior law only required one smoke detector per manufactured home). If the manufactured home was manufactured on or after September 16, 2002, the smoke alarm must comply with the federal Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act. If the manufactured home was manufactured before September 16, 2002, the smoke alarm (which can be battery-powered) must be installed in terms of its listing and installation requirements. A seller satisfies the above requirements by signing a declaration, within 45 days before transfer of title, that the smoke alarms are properly installed and operable. For a manufactured home manufactured before September 16, 2002, the seller must provide the buyer with the manufacturer's information on the operation, testing, and proper maintenance of the smoke alarms. An agent is not liable for any error, inaccuracy, or omission in any required disclosures that the agent did not know was false. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) may establish new rules as needed to clarify or implement the smoke alarm requirements. This law also requires all replacement fuel-gas-burning water heaters in existing mobile homes and manufactured homes that are offered for sale or lease to be seismically braced, anchored or strapped in accordance with rules and standards to be established by the HCD by July 1, 2009. Assembly Bill 2050.
No Text Messaging While Driving: Commencing January 1, 2009, a person driving a motor vehicle is prohibited from writing, sending, or reading a text message, instant message, or e-mail from an electronic wireless communication device. However, a person may read, select, or enter a name or phone number in a wireless device to make or receive a phone call. A violation of this law is an infraction punishable by a base fine of $20 for the first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense. Senate Bill 1613.
Other Significant Laws: Some of the other new laws of interest: an increase in the fine for acting as a licensee without a license from $10,000 to $20,000 (Senate Bill 1448).
Realegal® is published by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, a trade association representing nearly 200,000 REALTORS® statewide.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Are Lower Mortgage Rates the Answer?
In the long run, it's falling home prices that will get the economy moving again.
By JUNE FLETCHER
from the Wall Street Journal
On Tuesday, the government announced an $800 billion plan to stimulate the economy by buying $600 billion worth of mortgage-backed assets and $200 billion in consumer-debt securities. The intent is to make it easier for consumers to buy cars, pay for college tuition and get credit cards. Mortgage interest rates fell about a half-percentage point on the news. (See "Fed Aid Sets Off a Rush to Refinance")
Will the effort finally get the economy moving again? Frankly, I doubt it.
Lower mortgage rates can help people buy housing, but only if they feel secure enough in their jobs, and confident enough in their financial future to take the plunge. Given that consumers are drowning in debt -- especially housing debt -- fearful of layoffs, and waiting for housing prices to hit bottom, it's unlikely that they'll react to this initiative with a spending spree.
Consumers don't react to debt like companies, though the government is behaving like they do. Giving companies better access to credit allows them to meet payrolls while they adjust their production and expenses in response to tighter economic condition. But families who can't pay their bills can't lay off a spouse and kids. For them, debt grows from burdensome to monstrous as interest charges accumulate. Eventually, the load becomes overwhelming.
Testifying before the Senate on July 28, Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren noted that the situation for the middle class has worsened during this decade. She explained that, adjusted for inflation, median household income fell $1,175 from 2000 to 2007, while expenses increased $4,655, pushed primarily by higher costs for mortgages, gas, health insurance and food, in that order. Families with children have borne an additional $3,180 in expenses for day care, after-school care and college tuition. To help cope with these rising costs, families turned to home equity lines of credit and refinancing -- effectively sucking the equity out of their homes -- as well as credit card debt. Nearly 44% of American households now carry a balance on their credit cards, she testified; to retire it, a family earning the median income of $48,201 would have to turn over every paycheck for nearly three months.
Foreclosure or bankruptcy will take a toll on a certain portion of these families, even though, as Ms. Warren points out in her book "The Two-Income Trap" (Basic Books: 2003), that's something most people desperately try to avoid. After studying 2,200 families that had filed for bankruptcy, she found that families that fail financially are most likely to be ones with children, who are struggling to buy and maintain homes in decent school districts, not flippers or status-seekers out to make a quick buck. For every family that officially declares bankruptcy, she writes, there are seven more whose debt loads suggest that they ought to file. But they don't, given the stigma that financial failure still holds in society.
Many Americans are so indebted that a job loss, illness or divorce inevitably pushes them over the financial precipice These days, I'm inundated with pleas for help from readers who were coping with their bills until they were blindsided by bad luck, like the Utah real estate agent who was hit with both diabetes and a falling home-sale market that destroyed her business, or the California man who got behind on mortgage payments after a heart attack, or the Massachusetts woman who lost a high-paying job and took on a lower-paying one that forces her to choose between going without food and heat and paying her mortgage. These readers aren't trying to game the system; they're trying to find ways to hold on to their homes, and failing that, their dignity.
While emergency relief measures and loan modifications may help the hardest cases, there's clearly not enough money in the federal budget to help everyone. Temporary stimulus measures like mortgage rate cuts and easier access to credit are limited, too, since they only work when people feel rich enough to buy something. Ultimately, it will take more permanent solutions, like the proposal recently unveiled by President-elect Barack Obama to boost job growth, to restore confidence enough to get the economy moving again.
In the meantime, expect some relief in the form of more affordable home prices, which continue to fall even with massive government intervention: In the third quarter, they declined a record 16.6% from a year earlier, according to the latest home price index by Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller. As painful as this deflation is to those who are forced to sell, in the long run, lower home prices will help family budgets to come into balance, and personal debt levels to become more manageable. That will help the economy far more than trying to entice tapped-out consumers to buy bigger houses and more stuff.
Write to June Fletcher at fletcher.june@gmail.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122770741433659553.html?mod=djempersonal
[The local real estate community tends to reject this common sense approach, saying that lower interest rates are indeed the answer to the problem. Some of these other Realtors need to get slapped back to reality... interest rates were too low for too long, and were combined with easy money and non-existent lending standards Those circumstances are exactly how we ended up in this mess. Here at the SCV Home Team we take a realist position. It doesn't make us that popular with some of our fellow associates, or with some of the sellers of real property. As we have said before, reality bites. We recognize reality, and go forward. So for the buyers in this market... opportunity awaits!! Home prices have fallen quite a bit and there are some terrific deals to be made! Give us a call at 661-290-3750 and let's be a buyer in this market!]
By JUNE FLETCHER
from the Wall Street Journal
On Tuesday, the government announced an $800 billion plan to stimulate the economy by buying $600 billion worth of mortgage-backed assets and $200 billion in consumer-debt securities. The intent is to make it easier for consumers to buy cars, pay for college tuition and get credit cards. Mortgage interest rates fell about a half-percentage point on the news. (See "Fed Aid Sets Off a Rush to Refinance")
Will the effort finally get the economy moving again? Frankly, I doubt it.
Lower mortgage rates can help people buy housing, but only if they feel secure enough in their jobs, and confident enough in their financial future to take the plunge. Given that consumers are drowning in debt -- especially housing debt -- fearful of layoffs, and waiting for housing prices to hit bottom, it's unlikely that they'll react to this initiative with a spending spree.
Consumers don't react to debt like companies, though the government is behaving like they do. Giving companies better access to credit allows them to meet payrolls while they adjust their production and expenses in response to tighter economic condition. But families who can't pay their bills can't lay off a spouse and kids. For them, debt grows from burdensome to monstrous as interest charges accumulate. Eventually, the load becomes overwhelming.
Testifying before the Senate on July 28, Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren noted that the situation for the middle class has worsened during this decade. She explained that, adjusted for inflation, median household income fell $1,175 from 2000 to 2007, while expenses increased $4,655, pushed primarily by higher costs for mortgages, gas, health insurance and food, in that order. Families with children have borne an additional $3,180 in expenses for day care, after-school care and college tuition. To help cope with these rising costs, families turned to home equity lines of credit and refinancing -- effectively sucking the equity out of their homes -- as well as credit card debt. Nearly 44% of American households now carry a balance on their credit cards, she testified; to retire it, a family earning the median income of $48,201 would have to turn over every paycheck for nearly three months.
Foreclosure or bankruptcy will take a toll on a certain portion of these families, even though, as Ms. Warren points out in her book "The Two-Income Trap" (Basic Books: 2003), that's something most people desperately try to avoid. After studying 2,200 families that had filed for bankruptcy, she found that families that fail financially are most likely to be ones with children, who are struggling to buy and maintain homes in decent school districts, not flippers or status-seekers out to make a quick buck. For every family that officially declares bankruptcy, she writes, there are seven more whose debt loads suggest that they ought to file. But they don't, given the stigma that financial failure still holds in society.
Many Americans are so indebted that a job loss, illness or divorce inevitably pushes them over the financial precipice These days, I'm inundated with pleas for help from readers who were coping with their bills until they were blindsided by bad luck, like the Utah real estate agent who was hit with both diabetes and a falling home-sale market that destroyed her business, or the California man who got behind on mortgage payments after a heart attack, or the Massachusetts woman who lost a high-paying job and took on a lower-paying one that forces her to choose between going without food and heat and paying her mortgage. These readers aren't trying to game the system; they're trying to find ways to hold on to their homes, and failing that, their dignity.
While emergency relief measures and loan modifications may help the hardest cases, there's clearly not enough money in the federal budget to help everyone. Temporary stimulus measures like mortgage rate cuts and easier access to credit are limited, too, since they only work when people feel rich enough to buy something. Ultimately, it will take more permanent solutions, like the proposal recently unveiled by President-elect Barack Obama to boost job growth, to restore confidence enough to get the economy moving again.
In the meantime, expect some relief in the form of more affordable home prices, which continue to fall even with massive government intervention: In the third quarter, they declined a record 16.6% from a year earlier, according to the latest home price index by Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller. As painful as this deflation is to those who are forced to sell, in the long run, lower home prices will help family budgets to come into balance, and personal debt levels to become more manageable. That will help the economy far more than trying to entice tapped-out consumers to buy bigger houses and more stuff.
Write to June Fletcher at fletcher.june@gmail.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122770741433659553.html?mod=djempersonal
[The local real estate community tends to reject this common sense approach, saying that lower interest rates are indeed the answer to the problem. Some of these other Realtors need to get slapped back to reality... interest rates were too low for too long, and were combined with easy money and non-existent lending standards Those circumstances are exactly how we ended up in this mess. Here at the SCV Home Team we take a realist position. It doesn't make us that popular with some of our fellow associates, or with some of the sellers of real property. As we have said before, reality bites. We recognize reality, and go forward. So for the buyers in this market... opportunity awaits!! Home prices have fallen quite a bit and there are some terrific deals to be made! Give us a call at 661-290-3750 and let's be a buyer in this market!]
Friday, November 21, 2008
Only One Person Knows a Home's Value: Its Buyer
House-Price Index Readings Can Be Inflated, Built on Shaky Foundations and Far From the Right Neighborhood
The Wall Street Journal Online
By CARL BIALIK
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122722235538745845.html?mod=djempersonal
The good news is your home may be worth more than the rock-bottom price that your neighbors' houses fetched. The bad news: No one but you might think so.
The one point of widespread agreement in the real-estate industry is that there is no single accurate index of home prices. They are all over the map, cover different sets of homes and may exclude parts of the country or be unduly influenced by the mix of homes sold in a given month.
A sold sign is displayed in the yard of a house in Clarksville, Tenn., in October.
As the home market surged earlier this decade, the two leading indicators of home prices diverged. One didn't count homes sold with exotic or subprime mortgages, which fueled much of the bubble. These same properties are often the ones going on the auction block today at severe discounts, pulling the other home-price index down -- some say to unrealistic lows.
To address these discrepancies, indexes are going increasingly local. Other, less-well-known measures of home prices -- some of them available only to paying customers -- are adjusting to exclude homes sold by banks.
Sales of foreclosures and other distressed properties accounted for 35% to 40% of transactions in the third quarter, the National Association of Realtors said this week. The discount on such properties, often sold by banks that need to clear inventory quickly, can be 30% to 40% compared with similar properties sold by the resident, according to Damien Weldon, a vice president of credit-risk products and analytics at First American CoreLogic. The company's Loan Performance division is producing a new index without these discounted sales, a distinction that was "not important a few years ago, but now it's very important," Mr. Weldon says.
Behind the Home-Price Indexes
The numbers from home-price indexes are widely watched. The Federal Reserve uses them to measure the value of housing stock. Banks use them to determine whether mortgages are underwater and to estimate the value of homes they will have to sell after foreclosure.
But the indexes may be leading everyone astray. Just as respondents to election surveys are meant to stand in for the broader electorate, the homes being sold need to represent all homes. The problem is, producers of these price measures aren't sure that sale prices reflect the values of houses not on the market.
"People put all their eggs in the sales-price basket," says Andrew Leventis, a senior economist with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which produces a home-price index.
"Whether the transaction pool is reflective of the entire housing stock -- nobody addresses that problem," adds Karl Case, professor of economics at Wellesley College and co-creator of the Case-Shiller Index, a competitor to the federal government's measure.
The Case-Shiller index includes properties that had subprime loans attached.
"That's the stuff that went down most substantially, and that's probably the stuff that went up most substantially," Prof. Case says.
The federal index, though, doesn't include such properties, instead accounting only for properties with financing from mortgage giants Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. For that reason, many prefer Case-Shiller.
"I believe S&P Case-Shiller for the areas it covers," says Thomas Lawler, a housing economist in Leesburg, Va.
Case-Shiller has shown a steeper decline in markets with many distressed sales. The second-quarter year-over-year declines in San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Vegas ranged from 23% to 28%, according to Case-Shiller. But the federal gauge recorded declines of only 5.8%, 11% and 18%, respectively.
Not everyone thinks the Case-Shiller index is useful. Richard A. Smith, chief executive of real-estate broker Realogy Corp., says the index omits 13 states. "Case-Shiller as a broad index is inaccurate," Mr. Smith says.
David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at Standard & Poor's, which publishes Case-Shiller, responds that "the sampling and data collection is as good as it can be."
"One's got to be wrong," Mr. Smith said of the dueling Case-Shiller and federal indexes. "Nobody will know until the book is written."
Yet there is no surefire way to know which index got closer to the truth. Each year since 2000, the Census Bureau has asked homeowners to report the value of their home, but "it doesn't necessarily jibe with assessment records or anything like that," says Jeanne Woodward, a Census Bureau statistician.
Another potential check on values is home appraisals. But Dr. Leventis said there are two possible sources of upward bias. One is that people often choose to get their homes appraised when they figure the value has risen sharply and they can convert some of that to cash with a refinancing. Another is that appraisals tend to overstate the value of homes, perhaps because homeowners seek the most-favorable assessment.
"I really don't see a benchmark" against which to check these home-price indexes, says Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors.
His group releases its own numbers, most recently showing prices declining by 9% in the third quarter compared with a year earlier. But that measure, unlike the others, doesn't take into account a home's sales record. So instead of comparing each property's sale price to its prior sale price, the realtors group compares the price of homes sold this month with that of homes sold last month -- even if the mix of homes has changed sharply. Mr. Yun defends the measure as "very simple to understand."
Most of the numbers that get headlines are based on metropolitan areas. Yet the housing-market picture can vary dramatically within the same region. Lynn, Mass., a suburb northeast of Boston, saw prices drop 10% in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, according to Wellesley's Prof. Case. Yet in the same period prices in Cambridge, just west of the city, rose 13%.
Integrated Asset Services, or IAS, sells estimates by neighborhood. "We are a lot more granular" than Case-Shiller and the federal index, Chief Executive David McCarthy said.
Within Middlesex County, which includes Cambridge, one neighborhood was up 12% compared with a year earlier in September, while two others were down 1% and 2%, respectively.
Fiserv Inc. uses the Case-Shiller local numbers to sell estimates for a single property.
The risk when going local is that data become sparse and a few anomalous sales may throw things off -- particularly in markets where most of the sales are distressed. IAS makes estimates based on as few as 50 to 75 transactions.
None of this nuance is captured in headlines about the latest home-price-index release, Prof. Case complains. Still, he is hopeful that home-price indexes will improve. "This new criticism that these indexes are showing different things is going to lead to a lot of research," he says.
[This article points out the problem of using national or state or even county index values. In our market area, the SCV Home Team does a much more accurate analysis of home value.]
The Wall Street Journal Online
By CARL BIALIK
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122722235538745845.html?mod=djempersonal
The good news is your home may be worth more than the rock-bottom price that your neighbors' houses fetched. The bad news: No one but you might think so.
The one point of widespread agreement in the real-estate industry is that there is no single accurate index of home prices. They are all over the map, cover different sets of homes and may exclude parts of the country or be unduly influenced by the mix of homes sold in a given month.
A sold sign is displayed in the yard of a house in Clarksville, Tenn., in October.
As the home market surged earlier this decade, the two leading indicators of home prices diverged. One didn't count homes sold with exotic or subprime mortgages, which fueled much of the bubble. These same properties are often the ones going on the auction block today at severe discounts, pulling the other home-price index down -- some say to unrealistic lows.
To address these discrepancies, indexes are going increasingly local. Other, less-well-known measures of home prices -- some of them available only to paying customers -- are adjusting to exclude homes sold by banks.
Sales of foreclosures and other distressed properties accounted for 35% to 40% of transactions in the third quarter, the National Association of Realtors said this week. The discount on such properties, often sold by banks that need to clear inventory quickly, can be 30% to 40% compared with similar properties sold by the resident, according to Damien Weldon, a vice president of credit-risk products and analytics at First American CoreLogic. The company's Loan Performance division is producing a new index without these discounted sales, a distinction that was "not important a few years ago, but now it's very important," Mr. Weldon says.
Behind the Home-Price Indexes
The numbers from home-price indexes are widely watched. The Federal Reserve uses them to measure the value of housing stock. Banks use them to determine whether mortgages are underwater and to estimate the value of homes they will have to sell after foreclosure.
But the indexes may be leading everyone astray. Just as respondents to election surveys are meant to stand in for the broader electorate, the homes being sold need to represent all homes. The problem is, producers of these price measures aren't sure that sale prices reflect the values of houses not on the market.
"People put all their eggs in the sales-price basket," says Andrew Leventis, a senior economist with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which produces a home-price index.
"Whether the transaction pool is reflective of the entire housing stock -- nobody addresses that problem," adds Karl Case, professor of economics at Wellesley College and co-creator of the Case-Shiller Index, a competitor to the federal government's measure.
The Case-Shiller index includes properties that had subprime loans attached.
"That's the stuff that went down most substantially, and that's probably the stuff that went up most substantially," Prof. Case says.
The federal index, though, doesn't include such properties, instead accounting only for properties with financing from mortgage giants Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. For that reason, many prefer Case-Shiller.
"I believe S&P Case-Shiller for the areas it covers," says Thomas Lawler, a housing economist in Leesburg, Va.
Case-Shiller has shown a steeper decline in markets with many distressed sales. The second-quarter year-over-year declines in San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Vegas ranged from 23% to 28%, according to Case-Shiller. But the federal gauge recorded declines of only 5.8%, 11% and 18%, respectively.
Not everyone thinks the Case-Shiller index is useful. Richard A. Smith, chief executive of real-estate broker Realogy Corp., says the index omits 13 states. "Case-Shiller as a broad index is inaccurate," Mr. Smith says.
David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at Standard & Poor's, which publishes Case-Shiller, responds that "the sampling and data collection is as good as it can be."
"One's got to be wrong," Mr. Smith said of the dueling Case-Shiller and federal indexes. "Nobody will know until the book is written."
Yet there is no surefire way to know which index got closer to the truth. Each year since 2000, the Census Bureau has asked homeowners to report the value of their home, but "it doesn't necessarily jibe with assessment records or anything like that," says Jeanne Woodward, a Census Bureau statistician.
Another potential check on values is home appraisals. But Dr. Leventis said there are two possible sources of upward bias. One is that people often choose to get their homes appraised when they figure the value has risen sharply and they can convert some of that to cash with a refinancing. Another is that appraisals tend to overstate the value of homes, perhaps because homeowners seek the most-favorable assessment.
"I really don't see a benchmark" against which to check these home-price indexes, says Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors.
His group releases its own numbers, most recently showing prices declining by 9% in the third quarter compared with a year earlier. But that measure, unlike the others, doesn't take into account a home's sales record. So instead of comparing each property's sale price to its prior sale price, the realtors group compares the price of homes sold this month with that of homes sold last month -- even if the mix of homes has changed sharply. Mr. Yun defends the measure as "very simple to understand."
Most of the numbers that get headlines are based on metropolitan areas. Yet the housing-market picture can vary dramatically within the same region. Lynn, Mass., a suburb northeast of Boston, saw prices drop 10% in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, according to Wellesley's Prof. Case. Yet in the same period prices in Cambridge, just west of the city, rose 13%.
Integrated Asset Services, or IAS, sells estimates by neighborhood. "We are a lot more granular" than Case-Shiller and the federal index, Chief Executive David McCarthy said.
Within Middlesex County, which includes Cambridge, one neighborhood was up 12% compared with a year earlier in September, while two others were down 1% and 2%, respectively.
Fiserv Inc. uses the Case-Shiller local numbers to sell estimates for a single property.
The risk when going local is that data become sparse and a few anomalous sales may throw things off -- particularly in markets where most of the sales are distressed. IAS makes estimates based on as few as 50 to 75 transactions.
None of this nuance is captured in headlines about the latest home-price-index release, Prof. Case complains. Still, he is hopeful that home-price indexes will improve. "This new criticism that these indexes are showing different things is going to lead to a lot of research," he says.
[This article points out the problem of using national or state or even county index values. In our market area, the SCV Home Team does a much more accurate analysis of home value.]
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
“New” 2009 conforming loan limit unchanged from $417,000; high-cost areas now max out at $625,500
“New” 2009 conforming loan limit unchanged from $417,000; high-cost areas now max out at $625,500
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 7) –The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that the “new” conforming loan limit for 2009 will remain at $417,000 for most areas in the U.S., unchanged since 2006. Loan limits for high-cost areas, including California, are capped at $625,500, down from the previous $729,750 limit. Loan limits for many areas of the state do not reach this lower threshold and are dramatically reduced from 2008.
"Although price declines mean that the total number of homes eligible for conforming financing has increased, we’re disappointed that the $729,750 limit stipulated in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 signed in February was not made permanent,” said C.A.R. President William E. Brown. “The reduction in the loan limit to $625,500 will negatively impact both the interest rates and the availability of funds for jumbo mortgages.
“We hope Congress will make the $729,750 limit permanent before the end of the year as one of the provisions in an economic stimulus package,” he said.
The conforming loan limit determines the maximum size of a mortgage that Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy or guarantee. Non-conforming or jumbo loans typically carry a higher mortgage interest rate than a conforming loan, increasing the monthly payment and negatively impacting affordability for households in California.
In California, the new conforming loan limits for metropolitan areas range from $474,950 in the Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville metropolitan area, covering El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties; to $625,500 in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area.
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 7) –The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that the “new” conforming loan limit for 2009 will remain at $417,000 for most areas in the U.S., unchanged since 2006. Loan limits for high-cost areas, including California, are capped at $625,500, down from the previous $729,750 limit. Loan limits for many areas of the state do not reach this lower threshold and are dramatically reduced from 2008.
"Although price declines mean that the total number of homes eligible for conforming financing has increased, we’re disappointed that the $729,750 limit stipulated in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 signed in February was not made permanent,” said C.A.R. President William E. Brown. “The reduction in the loan limit to $625,500 will negatively impact both the interest rates and the availability of funds for jumbo mortgages.
“We hope Congress will make the $729,750 limit permanent before the end of the year as one of the provisions in an economic stimulus package,” he said.
The conforming loan limit determines the maximum size of a mortgage that Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy or guarantee. Non-conforming or jumbo loans typically carry a higher mortgage interest rate than a conforming loan, increasing the monthly payment and negatively impacting affordability for households in California.
In California, the new conforming loan limits for metropolitan areas range from $474,950 in the Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville metropolitan area, covering El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties; to $625,500 in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area.
Another Big Bank Moves to Assist Homeowners and Itself
Citigroup has joined Morgan Stanley Chase, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC,) and a few other large banks in initiating an aggressive program to mitigate foreclosures of single family homes.
The bank said on Monday that it is putting a moratorium on both initiating new foreclosures and on completing the legal process against homeowners who are currently moving toward foreclosure.
The moratorium will be available to homeowners if they meet several criteria; they must want to stay in their home, be willing to work in good faith with the bank to resolve their problems, and have the income to afford payments on a restructured mortgage.
The program will be available initially to borrowers whose mortgage loans are owned by Citigroup but the bank said it is working on expanding the program to include loans that it services for other investors.
The bank will also move proactively over the next six months to contact about one-half million homeowners, about one-third of the banks own borrowers, who are current on their mortgage payments now but are at risk of falling behind in the near future.
Citigroup will attempt to restructure mortgage loans by reducing the principal of the loan, extending the amortization period, and/or adjusting interest rates. Some 600 bank employees will be involved in the restructuring effort.
The new program is not based on altruism. The bank has suffered greatly from the subprime crisis, losing a staggering amount of money in each of the last four quarters, much more than any of its principal rivals. Citi's stock is trading only slightly above its 52-week low, closing Monday at $11.05. During the spring of 2006 the stock was trading in the $55 range.
Like FDIC, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley Chase and even Wachovia which is soon to be absorbed by Wells Fargo have finally realized that working with borrowers to prevent foreclosures, while expensive in the short term, is ultimately less costly than taking, managing, and marketing the foreclosed homes.
The geographic focus of Citi's efforts will be, at least at first, on those areas where unemployment and foreclosure rates are high. This will include Florida, Arizona, California, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
The Associated Press reported that more than 4 million American homeowners with a mortgage were at least one payment behind on their loans at the end of June, and 500,000 were in some phase of foreclosure.
[posted by Mortgage News Daily on 11/11/08]
The bank said on Monday that it is putting a moratorium on both initiating new foreclosures and on completing the legal process against homeowners who are currently moving toward foreclosure.
The moratorium will be available to homeowners if they meet several criteria; they must want to stay in their home, be willing to work in good faith with the bank to resolve their problems, and have the income to afford payments on a restructured mortgage.
The program will be available initially to borrowers whose mortgage loans are owned by Citigroup but the bank said it is working on expanding the program to include loans that it services for other investors.
The bank will also move proactively over the next six months to contact about one-half million homeowners, about one-third of the banks own borrowers, who are current on their mortgage payments now but are at risk of falling behind in the near future.
Citigroup will attempt to restructure mortgage loans by reducing the principal of the loan, extending the amortization period, and/or adjusting interest rates. Some 600 bank employees will be involved in the restructuring effort.
The new program is not based on altruism. The bank has suffered greatly from the subprime crisis, losing a staggering amount of money in each of the last four quarters, much more than any of its principal rivals. Citi's stock is trading only slightly above its 52-week low, closing Monday at $11.05. During the spring of 2006 the stock was trading in the $55 range.
Like FDIC, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley Chase and even Wachovia which is soon to be absorbed by Wells Fargo have finally realized that working with borrowers to prevent foreclosures, while expensive in the short term, is ultimately less costly than taking, managing, and marketing the foreclosed homes.
The geographic focus of Citi's efforts will be, at least at first, on those areas where unemployment and foreclosure rates are high. This will include Florida, Arizona, California, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
The Associated Press reported that more than 4 million American homeowners with a mortgage were at least one payment behind on their loans at the end of June, and 500,000 were in some phase of foreclosure.
[posted by Mortgage News Daily on 11/11/08]
Monday, November 03, 2008
Should You Buy or Lease?
By Mark K. Solheim
To hear the critics wail, you'd think leasing a car is as bad for your finances as smoking cigarettes is for your health. Does that mean you're a closet wastrel if you've ever been tempted by ads that trumpet affordable monthly payments for a new car? Or, worse, that you are hurtling down the highway to financial ruin if you've already given in?
Relax. Leasing is not a mortal sin of money management. For some drivers, in fact, it makes sound fiscal sense. Leasing's not for everyone, but there's no reason to scorn the 15% of our fellow travelers who choose leasing over buying.
A Closer Look
Leasing often gets a bum rap because the lingo can make your head spin. It's difficult to compare one lease with another, not to mention to compare leasing with buying. And it can be tough to get a handle on leasing because the decision to lease or buy often depends on your mindset. "A lot of people are freaked out by having to turn in their car at the end of the lease," says Phil Reed, author of Edmunds.com's Strategies for Smart Car Buyers. "What they fail to realize is that they got the first years of a brand-new car's life."
One of the biggest criticisms of leasing is that in a buck-for-buck comparison of leasing and buying, leasers usually shell out more money. That's because, after the loan payments are done, buyers get to keep the vehicle (pay cash and you come out further ahead). If your modus operandi is to buy a car and run it till it sputters and dies, leasing isn't right for you. But you're a good candidate, Reed says, if you've decided that you're always going to have a car payment ? as many drivers do, now that six- and even seven-year loans are gaining popularity. It's a good bet that you can drive more car for less money if you lease. You'll never actually own the car, but who really owns a car when the bank holds the title until the loan is paid off?
A few other advantages: A lease usually ends about the same time as the warranty, so you probably won't pay for any repairs. You won't have to worry about whether you'll get a fair deal on a trade-in. In most states, you pay sales tax only on the monthly payments rather than on the full value of the car. Plus, many of today's leases include gap insurance to cover the difference between the lease payoff and an insurance settlement if the car is totaled or stolen.
Yes, there are early-termination fees if you change your mind. But if you finance a car and bail out before the loan is paid off, you could easily owe more on the loan than the car is worth. And it's true that you pay extra for exceeding the 10,000- to 15,000-mile yearly limit typically written into a contract. But buyers who rack up high mileage also pay a penalty: lower trade-in value.
Design Your Own Lease
If you choose a manufacturer-subsidized lease, you'll probably be locked in to the terms. But if the car you want isn't being pushed by the carmaker, there's plenty of room for bargaining. Either way, contact several dealers to see who's willing to cut you the best deal. Reed of Edmunds.com recommends a term of three years because that's often the turning point in a car's life (when the warranty expires, for instance, or you may need new tires).
Ask the dealer to compare leasing offers on the car from the manufacturer's financing arm as well as a few banks. That may produce a lower "money factor" (basically the interest rate) or higher residual, either of which translates into lower payments.
Next, target the capitalized cost which is leasing lingo for the price of the car written into the lease. Gross cap cost includes the price of the vehicle, fees, extended service plans, gap-insurance premiums and any other add-ons. Adjusted cap cost is the gross cap cost minus reductions for trade-in, down payment, and rebates. That adjusted cost is the amount you actually finance. Don't pay sticker unless you have to. Both Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com) and www.Edmunds.com list actual transaction prices to give you an idea of what others are paying.
If you expect to drive more than the number of miles included in the standard contract, try to negotiate a higher limit. Or you may be able to buy extra miles up front for an extra 10 or 15 cents per mile, versus the usual 15- to 30-cent-per-mile penalty charged at the end of the lease.
You usually have the option of buying the car at the end of the lease instead of turning it in. The purchase amount, typically the residual value, is written into the lease. Buying may not be a good idea, though, if the residual was set artificially high.
Not up for haggling? Kiplinger's has teamed with CarBargains, a buying service from the nonprofit Consumers' Checkbook organization. Its LeaseWise service will negotiate with five local dealers for you. The cost is $335. Visit www.kiplinger.com/links/carbargains or call 800-475-7283.
All contents copyright 2007 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.
To hear the critics wail, you'd think leasing a car is as bad for your finances as smoking cigarettes is for your health. Does that mean you're a closet wastrel if you've ever been tempted by ads that trumpet affordable monthly payments for a new car? Or, worse, that you are hurtling down the highway to financial ruin if you've already given in?
Relax. Leasing is not a mortal sin of money management. For some drivers, in fact, it makes sound fiscal sense. Leasing's not for everyone, but there's no reason to scorn the 15% of our fellow travelers who choose leasing over buying.
A Closer Look
Leasing often gets a bum rap because the lingo can make your head spin. It's difficult to compare one lease with another, not to mention to compare leasing with buying. And it can be tough to get a handle on leasing because the decision to lease or buy often depends on your mindset. "A lot of people are freaked out by having to turn in their car at the end of the lease," says Phil Reed, author of Edmunds.com's Strategies for Smart Car Buyers. "What they fail to realize is that they got the first years of a brand-new car's life."
One of the biggest criticisms of leasing is that in a buck-for-buck comparison of leasing and buying, leasers usually shell out more money. That's because, after the loan payments are done, buyers get to keep the vehicle (pay cash and you come out further ahead). If your modus operandi is to buy a car and run it till it sputters and dies, leasing isn't right for you. But you're a good candidate, Reed says, if you've decided that you're always going to have a car payment ? as many drivers do, now that six- and even seven-year loans are gaining popularity. It's a good bet that you can drive more car for less money if you lease. You'll never actually own the car, but who really owns a car when the bank holds the title until the loan is paid off?
A few other advantages: A lease usually ends about the same time as the warranty, so you probably won't pay for any repairs. You won't have to worry about whether you'll get a fair deal on a trade-in. In most states, you pay sales tax only on the monthly payments rather than on the full value of the car. Plus, many of today's leases include gap insurance to cover the difference between the lease payoff and an insurance settlement if the car is totaled or stolen.
Yes, there are early-termination fees if you change your mind. But if you finance a car and bail out before the loan is paid off, you could easily owe more on the loan than the car is worth. And it's true that you pay extra for exceeding the 10,000- to 15,000-mile yearly limit typically written into a contract. But buyers who rack up high mileage also pay a penalty: lower trade-in value.
Design Your Own Lease
If you choose a manufacturer-subsidized lease, you'll probably be locked in to the terms. But if the car you want isn't being pushed by the carmaker, there's plenty of room for bargaining. Either way, contact several dealers to see who's willing to cut you the best deal. Reed of Edmunds.com recommends a term of three years because that's often the turning point in a car's life (when the warranty expires, for instance, or you may need new tires).
Ask the dealer to compare leasing offers on the car from the manufacturer's financing arm as well as a few banks. That may produce a lower "money factor" (basically the interest rate) or higher residual, either of which translates into lower payments.
Next, target the capitalized cost which is leasing lingo for the price of the car written into the lease. Gross cap cost includes the price of the vehicle, fees, extended service plans, gap-insurance premiums and any other add-ons. Adjusted cap cost is the gross cap cost minus reductions for trade-in, down payment, and rebates. That adjusted cost is the amount you actually finance. Don't pay sticker unless you have to. Both Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com) and www.Edmunds.com list actual transaction prices to give you an idea of what others are paying.
If you expect to drive more than the number of miles included in the standard contract, try to negotiate a higher limit. Or you may be able to buy extra miles up front for an extra 10 or 15 cents per mile, versus the usual 15- to 30-cent-per-mile penalty charged at the end of the lease.
You usually have the option of buying the car at the end of the lease instead of turning it in. The purchase amount, typically the residual value, is written into the lease. Buying may not be a good idea, though, if the residual was set artificially high.
Not up for haggling? Kiplinger's has teamed with CarBargains, a buying service from the nonprofit Consumers' Checkbook organization. Its LeaseWise service will negotiate with five local dealers for you. The cost is $335. Visit www.kiplinger.com/links/carbargains or call 800-475-7283.
All contents copyright 2007 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Realtors Present Four Point Stimulus Proposal
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) stayed right on message as it proposed a four-point plan for Congress to enact to resuscitate the housing market and including yet another plea to keep banks out of the real estate business.
The plan, revealed in a statement made late last week and in the NAR President's Podcast released on October 21, calls for a special "lame-duck" session of Congress and asks that it consider the following, what it calls "consumer-driven" provisions to boost the economy and soothe the nerves of jittery homebuyers.
1. Eliminate the provision contained in last summer's housing rescue bill that requires first-time homebuyers to repay the $7,500 tax credit they receive under the plan and expand that credit to apply to all buyers of a primary residence.
2. Urge the government to use a portion of the allotted $700 billion that was provided to purchase mortgage-backed securities from banks to provide price stabilization for housing. The Treasury department should be required to:
3. Extend credit down to Main Street, making credit more available to consumers and small businesses;
* Extend credit down to Main Street, making credit more available to consumers and small businesses;
* Expedite the process for short sales;
* Expedite the resolution of banks' real estate owned (REOs) properties.
4. Make permanent the prohibition against banks entering real estate brokerage and management, further protecting consumers and the economy.
In the podcast NAR President Richard F. Gaylord called the proposal "a boldstep on the policy front," and urged NAR members to talk with members of Congress while they are home in their districts over the election hiatus about the proposal and how important its provisions are to consumers.
In the earlier statement Gaylor said, "Housing has always lifted the economy out of downturns, and it is imperative to get the housing market moving forward as quickly as possible." It is vital to the economy that Congress take specific actions to boost the confidence of potential homebuyers in the housing market and make it easier for qualified buyers to get safe and affordable mortgage loans. We are asking Congress to act right away."
Gaylord said NAR, as the leading advocate for homeownership and private property rights, believes it is important for Congress to address the concerns and fears of America's families, much in the way it has addressed Wall Street turbulence. "Housing is and has always been a good, long-term investment and a family's primary step towards accumulating wealth."
Gaylord said that NAR will strongly pursue those proposals and is calling on Congress to return to enact housing stimulus legislation in a lame-duck session after the national elections in November.
[Published 10/22/08 by Mortgage News Daily]
The plan, revealed in a statement made late last week and in the NAR President's Podcast released on October 21, calls for a special "lame-duck" session of Congress and asks that it consider the following, what it calls "consumer-driven" provisions to boost the economy and soothe the nerves of jittery homebuyers.
1. Eliminate the provision contained in last summer's housing rescue bill that requires first-time homebuyers to repay the $7,500 tax credit they receive under the plan and expand that credit to apply to all buyers of a primary residence.
2. Urge the government to use a portion of the allotted $700 billion that was provided to purchase mortgage-backed securities from banks to provide price stabilization for housing. The Treasury department should be required to:
3. Extend credit down to Main Street, making credit more available to consumers and small businesses;
* Extend credit down to Main Street, making credit more available to consumers and small businesses;
* Expedite the process for short sales;
* Expedite the resolution of banks' real estate owned (REOs) properties.
4. Make permanent the prohibition against banks entering real estate brokerage and management, further protecting consumers and the economy.
In the podcast NAR President Richard F. Gaylord called the proposal "a boldstep on the policy front," and urged NAR members to talk with members of Congress while they are home in their districts over the election hiatus about the proposal and how important its provisions are to consumers.
In the earlier statement Gaylor said, "Housing has always lifted the economy out of downturns, and it is imperative to get the housing market moving forward as quickly as possible." It is vital to the economy that Congress take specific actions to boost the confidence of potential homebuyers in the housing market and make it easier for qualified buyers to get safe and affordable mortgage loans. We are asking Congress to act right away."
Gaylord said NAR, as the leading advocate for homeownership and private property rights, believes it is important for Congress to address the concerns and fears of America's families, much in the way it has addressed Wall Street turbulence. "Housing is and has always been a good, long-term investment and a family's primary step towards accumulating wealth."
Gaylord said that NAR will strongly pursue those proposals and is calling on Congress to return to enact housing stimulus legislation in a lame-duck session after the national elections in November.
[Published 10/22/08 by Mortgage News Daily]
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Solution: Turn on the Printing Presses!
The financial markets are still volatile and people are still uncertain at best, or fearful at worst, for the future. Stratfor.com has a bit of commentary about the governments of America's and Europe's various attempts at solving the financial mess.
"Yet the Europeans and the Americans both had to intervene in some way, and now they face exactly the same problem: having decided to make the pig fly, there remains the small matter of how to build a flying pig. The problem is administrative. It is all very well to say that the government will buy paper or stock in companies, or that it will guarantee loans between banks. The problem is that no institutions exist to do this. There are no offices filled with officials empowered to do any of these things, no rules on how these things are to be done, no bank accounts on which to draw — not even a decision on who has to sign the checks. The faster they try to set up these institutions, the more inefficient, error-prone and even corrupt they will turn out to be. We can assure you that some bright lads are already thinking dreamily of ways to scam the system, and the faster it is set up, the fewer controls there will be."
Now that the governments have decided to force the banks to take money in exchange for preferred stock positions, the Dow industrial average yesterday flew up over 900 points (apparently pigs can fly!).
We will be monitoring developments closely, as always.
"Yet the Europeans and the Americans both had to intervene in some way, and now they face exactly the same problem: having decided to make the pig fly, there remains the small matter of how to build a flying pig. The problem is administrative. It is all very well to say that the government will buy paper or stock in companies, or that it will guarantee loans between banks. The problem is that no institutions exist to do this. There are no offices filled with officials empowered to do any of these things, no rules on how these things are to be done, no bank accounts on which to draw — not even a decision on who has to sign the checks. The faster they try to set up these institutions, the more inefficient, error-prone and even corrupt they will turn out to be. We can assure you that some bright lads are already thinking dreamily of ways to scam the system, and the faster it is set up, the fewer controls there will be."
Now that the governments have decided to force the banks to take money in exchange for preferred stock positions, the Dow industrial average yesterday flew up over 900 points (apparently pigs can fly!).
We will be monitoring developments closely, as always.
Friday, October 10, 2008
How Busy Are We???
Sorry that I haven't posted my perspective on current events and the housing market lately.
Here's a quick note that I just sent to a friend and client:
I have been busier than a one-armed paper hanger lately. Have three offers out there and waiting to hear back on them... and they are all great offers too! Currently prepping two other offers for submission today. Right now am working with buyers buyers buyers. Not so much listings. The ebb and flow of this biz...
Betwix you and me, I think prices are going to be all over the board for a while, but locally there is a negotiation parity between sellers and buyers. There is a six month inventory based on number of listings to sales rate ratio. Very balanced... and my last three offers have been with multiple offer situations.
[Regarding the news...]
The world is not ending.
It will take a while for all of the extraordinary government intervention to work through the system and for confidence to re-build, but both will happen. That's not to say that there will not be some wild shocks to the system down the road, but I think that we are either past or nearly past the critical period of danger of systematic collapse.
[Some] people will lose jobs and houses. Christmas will be leaner than any in our children's memory. But we will get past this.
Tip o' the Day: Keep your wits about you as others are losing theirs.
[By the way... we are never too busy for you and your referrals of friends, neighbors, and associates! Please call Ray and the SCV Home Team at 661-290-3750.]
Here's a quick note that I just sent to a friend and client:
I have been busier than a one-armed paper hanger lately. Have three offers out there and waiting to hear back on them... and they are all great offers too! Currently prepping two other offers for submission today. Right now am working with buyers buyers buyers. Not so much listings. The ebb and flow of this biz...
Betwix you and me, I think prices are going to be all over the board for a while, but locally there is a negotiation parity between sellers and buyers. There is a six month inventory based on number of listings to sales rate ratio. Very balanced... and my last three offers have been with multiple offer situations.
[Regarding the news...]
The world is not ending.
It will take a while for all of the extraordinary government intervention to work through the system and for confidence to re-build, but both will happen. That's not to say that there will not be some wild shocks to the system down the road, but I think that we are either past or nearly past the critical period of danger of systematic collapse.
[Some] people will lose jobs and houses. Christmas will be leaner than any in our children's memory. But we will get past this.
Tip o' the Day: Keep your wits about you as others are losing theirs.
[By the way... we are never too busy for you and your referrals of friends, neighbors, and associates! Please call Ray and the SCV Home Team at 661-290-3750.]
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
SCV Home Sales Rise in August Y2Y
Single-family home sales increased 7.0 percent during August throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, the Southland Regional Association of Realtors reported.
The 199 closed escrows were 13 sales higher than a year ago, but down 16.0 percent from this July when 237 homes sold.
While buyers generally are focusing more on single-family home opportunities, condominium sales increased 31.7 percent to 83 closed escrows during August.
"Lower prices were the most important factor driving increased sales activity, simply because buyers realize that they now have a chance of buying a home that was out of reach just a short time ago," said Doreen Chastain-Shine, president of the Association's Santa Clarita Valley Division. "The increase also could be related to the positive effects of being able to obtain a larger loan at a lower cost."
Chastain-Shine was referring to the fact that the July and August were the first months that saw the conforming loan limit at its new level of $729,000, which means loans up to that amount can be obtained at a lower interest rate than ever before.
The median price of homes sold during August decreased 19.6 percent to $450,000. That was $1 10,000 below the $560,000 median price of August 2007 and $9,000 higher than the $441,000 median posted this July.
The condo median during August came in at $269,500, down 25.6 percent from a year ago and off 5.4 percent from this July.
‘The real estate market will not find some level of normalcy until Washington resolves the current financial crisis, thus making more money available for home loans, and the limited supply of bank-owned properties on the local market work their way through the system," said Jim Link, the Association's chief executive officer. [The other way, of course, is to let the market find its own level through agreement of buyers and sellers on price. However, credit availability is a critical variable in the marketplace. The financial markets are so clogged by distrust and bad paper, that some measure of governmental intervention will be needed to restore a functioning market. The SCV Home Team hopes the macro-economic experts can come up with as little intervention as possible yet still correct the excesses. It's a tall order in this, a general election year.]
"Many of the foreclosure properties, which are not nearly as numerous as in other parts of the state, already are on their way to being sold," Link said. "We expect resale prices to flatten out soon and firm up between now and Spring." [We hope!]
That relatively brief window of opportunity is when buyers will have the greatest opportunity to buy a home at a favorable price.
Activity throughout the Santa Clarita Valley picked up during August, a fact supported by the Association's statistics reporting pending escrows - a measure of future resale activity.
Pending escrows increased 89.3 percent during August compared to a year ago, suggesting that a growing number of people are getting off the fence and into the market.
There were 1,684 active listings throughout the Santa Clarita Valley at the end of August. That was down 825 listings for a drop of 32.9 percent compared to a year ago. Active listings also declined 5.3 percent from the July total.
At the current pace of sales the inventory represents a 6.0-month supply - right at the top of what industry leaders call a balanced market where neither the buyer nor the seller have a clear cut advantage in negotiations.
[Become a client of Ray Kutylo and the SCV Home Team for up-to-date analysis of market conditions.]
The 199 closed escrows were 13 sales higher than a year ago, but down 16.0 percent from this July when 237 homes sold.
While buyers generally are focusing more on single-family home opportunities, condominium sales increased 31.7 percent to 83 closed escrows during August.
"Lower prices were the most important factor driving increased sales activity, simply because buyers realize that they now have a chance of buying a home that was out of reach just a short time ago," said Doreen Chastain-Shine, president of the Association's Santa Clarita Valley Division. "The increase also could be related to the positive effects of being able to obtain a larger loan at a lower cost."
Chastain-Shine was referring to the fact that the July and August were the first months that saw the conforming loan limit at its new level of $729,000, which means loans up to that amount can be obtained at a lower interest rate than ever before.
The median price of homes sold during August decreased 19.6 percent to $450,000. That was $1 10,000 below the $560,000 median price of August 2007 and $9,000 higher than the $441,000 median posted this July.
The condo median during August came in at $269,500, down 25.6 percent from a year ago and off 5.4 percent from this July.
‘The real estate market will not find some level of normalcy until Washington resolves the current financial crisis, thus making more money available for home loans, and the limited supply of bank-owned properties on the local market work their way through the system," said Jim Link, the Association's chief executive officer. [The other way, of course, is to let the market find its own level through agreement of buyers and sellers on price. However, credit availability is a critical variable in the marketplace. The financial markets are so clogged by distrust and bad paper, that some measure of governmental intervention will be needed to restore a functioning market. The SCV Home Team hopes the macro-economic experts can come up with as little intervention as possible yet still correct the excesses. It's a tall order in this, a general election year.]
"Many of the foreclosure properties, which are not nearly as numerous as in other parts of the state, already are on their way to being sold," Link said. "We expect resale prices to flatten out soon and firm up between now and Spring." [We hope!]
That relatively brief window of opportunity is when buyers will have the greatest opportunity to buy a home at a favorable price.
Activity throughout the Santa Clarita Valley picked up during August, a fact supported by the Association's statistics reporting pending escrows - a measure of future resale activity.
Pending escrows increased 89.3 percent during August compared to a year ago, suggesting that a growing number of people are getting off the fence and into the market.
There were 1,684 active listings throughout the Santa Clarita Valley at the end of August. That was down 825 listings for a drop of 32.9 percent compared to a year ago. Active listings also declined 5.3 percent from the July total.
At the current pace of sales the inventory represents a 6.0-month supply - right at the top of what industry leaders call a balanced market where neither the buyer nor the seller have a clear cut advantage in negotiations.
[Become a client of Ray Kutylo and the SCV Home Team for up-to-date analysis of market conditions.]
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