Mid-Year Housing Forecast

Written by D. Stephen Faber on June 18th, 2010

Excerpted from the Los Angeles Times

California’s economy to see sluggish recovery this year, UCLA economists say

California’s unemployment rate, currently at 12.4 percent, will not return to single-digit levels until 2012 and the state’s inland areas will continue to be impaired by excess housing inventory and state budget cuts, according to a forecast released Tuesday by UCLA’s Anderson School of Business.

KEEP THIS IN MIND

  • California’s economic recovery is contingent on consumer shopping behavior nationwide, as retail spending drives traffic at California’s ports and logistics centers, which are both substantial employers throughout the state, the report said. However, consumers are unlikely to increase spending until businesses begin hiring again, which many economists believe will only happen gradually over time.
  • The coastal areas of the state will benefit from growth in health care, education, and technology, while inland areas will be constrained by excess housing inventory and state budget cuts, impacting rural inland areas where government workers account for a significant percentage of the workforce, according to the forecast.
  • The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) recently issued its mid-year housing market forecast. Based on C.A.R.’s forecast, the median home price in California is expected to rise 9.1 percent this year compared with last year, while sales of existing, single-family homes will decline 4.7 percent. Rates on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages will rise to 5.3 percent compared with 5.1 percent in 2009 and 15-year mortgages will average 4.2 percent compared with 4.7 percent last year, according to the forecast
 

Marin County Events

Written by D. Stephen Faber on April 19th, 2010

There’s always something going on in beautiful Marin County.
JANUARY
Whale Watching on the Coast, Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Pt. Reyes
California gray whales migrate off shore south to Baja. Continues through March.
(415) 464-5100 www.nps.gov/pore
FEBRUARY
Marin Show: Art of the Americas
Marin Center Showcase Theater and Exhibit Hall, San Rafael (Marin Center has events throughout the year: musicals, dance [...]

 

Real Estate Investment

Written by D. Stephen Faber on April 19th, 2010

It is important that you do your homework before you actually buy property. Investing in real properties in the United States can be profitable especially during these times.

 

Single Women Buying Homes

Written by D. Stephen Faber on April 19th, 2010

Despite record high housing affordability conditions, buyers are still making sacrifices to purchase homes and this is also the case for female home buyers. Single females are more likely than other buyers to have cut spending on luxury items, entertainment, and clothes in order to be able to purchase a home. Nearly nine in ten single females believe their home was a good financial investment.

 

Interest in Owning a Home Remains Strong

Written by D. Stephen Faber on April 16th, 2010

12.3 percent of Americans planning to purchase investment property in the near future say they will pay for the property using 100 percent cash.

 

Benefits of Green Roofs

Written by D. Stephen Faber on April 8th, 2010

This attractive roofing option can reduce heat by providing shade and by releasing water from plants to the surrounding air.

 

Perfect Home in Perfect Marin

Written by D. Stephen Faber on April 8th, 2010

We are experienced at buying and selling high-end American homes and investment real estate to individuals from around the world.

 

Who Lives in Marin County?

Written by D.A. Levy on April 8th, 2010

This is a superb time to buy U.S. property whether you are interested in investment or personal use during temporary or indefinite stays that may be long-term, such as a job posting in the United States, or short-term, such as a vacation.

 

Piggyback Lenders to STOP Foreclosures

Written by D. Stephen Faber on April 6th, 2010

Second loans represent a lot of risk which is why lenders get higher interest rates for making them. The Oregon proposal makes that financial exposure real, a reckoning many would argue is only fair and appropriate.

 

Not only can YOU live here . . .

Written by Sherrie Faber on March 13th, 2010

so can your boat . . .
Several marinas line Richardson Bay in Sausalito, including the Marine Harbor, Sausalito Yacht Harbor, Schoonmaker Point Marina, and Richardson Bay Marina. Berth spaces can handle yachts up to 220 feet long, and houseboats in the northern part of Sausalito. The town is world-renowned for its Mediterranean flair and [...]