After more than two years of recovery, homes in mid-tier price ranges now offer the now offer home buyers the best deals, relative to peak values, according to a new analysis by Clear Capital. After 32.3% growth from the trough in 2011, low-tier deals appear to be played out compared to mid-tier deals (homes selling between $95,000 and $310,000 nationally), … Read More »

The year over year price increases that the real estate industry has grown accustomed to may be in for some dicey days if sales in April aren’t better than March.  March prices registered an 11.1 increase over 2013, 1.3 percent higher than February, but CoreLogic is forecasting a rise of only 0.8 percent in April. The CoreLogic HPI Forecast indicates … Read More »

Is L.A. the Next Detroit? By Octavio Nuiry   According to the latest UCLA Anderson School of Management study, Los Angeles, Detroit and Cleveland share the dubious distinction of cities with the weakest job growth since 1990. The researchers at UCLA say Los Angeles has lost 3.1 percent of its employment base since 1990, more than Detroit (-2.8 percent) and … Read More »

Daffodils, April showers, robins and a new crop of For Sale signs seem to be working their seasonal magic on home buyers.  The latest Fannie Mae survey, conducted in March, reports that the gloominess that shrouded buyers during the bitter winter months has melted away and attitudes are nearly as positive as they were a year ago. Consumers who said … Read More »

It might have been the worst winter in a decade or more and no one doubts it impacted housing, but a new analysis by CoreLogic economists concludes there’s more to blame for the winter’s sorry numbers than the Polar Vortex, Single-family housing starts, a closely watched indicator of housing market health, fell by 13 percent month over month in January … Read More »

  In yet another sign the recovery is hitting a wall due to strict lending standards: in February monthly mortgage originations dropped to the lowest level in at least 14 years as credit standards have not shown signs of loosening, according to latest Mortgage Monitor Report from Black Knight Financial Services. “February’s data showed the continued trend of declining origination … Read More »

  Market forces are changing the shape of luxury locations, expanding borders to enlarge the supply of million dollar plus homes just outside of historically affluent neighborhoods.  Unlike homes at the other end of the price scale where inventory shortages fueled double digit price increases, the new growth is a result of the reviving economy Coldwell Banker Previews International® released … Read More »

The numbers of foreclosures and potential foreclosures have fallen dramatically over the past 12 months as the foreclosure picture rapidly returns to pre-2006 levels.  The decline in foreclosures in the pipeline has important ramifications for real estate investors and local markets that are returning to health as they recover from the foreclosure flood that produced 4.9 million foreclosures since 2008. … Read More »

Despite slow sales and paralyzing storms in much of the nation, February year over year prices rose to 12.2 percent, an increase of two points over January and monthly prices rose 0.8 percent, CoreLogic reported today. Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, rose 12.2 percent in February 2014 compared to February 2013, the 24th month of consecutive year-over-year increases in … Read More »

It’s hard to build, buy or sell a home in when ice coats the drive and below freezing winds discourage roof inspections.  There’s no doubt this year’s endless winter have curbed construction and sales.  However, sagging sales are not just a function of the nasty weather that will melt away with the first warm days. If that were the case, … Read More »