Property/Assets/Rights

Wells Fargo Lays Off Mortgage Workers. Why? Rising Rates.

"Wells Fargo & Co. ( WFC ), the fourth-largest bank in the U.S. by assets, will cut 2,300 mortgage-related jobs across the U.S. as higher interest rates slow down refinancing activity. Wells Fargo has reportedly provided a 60-day layoff notice to 2,300 employees in its home-lending unit based in Iowa as it braces for a further drop in demand for new mortgages. The San Francisco-based company had 274,300 employees at the end of the recent second quarter. Wells Fargo is the largest originator of home mortgages in the U.S. and under a federal program, has the mandate to originate, underwrite, and certify mortgages for FHA insurance." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWells Fargo Lays Off Mortgage Workers. Why? Rising Rates.

Pops In China’s Construction Bubble (But It’s Not Going To End)

"'Government and banking industry sources familiar with the situation' who 'declined to be named due to the highly sensitive nature of the matter,' have been spilling the beans to the South China Morning Post. The central government, they said, is considering an 'unofficial economic stimulus' to prop up key economies like Shanghai. On the quiet! For that purpose, Agricultural Bank of China, one of the state-owned megabanks, inked a deal to lend the city of Shanghai 250 billion yuan (about $41 billion) for a number of big construction projects, the sources said. The loan would amount to 12.5% of Shanghai’s 2012 GDP." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPops In China’s Construction Bubble (But It’s Not Going To End)

What The 25% Collapse In Homebuilder Stock Prices Tells Us

"The most important factor that sets the fate of the homebuilder stocks is the housing market. If the housing market has growth potential ahead, then you can bet on homebuilder stocks to provide a stunning performance to the upside. If it’s the opposite scenario, with the housing market looking shaky, then homebuilder stocks usually tank. In other words, homebuilder stocks are very fickle, but they are also a great indicator of future activity in the housing market. Since mid-May, the Dow Jones Home Construction Index has plummeted roughly 25%, and it’s in negative territory year-to-date." Continue reading →

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California adds 500,000 renters while homeownership declines amidst a boom

"The California housing market is providing us with two different pictures. First, home prices have surged and inventory is still very low. However, the homeownership rate continues to decline from the peak reached in 2006 of 60.2 percent. Since 2007 California has added a net of 500,000 renter households while losing a net of 233,000 homeowners. Yet the market continues to boom in the face of a declining homeownership rate. As we look at the market today we start seeing a slowdown in the speed in which flips are being accepted and inventory is rising. With higher interest rates and the fall season just before us, will the market thaw or continue to accelerate?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia adds 500,000 renters while homeownership declines amidst a boom

You Have To Use This Checklist When Buying A House

"There's no way to predict if housing is going up or down. So you need to get Death, Debt, or Divorce on your side. These are basically the ONLY ways you can guarantee you are getting a better deal than anyone else. If every house in an area is going for $400,000 then you want to make sure you don't pay more than $200-250,000. That's called 'good investing'. Good investing is not about predicting the future, it's about getting a deal. This is an important concept no matter what you are investing in and it's the concept everyone forgets. Don't buy a house unless you are getting a deal, even if you've convinced yourself you will living there for 30 years." Continue reading →

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Monthly Home Payment Soars 40% To 2008 Levels

"The following chart from Credit Suisse fully explains why the US housing 'recovery' has just ground to a halt: in a few short weeks, US housing affordability (a topic we first covered a month ago) has collapsed as a result of the monthly payment on the median home sold soaring by nearly 40% from under $800 to just shy of $1100, a level not seen since 2008. Now if only US personal incomes would keep pace, instead of doing this." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMonthly Home Payment Soars 40% To 2008 Levels

The most expensive home styles in America

"Most people know that a mansion costs much more than a farmhouse. What many might not be aware of is that the style of a home can also have a major impact on its price. A Mediterranean-style home sold in the U.S. costs an average of $1.32 million, while a ranch-style home costs less than a fifth of that. Real estate site Trulia provided 24/7 Wall St. with data on the price and popularity of different home styles for which the average price listed by Trulia was greater than $650,000. Descriptions of home style characteristics and history came from groups including Realtor Magazine and Better Homes & Gardens." Continue reading →

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In homebuying, cash is king again

"If you’re looking to buy a home right now, you'd better find some cash and you'd better find it fast. Right now homebuyers across the country, already in frenzied bidding wars for homes, are increasingly losing out to the almighty all-cash buyer. These folks are mostly investors -- but not just the monolithic, institutional investment investors that have been snapping up distressed properties and foreclosures over the past few years. There are also a slew of well-heeled individuals with extra cash to invest, and they believe the real estate market is the place to put it. In fact, many of the buyers paying cash don’t plan to actually keep all that cash in the house." Continue reading →

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List of top places with bargain homes; don’t look for California cities

"Looking for a cheap fixer-upper? You might check the list of the 15 best cities for do-it-yourself housing bargains, published this week by RealtyTrac, the Irvine-based real estate data firm. Shocker: No California cities made the list. The five best cities to find a bargain home are in the Rust Belt: Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis and Cincinnati. The rankings come from the number of bank-owned homes that were built before 1960 and are valued under $100,000. There are 3,773 such homes in Detroit, which is more than double Chicago's inventory, which is ranked just below the Michigan city." Continue reading →

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Police tell victims: Call 911 and you’ll get evicted under ‘nuisance’ laws

"In Pennsylvania and other states, police can force landlords to evict tenants who officers consider to be a nuisance. According to the New York Times, under so-called 'nuisance property' laws, individuals like domestic violence victim Lakisha Briggs of Norristown, PA can be told by police that if they call 911 one more time, they’ll be forced out of their homes. The nuisance ordinances are intended to protect residential neighborhoods from rowdy, disruptive households, but in cases like Briggs’, they can leave victims of violence in an impossible situation, needing to call for help, but knowing it could cost them their home." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice tell victims: Call 911 and you’ll get evicted under ‘nuisance’ laws