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Tax Benefits Just about everyone has heard that there are tax benefits to owning your own home. Just what are these benefits? Do they apply to everyone? One of the major tax advantages of owning is the ability to write … Continue reading
Michael McFarlane
MDA DataQuick Information Systems reported that for the fourth quarter of 2010 the number of California’s completed foreclosures dropped sharply, both from last month’s numbers and from figures of 2009. Even better news is that the number of NODs (Notice of … Continue reading
According to the California Association of Realtors® (CAR®) we hit a 7 month high in December. This is an increase of 5.9% over November’s adjusted figures, but down 6.8% from last year’s December report. The unsold inventory also declined to 5 months in … Continue reading
It’s the “Catch-22” syndrome. One of the big things to help the economy is to sell more homes. In order to sell more homes we need better credit. In order to loosen credit we need a better economy. According to … Continue reading
Being the trendsetters we are, California leads the nation in foreclosure filings, even as the nation sets a new record! A report released recently by Realty Trac put the number for California at 546,669 and 2.9 million for the nation. And … Continue reading
Shortening the Short Sale In today’s market, bank owned and short sale properties are the norm rather than an exception. Understanding them can do more than just make them more tolerable. It can actually lead to a faster and more … Continue reading
As interest rates climb, many borrowers are being reacquainted with the “rate lock”. This is a procedure that freezes your interest rate while the loan is being processed. Getting that rate fixed can be the difference of affording the home … Continue reading
Many people became first time home-owners encouraged by the First Time Buyer’s Tax Credit. That was great, for them and the market and economy in general. Now tax time is here and they need to collect but unfortunately there is … Continue reading
The real estate industry, in general, has been slow to accept change, especially in the large brokerages. In fairness, large companies are generally less nimble than “the small guy”. But in real estate the “way we’ve always done it” mentality … Continue reading
According to the Pending Home Sales Index last month showed an increase in pending contracts for existing home sales. November’s figures are up 3.5% over October of 2010. This figure refers to contracts, not closings, so there is a lag of … Continue reading