by admin | Mar 12, 2018 | Market Updates, Real Estate Trends
Mortgage Rates have stayed at roughly the same level for these past 5 day, even after the Jobs reports came out! This is not only uncommon for 2018, but this generally only happens a few times a year.
Reason for lack of movements comes from the much stronger than expected job report, which made bond markets react in a negative way. In other words, bonds suggested that rates should move noticeably higher today. There are two ways to make sense of this. On one hand, yesterday’s bond market movements suggested improvement in rates that never materialized. In that sense, we were “owed,” for lack of a better term. On the other hand, rates are more or less up against their long-term ceiling levels and when that happens, the normal cause and effect between bond markets and rates becomes muted.
From a strategy standpoint, this can be useful. Those inclined to roll the dice with respect to locking their rate could wait to do so until rising rates force their hand. In other words, if rates aren’t eager to move, why bother locking? The only problem there is that rates WILL move soon, and if they move higher, anyone floating would be forced to lock at a loss in order to avoid the additional losses that such a move would imply. Most prospective borrowers have been and continue to be best-served by a defensive stance that favors locking.
Today’s Most Prevalent Rates – 3/09/2018
- 30YR FIXED – 4.5-4.625%
- FHA/VA – 4.375%
- 15 YEAR FIXED – 3.875%
- 5 YEAR ARMS – 3.5-3.75% depending on the lender
Click here to read full article at Mortgage News Daily.
by admin | Mar 1, 2018 | Market Updates, Real Estate Trends
California has been struggling with a housing shortage caused by increasing home prices and shortages of affordable housing. Other factors such as the widespread wild fires all across California have only exacerbated the housing shortage this year. This shortage has left many potential California homeowners stuck renting.
Last year 97.6 percent of California cities did not meet their full housing goals. According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), only 13 cities (2.4 percent) met their full goals last year. “California has a huge housing deficit due to years of under-production,” said Senator Wiener in a statement. Senator Wiener has been promoting bill SB 828 in order to “reform the methodology “of how the Regional Housing Needs Allocation goals are calculated. If passed Senator Wiener believes this bill would help alleviate the housing shortage by expecting any city that came up short on its housing goal to make up the difference next year. It would also require provisions that require cities to m
eet the needs of lower and middle income residents.
Click here to read article.
by admin | Feb 20, 2018 | Market Updates, Real Estate Trends
North Bay
Marin County: had 212 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 10.8% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $857,500 in December 2016 to $950,000 in December 2017
Sonoma County: had 432 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 16.9% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $526,250 in December 2016 to $615,000 in December 2017
Napa County: had 129 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 12.9% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $560,000 in December 2016 to $632,500 in December 2017
Solano County : had 612 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 5.1% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $390,000 in December 2016 to $410,000 in December 2017
East Bay
Alameda County: had 1,472 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 12.9% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $675,000 in December 2016 to $762,000 in December 2017.
Contra Costa County: had 1,360 recorded homes sold in 2017.This county had experienced a 9.1% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $504,250 in December 2016 to $550,000 in December 2017.
San Francisco
San Francisco County: had 430 recorded homes sold in 2017.This county had experienced a 6.6% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $1,100,500 in December 2016 to $1,173,000 in December 2017
Peninsula
San Mateo County: had 563 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 19.1% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $1,008,000 in December 2016 to $1,200,250 in December 2017.
Silicon Valley
Santa Clara County: had 1,520 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 8.9% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $805,000 in December 2016 to $658,00,000 in December 2017.
Monterey
Santa Cruz County: had 218 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 8.9% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $604,500 in December 2016 to $658,000 in December 2017.
San Benito County: had 75 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 8.2% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $475,000 in December 2016 to $513,000 in December 2017.
Monterey County: had 315 recorded homes sold in 2017. This county had experienced a 14.3% change in the median value of home sales, increasing from $490,000 in December 2016 to $560,000 in December 2017.
To see values throughout California click here.
by admin | Feb 7, 2018 | Market Updates, Real Estate Trends
The top three hottest housing markets in the U.S for January are located here in the Bay Area with San Francisco topping the list followed closely by San jose and Vallejo. Other Bay Area markets that made the top of the list this month were Santa Rosa ranked 7th, and Santa Cruz ranked 18 which has moved up 9 spots since last month. A total 13 out of the 20 hottest housing markets in the U.S for January are located in California.
Placement on the list was based on number of listing views in each market and the number of days homes spend on the market. Recent movements and changes on the list can be attributed to, “A strong stock market run, new tax laws, and a government shutdown have given buyers and sellers plenty to digest as they come to terms with the new economic landscape and their personal situation,” said Javier Vivas, director of economic research at Realtor.com. According to data released with the list of hottest housing markets, approximately 365,000 new listings are expected to hit the market in February, showing a 3 percent increase over last year. Click here to go to full article.
by admin | Jul 28, 2017 | FHA Appraisals, Market Updates, Real Estate Trends
There is a new trend emerging. Foreign investors have increased the percentage of residential real estate purchases by 49% from the previous year. See full article here.
As appraisers we have seen the trend of high investor purchases over the last 8 years but did not have great data as to what extent foreign investors played in this role. It is clear that over the last year they have played a much bigger role than in previous years.
by admin | Apr 11, 2017 | Market Updates, Real Estate Trends
Zillow came out with their median home values over the last year as well as their prediction for what home values will be over the next year. See below:
The median home value in California is $490,100. California home values have gone up 6.9% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 1.5% within the next year. The median list price per square foot in California is $281. The median price of homes currently listed in California is $473,900. The median rent price in California is $2,500. Click here to read the full zillow article.
