Posts tagged as:

Orange County Buyers

FHA Loan Alternative – 5% Down Conforming on Orange County Homes

March 16, 2010

Robert Collins of Wells Fargo reminded me today that FHA Mortgage Insurance rates are going up. The current up-front premium is 1.5% of the loan amount, but on April 5, 2010 it goes up to 2.25%!
On a $500,000 purchase, that’s an increase in premium from $7,238 to $10,856, not chump change. One new alternative Robert [...]

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New Pre-Market Bank Owned Home in Mission Viejo

March 6, 2010

This cute little Single Family Detached home in a wonderful neighborhood is being prepared for market. It has three bedrooms, one and a half baths, and over 1200 square feet of living space. Bank Owned homes for sale in Mission Viejo don’t last long these days, so if you’re interested drop me a line or [...]

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Housing Starts Soar To 6-Month High In January… Or Do They?

February 22, 2010

Sometimes, headlines for housing can be misleading and this week gave us a terrific example.
On Wednesday, the Commerce Department released its Housing Starts data for January 2010. The data showed starts at a 6-month high.
A “Housing Start” is a privately-owned home on which construction has started.
Headlines on the Housing Starts story included:

U.S. Housing Starts Hit [...]

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New Programs Aim to Streamline Short Sales

February 19, 2010

The National Association of Realtors issued a press release today detailing efforts they are taking to help make the purchase of Short Sales less frustrating and problematic.
HAFA – Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives
HAFA is a Federal program with takes effect in April that is designed to help homeowners complete a Short Sale of their home when [...]

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Orange County Home Buyer Tax Credit Reminder

February 5, 2010

The updated and extended tax credit for first-time home buyers and current homeowners is slated to expire in less than three months. Here’s a recap of the details:

Feature

Original Program

Extension

Deadline

Must fund by Nov. 30, 2009 (WFHM deadline was Oct. 30)

The measure is written differently so that a sales contract must be in [...]

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Extended and Expanded Tax Credit

November 12, 2009

There’s good news for home buyers seeking homes for sale in Orange County, and Real Estate in Irvine and other local cities should be affected. New legislation has extended and expanded the old “First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit” – it now applies to people who already own home as well. The picture of the [...]

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Previewing The New Good Faith Estimate for Orange County Real Estate

October 23, 2009

The new Good Faith Estimate makes its debut January 1, 2010.
Expanded from 1page to 3, the legislators responsible for the new Good Faith Estimate want it to be simpler for homeowners and home buyers to understand than the former version.
By most accounts, Congress will meet this goal.
The new Good Faith Estimate includes plain-English explanations of every [...]

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Orange County Real Estate – Pending Homes Sales Gain Again

October 7, 2009

Is Some Momentum Building?
Buoyed by a generous tax credit, affordable homes, and low mortgage rates, the Pending Home Sales Index posted its seventh consecutive monthly gain in August.
It’s the longest winning streak in the index’s history and the highest reading in 2-1/2 years.
It’s also another signal that the housing market is in recovery.
“Pending home sales” are [...]

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The Case-Shiller Shows Home Prices Are Still On Their Way Up

September 30, 2009

For the second month in a row, 18 of the 20 Case-Shiller real estate markets posted higher home values. It’s the 6th consecutive strong showing for the benchmark private-sector housing index.
Combined with falling home supplies and rising sales figures, this month’s Case-Shiller Index suggests that housing may have bottomed sometime earlier this year.
It’s cause for optimism.
Even Case-Shiller [...]

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Proposed Legislation to Expand First-Time Buyer Tax Credit

September 28, 2009

Senator Johnny Isakson has introduced new legislation that would significantly expand the existing first-time home buyer tax credit. Isakson is a Republican from Georgia, but he was joined by a bi-partisan group of co-sponsors, including Senators Chris Dodd, a Democrat, and Joe Lieberman, an Independent.
Key Provisions

The maximum amount of the credit would be increased from [...]

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