Tag: real estate
A look at Fannie Mae’s updated Economic and Strategic Research Group report for 2018.
In total, Fannie Mae forecasts economic growth to surge from an anticipated 2.8 percent to 3.0 percent for the year, but we’re going to look more specifically at the housing numbers. First, let’s get a sound bite from Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan: “Housing continues to drag on growth due to lackluster homebuilding activity, […]
Examining the high cost of housing in California (and why we’re lucky to live in Sacramento)
An interesting report came across my desk (actually, my computer’s desktop!) the other day, and I thought the information warranted sharing. The report, California’s High Housing Costs; Causes and Consequences” was produced by LAO, the Legislative Analyst Office in our Golden State. I’ll interpret and summarize their key findings as they pertain to residential real […]
Understanding the 4 cycles of any housing market.
When it comes to the housing market, plenty of people speculate what might happen next, treating it as some unknown and mysterious entity that’s hard to pin down. But, in fact, every single real estate or housing market has four distinct cycles. And just like the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall, they […]
Keeping Realtors out of hot water: A closer look at RESPA
If you’re in the real estate business, whether a licensed salesperson, a broker, or working in the fields of title, escrow, or appraisal, you’re already aware that there are some very specific rules that need to be followed. In fact, RESPA – the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act – prohibits a real estate salesperson, agent, […]
7 Good reasons to tap into your home equity.
If you’re a homeowner, you’re probably familiar with the term “HELOC” or, Home Equity Line of Credit. A HELOC is simply a second loan – most often taken out after the purchase – that sets up a credit line against the value in the home. Of course, you need equity in your property to be […]
2008: Reliving the dark days, ten years after the real estate and mortgage collapse.
It’s 2018. I don’t expect that to come as some sort of revelation to you, as you’ve been writing that on your checks since January 1 of this year (or a few weeks after that, if you’re like me!). But the fact that it’s 2018 is relevant if we consider that it’s been exactly ten […]