Monday, July 26, 2010
Mr. Mojo Risin is Selling
The house that Doors frontman Jim Morrison once lived in with longtime love Pamela Courson is being sold for $1.19 million. On Laurel Canyon, the house was the original inspiration for the song "Love Street" and comes complete with custom-designed furniture, outdoor patios and fire pits, and an outdoor shower - perfect for entertaining all your closest hippy-rocker friends. There's another shower of note in this house: the famed "secret shower" where Jim wrote lyrics and poetry on the bathroom walls.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
San Diego Foreclosures Lowest in Three Years
San Diego County had fewer mortgage defaults and foreclosures in the second quarter than it has had in the past three years, according to a report released today by MDA DataQuick, a real-estate research firm based in La Jolla.
Countywide, 5,458 homes went into default during the second quarter, a 45 percent drop from the total of 9,866 during the same period of last year. That’s the lowest number since the second quarter of 2007, just as the county was slipping into recession.
Foreclosures dropped 6 percent from 3,518 in the second quarter of 2009 to 3,315.
The same trend is showing up throughout California, with the number of defaults dropping for five consecutive months, resulting in a 44 percent year-to-year drop. Foreclosures, however, rose by 4 percent, driven partly by jumps in relatively pricy neighborhoods in Orange County, San Mateo , Marin, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Francisco counties.
John Walsh, DataQuick’s president, said there were several reasons for the decline in defaults, including “motivated sellers and accommodating lenders” who have been doing more short sales; public policy, including tax incentives for homebuyers; and a rise in prices over the past year.
Walsh said that if prices continue to rise, “fewer homeowners will find themselves under water, which is a significant factor in letting a home go.”
Out of the 85 ZIP codes in the county, only two had a rise in defaults: Coronado and Del Mar. Two others had the same number this year as last year: Borrego Springs and the area around Rancho Santa Fe’s post office. Except for Borrego Springs, those neighborhoods are among the priciest in the county, with median home prices above $1 million.
DataQuick noted that statewide, mortgage defaults spread from lower-cost markets into more expensive neighborhoods, although that trend appears to be leveling off.
Dean Calbreath: (619) 293-1891; dean.calbreath@uniontrib.com
Countywide, 5,458 homes went into default during the second quarter, a 45 percent drop from the total of 9,866 during the same period of last year. That’s the lowest number since the second quarter of 2007, just as the county was slipping into recession.
Foreclosures dropped 6 percent from 3,518 in the second quarter of 2009 to 3,315.
The same trend is showing up throughout California, with the number of defaults dropping for five consecutive months, resulting in a 44 percent year-to-year drop. Foreclosures, however, rose by 4 percent, driven partly by jumps in relatively pricy neighborhoods in Orange County, San Mateo , Marin, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Francisco counties.
John Walsh, DataQuick’s president, said there were several reasons for the decline in defaults, including “motivated sellers and accommodating lenders” who have been doing more short sales; public policy, including tax incentives for homebuyers; and a rise in prices over the past year.
Walsh said that if prices continue to rise, “fewer homeowners will find themselves under water, which is a significant factor in letting a home go.”
Out of the 85 ZIP codes in the county, only two had a rise in defaults: Coronado and Del Mar. Two others had the same number this year as last year: Borrego Springs and the area around Rancho Santa Fe’s post office. Except for Borrego Springs, those neighborhoods are among the priciest in the county, with median home prices above $1 million.
DataQuick noted that statewide, mortgage defaults spread from lower-cost markets into more expensive neighborhoods, although that trend appears to be leveling off.
Dean Calbreath: (619) 293-1891; dean.calbreath@uniontrib.com
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wall Street Reform Encourages Safe Loans
The new financial overhaul law that President Obama signed into law is still being dissected, but some regulations that affect homebuying and mortgages have already been defined. Here are the key tenets:
• Lenders must prove that borrowers can afford their mortgages. Government guarantees will be voided if lenders don’t demonstrate that they have thoroughly investigated a borrowers’ ability to pay.
• Banks and other entities that pool mortgages and sell them to investors must keep at least 5 percent of the investments on their own books – an incentive to avoid poor quality loans.
• Low-risk mortgages, mostly 30-year fixed-rate loans, are exempt from many regulations. That should encourage lenders to put homebuyers into “plain vanilla” mortgages.
• Bonuses for brokers based on the cost of a mortgage are banned.
Source: Associated Press, Daniel Wagner (07/21/2010)
• Lenders must prove that borrowers can afford their mortgages. Government guarantees will be voided if lenders don’t demonstrate that they have thoroughly investigated a borrowers’ ability to pay.
• Banks and other entities that pool mortgages and sell them to investors must keep at least 5 percent of the investments on their own books – an incentive to avoid poor quality loans.
• Low-risk mortgages, mostly 30-year fixed-rate loans, are exempt from many regulations. That should encourage lenders to put homebuyers into “plain vanilla” mortgages.
• Bonuses for brokers based on the cost of a mortgage are banned.
Source: Associated Press, Daniel Wagner (07/21/2010)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Mortgage Applications Rise as Rates Stay Low
Applications to purchase homes rose 3.4 percent last week compared to the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association weekly survey.
On an unadjusted basis, the purchase index rose 15.3 percent compared with the previous week, but was down 35.7 percent compared to the same week a year ago.
This is only the second time in 10 weeks that purchase mortgage applications have increased.
“The strength in purchase applications comes from government loans, likely indicating that prospective buyers are drawn by the lower down payment requirements,” says Michael Fratantoni, MBA’s vice president of research and economics.
Mortgage rates remained low:
• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 4.59 percent from 4.69 percent.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 4.05 percent from 4.12 percent.
• 1-year ARMs decreased to 7.17 percent from 7.20 percent.
Source: Mortgage Bankers Association (07/21/2010)
On an unadjusted basis, the purchase index rose 15.3 percent compared with the previous week, but was down 35.7 percent compared to the same week a year ago.
This is only the second time in 10 weeks that purchase mortgage applications have increased.
“The strength in purchase applications comes from government loans, likely indicating that prospective buyers are drawn by the lower down payment requirements,” says Michael Fratantoni, MBA’s vice president of research and economics.
Mortgage rates remained low:
• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 4.59 percent from 4.69 percent.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 4.05 percent from 4.12 percent.
• 1-year ARMs decreased to 7.17 percent from 7.20 percent.
Source: Mortgage Bankers Association (07/21/2010)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Pregnant Women Have Trouble Getting Mortgages
Some lenders are balking at approving loans when a new parent has temporary lost income because she is home taking care of the baby.
Even if a parent expects to be back at work in weeks, banks still may deny the mortgage. “If you are not back at work, it’s a huge problem,” says Rick Cason, owner of Integrity Mortgage, a mortgage firm in Orlando, Fla. “Banks only deal in guaranteed income these days. “
Lenders will not consider disability payments as income because they don’t last for three years.
A spokesperson for Fannie Mae said that a borrower on maternity or paternity leave could qualify for a mortgage by providing a letter from a doctor with the approved return-to-work date and a letter from the employer confirming the acceptability of the return date.
But mortgage brokers and practitioners say lenders aren’t interpreting the guidelines that way. “There is no real assurance that the new mom will come back to work after she has the baby,” says Marc Savitt, president of the Mortgage Center, a brokerage in Martinsburg, W.Va. “It’s just prudent underwriting to go ahead and approve the loan, but she has to be back before closing.”
Source: The New York Times, Tara Siegel Bernard (07/19/2010)
Even if a parent expects to be back at work in weeks, banks still may deny the mortgage. “If you are not back at work, it’s a huge problem,” says Rick Cason, owner of Integrity Mortgage, a mortgage firm in Orlando, Fla. “Banks only deal in guaranteed income these days. “
Lenders will not consider disability payments as income because they don’t last for three years.
A spokesperson for Fannie Mae said that a borrower on maternity or paternity leave could qualify for a mortgage by providing a letter from a doctor with the approved return-to-work date and a letter from the employer confirming the acceptability of the return date.
But mortgage brokers and practitioners say lenders aren’t interpreting the guidelines that way. “There is no real assurance that the new mom will come back to work after she has the baby,” says Marc Savitt, president of the Mortgage Center, a brokerage in Martinsburg, W.Va. “It’s just prudent underwriting to go ahead and approve the loan, but she has to be back before closing.”
Source: The New York Times, Tara Siegel Bernard (07/19/2010)
Monday, July 19, 2010
Buyers Should Shop For The Best Rate
Anyone shopping for a new mortgage these days should shop around, says Cameron Findlay, chief economist for LendingTree.
Although mortgage rates look astoundingly low, the spread between what the bank receives and what it pays investors has actually increased, giving banks more room to negotiate.
Applicants with good credit scores should aggressively seek the best rates they can find by comparison shopping, starting with the bank they usually do business with.
Source: The New York Times, Jennifer Saranow Schultz (07/17/2010)
Although mortgage rates look astoundingly low, the spread between what the bank receives and what it pays investors has actually increased, giving banks more room to negotiate.
Applicants with good credit scores should aggressively seek the best rates they can find by comparison shopping, starting with the bank they usually do business with.
Source: The New York Times, Jennifer Saranow Schultz (07/17/2010)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
California Home Sales Rise In June
California Home Sales Rise in June
Where California goes, eventually, the rest of the country follows. That’s why it appears to be good news that the state’s home sales rose more than 7 percent in June compared with May, according to real estate tracking firm MDA DataQuick.
Median prices declined about 3 percent. DataQuck says that’s because foreclosures remain high — but down from what they were — and speculative buying continues.
"The next few months should be very interesting," DataQuick President John Walsh says. "We're about to see how well the housing market can fly on its own. The tax credits no doubt stole some demand from the rest of this year, and soon we'll see have a better sense of just how much."
Source: Associated Press (07/15/2010)
Where California goes, eventually, the rest of the country follows. That’s why it appears to be good news that the state’s home sales rose more than 7 percent in June compared with May, according to real estate tracking firm MDA DataQuick.
Median prices declined about 3 percent. DataQuck says that’s because foreclosures remain high — but down from what they were — and speculative buying continues.
"The next few months should be very interesting," DataQuick President John Walsh says. "We're about to see how well the housing market can fly on its own. The tax credits no doubt stole some demand from the rest of this year, and soon we'll see have a better sense of just how much."
Source: Associated Press (07/15/2010)
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