THE BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT — the folks who bring you “Spare the Air” days — has proposed new changes to regulations governing the use of wood-burning fireplaces and other wood-burning devices, such as wood stoves. The new regulations will cost homeowners thousands of dollars when they sell their homes, so it is […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: The new credit model
EQUIFAX, ONE OF THE THREE LEADING PROVIDERS OF CREDIT INFORMATION, released news last week of a new credit scoring model designed to help people with nontraditional forms of credit obtain a credit score. In a joint announcement with LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Equifax said they will initially pilot 12 of the nation’s largest card issuers to […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: Spring and your home’s equity
SPRING IS HERE AND ONCE AGAIN the annual pilgrimage to the local home improvement center begins. On the mind of almost every homeowner: If I make this or that improvement to my home, what will it get me in increased equity? Will that $20,000 bathroom remodel return $20,000 when I decide to sell? Will I […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: California’s high cost of housing
THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE ANALYST’S OFFICE released a report last week addressing one of California’s biggest economic issues, the high cost of housing. It is not difficult to understand why California continues to struggle at retaining and attracting businesses and jobs to the Golden State, considering the extremely high cost of housing. California has long been […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: Confidence
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS just released the latest home builders confidence survey results for March, a measure of the health of housing since 1985. The index fell, for the third straight month, to a reading of 53, though any reading over 50 indicates more builders consider conditions more good than poor. The survey […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: Then and now
EARLIER THIS YEAR FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC announced programs to help more people into homeownership. The programs lower minimum down payment requirements, making it easier for folks to buy their first home. Shortly after the Fannie and Freddie announcements, the Federal Housing Administration announced a lowering of monthly mortgage insurance premiums on their programs, […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: A grain of salt
THE HOUSING MARKET HAS RECOVERED, RIGHT? And our economy is buzzing along just magnificently, right? I tend to be an optimist and generally see the glass as half full. But at the same time I am still a bit of a realist, and I cannot help but wring my hands a little over the real […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: The long road to credit repair
WHEN I MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO THE ROLE OF RETAIL ORIGINATOR IN 2012, my purpose and mission was to help people who had been injured during the Great Recession. This is why I write this column and this is why I spend a tremendous part of my day problem solving for folks who […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: Common reverse mortgage complaints
THE CONSUMER FINANCE PROTECTION BUREAU released a report last week summarizing the most common complaints it has received about reverse mortgages since the agency began receiving complaints in 2011. The report reveals that despite industry efforts to educate borrowers and the requirement that all borrowers receive independent counseling prior to applying for a reverse mortgage, […]
Making $ense of Real Estate: A return to normalcy
THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS released a number of reports at the end of January reflecting a steadily improving and healthy real estate market. In an indication of improving inventories, pending home sales in December increased year over year for the first time since January 2013. After a seasonal slowdown in December sales in which […]