Real Estate Blog LA

In an effort to find solutions for my Buyers, I took the time to interview Dean Wong at First Capital Mortgage. I have known Dean for 5 years and have worked with him on many transactions. TOM:First of all Dean, thank you for taking time to chat with me. My readers really appreciate any clarity you can provide in these changing times. DEAN:It ...

Prices have risen for four straight months. The median home price has fallen from a high of $230,200 in July 2006 to a low in February 2008 at $195,600, a drop of 15%. Since February, however, it has risen steadily every month. By May the index (which will be revised on July 24) had risen to $208,600, up $13,000 and a full 6.6%. Another ...

We could be in for another explosive week, as several reports will show the impact inflation continues to have on the economy. Tuesday will bring the wholesale inflation measuring Producer Price Index as well as the Retail Sales Report, which measures the total receipts of retail stores. Since these numbers reflect consumer spending patterns, this ...

I recommend that prospective home buyers get Preapproved as a way of establishing their good faith to home sellers and agents.  Home buyers sometimes get into trouble because they aren't clued into the sequence of steps involved in financing their purchase. These Steps are Qualification, Preapproval, Approval and Lock. Qualification (or ...

First up:The loss of tax deductions. In most cases, people who lack a mortgage pay more federal and state income taxes than those who qualify for a mortgage deduction.  A Mortgage Calculator illustrates this point: Assume that a buyer is currently paying $1,500 per month on a rental. If the buyer purchases a $300,000 property with $30,000 ...

In April of 1973, mortgage rates were about the same as they are today. Since that time, we have only had mortgage rates this low during 2001 and 2002, the height of the seller's markets where there was little inventory. In the last two major buyer's markets, one in the early 1980s and the other in the early 1990s, the rates were much ...

Remember, when Bond prices move higher, home loan rates move lower...Bonds have rebounded higher off of their key 50-day moving average support level, and are moving back toward the upper portion of their current trading range. This means if Bond prices continue to move toward the upper boundary of the range, we could see home loan rates improve ...

Credit cards are one of the most pervasive forms of your financial picture. On a daily basis, they provide the flexibility and freedom to reserve a hotel room, travel without carrying cash, and purchase just about anything at anytime. As such, your credit cards can have a major impact on your financial wellbeing and even your credit score. But ...

Sales of existing homes increased in February and remain within a fairly stable range, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Existing-home sales - including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops - rose 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (1) of 5.03 million units in February from a pace of 4.89 million in ...

An escrow is an arrangement in which a disinterested third party, called an escrow holder, holds legal documents and funds on behalf of a buyer and seller, and distributes them according to the buyer's and seller's instructions. People buying and selling real estate often open an escrow for their protection and convenience. The buyer can ...