Existing home sales lowest since '97

Realtors say sales fell 5.3% in January, believing would-be buyers delayed purchases due to stimulus talk.

By Ben Rooney, CNNMoney.com staff writer


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Sales of existing homes fell in January to their lowest levels in nearly 12 years, with a real estate group saying buyers delayed purchases in anticipation of government programs to boost the housing market.
The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that existing home sales dropped 5.3% last month, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.49 million units from a rate of 4.74 million in December.
January sales were the lowest since July 1997, and were far below the consensus estimate of 4.79 million units, according to a survey of economists compiled by Briefing.com.
The decline comes as some buyers forgo purchases in anticipation of government stimulus efforts aimed at boosting home ownership, according to the NAR.

Must have REO Deals!

Click on the following link:

http://www.mrmlsmatrix.com/DE.asp?k=426619X0F08&p=DE-36728289-420

Best REO deals in the area! Check out the price per square foot on these! As low as $58 per sq ft!!

These are REO Bank Owned Foreclosures!

Where Prices Have Increased the Most in 2008

U.S. Home values declined an average of 8.4 percent in the first three periods of 2008, down $2 trillion in total value, according to Zillow.com Real Estate Market Report, released this week.Thirty of the 163 metropolitan statistical areas covered by Zillow, either showed gains in the median value of homes in the area or values stabilized. Here are the 10 areas where values increased and declined the most.

Places Where Values Increased the Most

Ithaca, N.Y., 5.6%
State College, Pa., 4%
Jacksonville, N.C., 3.9%
Winston-Salem, N.C., 3.4%
Bay City, Mi., 3.2%
Rochester, N.Y. 3.1%
Greenville, S. C., 2.8%
Anderson, S.C. 2.7%
Burlington, N.C., 2.6%
Spartanburg, S.C., 2.0%


Places Where Values Decreased the Most

Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., -24.6%
Bakersfield, Calif., -24.9%
Madera, Calif., -26.2%
Gainesville, Ga., -26.4%
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., -30.4%
Modesto, Calif., -31%
Salinas, Calif., -32.4%
Merced, Calif., -32.5%
Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif., -33.2%
Stockton, Calif., -35.5%

Mortgage Rates Plunge to Record Lows

Mortgage Rates Plunge to Record Lows

In response to the Federal Reserve's cut in the federal funds rate to near zero, Freddie Mac reports that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 5.17 percent during the week ended Dec. 18--down from 5.47 percent last week and the lowest since the survey's inception in 1971.

Interest on 15-year fixed loans slipped to 4.92 percent from 5.20 percent. Meanwhile, the five-year hybrid adjustable mortgage rate dropped to 5.6 percent from 5.82 percent; and the one-year ARM dipped to 4.94 percent from 5.09 percent. A year ago, the 30-year fixed rate stood at 6.14 percent, the 15-year fixed rate at 5.79 percent, the five-year hybrid ARM at 5.9 percent, and the one-year ARM at 5.51 percent.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Steve Kerch (12/19/08)

BEWARE: Would-be homebuyers find themselves in ownership limbo

By LESLIE BERKMAN

The Press-Enterprise

When Ryan Zimmermann last month arrived for a walk-through of the four-bedroom Corona house he had just bought at a bank auction, he got a big surprise. Someone else had moved in.Unable to close escrow on his $483,000 purchase, Zimmermann is living in a camper near his job in Anaheim. His wife and two young sons are staying with relatives in Montana while he waits for Deutsche Bank, from whom he bought the house, to prevail as the legal owner.David Dobbs, 27, refuses to leave. Neighbors said he showed up late one night a few weeks ago and unloaded his belongings from a small trailer. He filled the once empty swimming pool and spa and had cable hooked up to his wide-screen television.


READ MORE HERE


Listen to Story Here

Schwarzenegger proposes 90-day freeze on pending home foreclosures

The plan is part of an economic stimulus package the governor expects to put before lawmakers to spur loan workouts.

Reporting from Sacramento -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday proposed a 90-day freeze in pending home foreclosures to give California's financially pinched homeowners more time to get new or more affordable loans.The governor unveiled a foreclosure relief and long-term mortgage reform initiative as part of an economic stimulus package that he plans to put before lawmakers in a special session of the Legislature scheduled to begin today.

Check out the full story here:

Under new law, foreclosure notices plummet in Inland counties

By LESLIE BERKMANThe Press-Enterprise

The number of households notified that their homes are headed to foreclosure declined sharply from August to September across the Inland region and statewide, the effect of a new state law requiring mortgage servicers and lenders to give homeowners 30 days to try to fix their troubled loans.

Read more here

This is it! ALL Bank Owned (REO) and Foreclosure Properties listed within the last 5 days!

Okay, this is the link you want to click on if you want to see ALL of the BANK OWNED (REO) properties that were Listed (or relisted) in the PAST 5 DAYS!

Click on the link below!

The LASTEST REO'S TO HIT THE MARKET!


It doesn't matter when you click on this link, or if you come back often and continue to click on ONLY THIS LINK, it will still only show you the REO property that was listed within the past 5 days. Click on it today, get the property that was listed in the last 5 days. Click on it next week, and you will get ONLY the property that was listed in the previous 5 days (from the time you click on it). It is constantly updating BY THE MINUTE!

Visit this link often, and you will see not only the REO properties that were listed up to 5 days ago, but the ones that were listed UP UNTIL THE TIME YOU CLICK ON IT. The ones that are listed today!

Remember, you can come back at ANY time and click on ANY of the links to the right of the screen (under REO LINKS) and be immediately redirected to the most UP TO DATE REO and Bank Owned (Foreclosure) listings on the market!

One of the things you may want to watch, and it's one of the things I've noticed recently, is that there are not as many REO and Bank Owned properties coming on the market as there used to be. Today (as I write this), the last 5 days of listings (in the Temecula, Murrieta, Canyon Lake, Winchester, Wildomar, Menifee and surrounding areas) total 85, new REO and Bank Owned listings. That means that there are 85 NEW LISTINGS (not including all of the ones that have already been listed and are still Active) on the market within the past 5 days. What will it say when you check back? More than 85? Less than 85? This is a good indicator of whether or not the Bank Owned (REO, Foreclosures) are starting to 'dry' up.

Update: Just checked again and the last 5 days of REO's only total 72... hmmm.

Keep watching!

Again, the link below takes you to ONLY the newest REO and Bank Owned (Foreclosure) listings that have come on the market in the past 5 days. If you'd like to see ALL of the REO searches in a particular area, visit the REO LINKS to the right of your screen (somewhere under my photo and status).

The LASTEST REO'S TO HIT THE MARKET!

This site has the most up to date REO listings!

Do you want access to the most up to date REO (Bank Owned and Foreclosure) listings? Click on any of the REO LINKS to the right of your screen and just below the 'subscribe' link (or scroll down to each blog for the description), and immediately be redirected to the most up to date REO's listed. These links are current, with the data changing the minute you click on the link! Check back often as properties are added throughout the day!

Visit this site often for ALL of your REO, Bank Owned and Foreclosure properties! The best deals in Southern California, specializing in Temecula, Murrieta, Canyon Lake, La Cresta, Wildomar, Menifee, French Valley and the surrounding areas!

Search for REO, Bank Owned and Foreclosure Properties! Check out this FREE website!

Because I am a certified REO agent who specializes in Bank Owned properties, I have access to one of the best Home Searching sites around! And you can have that access too, for free!




Once logged in you can do many searches. One of my favorites is a search by Map:

If you'd like to find out what properties have recently sold in the same area, it's as easy as clicking on the icon, and deciding how far back you'd like to go (1 month, 2 months, etc):



And there is so much more! If you add the properties to your Online Notebook, the system will track each one for changes (price, status, more photos, etc). You can have email alerts sent to you to notify you of changes, or simply log in and see the changes right there in your Notebook, next to the property!

You can search for REO's, Bank Owned Properties and Foreclosures! Or search for homes being sold by a traditional seller as well.

If you'd like to be added to this incredible Home Search website, please send me an email at:

Christine@FindREOProperty.com

And I will get you set up the same day!

Are we seeing the end of REO's and Bank Owned properties? Will a homeowner 'bail out' bring higher prices soon?

So, if the government is going to 'bail out' homeowners who are in distress and facing foreclosure, does that mean most of our Bank Owned (REO) properties will soon be disappearing, along with the low prices they they bring? Last week there was 85 new Bank Owned properties listed, this week it was 72 in our area....

What's next? Will prices rise, or will we see another onslaught of Foreclosures?

Stand by...

Update: One week later, I just checked and there are only 34 REO properties that have been listed in the past 5 days.... Hmmm.

BEST REO (Bank Owned and Foreclosure) DEALS!

I labeled these 'Best REO Deals' because these are properties that are newer than 2000, at least 2000 sq ft, at least 3 bedrooms, and they are all under $80 per square foot! Those are some good deals. You will rarely find these deals in Temecula. Most will probably be in Murrieta or the French Valley/Winchester area. But we will see if the trends start to change in the future. Most of these homes are around 3000 sq ft or larger (that's how they can get so low on the dollar per sq ft). Check them out.

Click Below:

REO DEALS

Don't miss out on these great deals. Don't find yourself saying, "If only I knew then, what I know now". It is THEN, and the time is NOW!

Take a look for yourself.

Temecula area MILLION DOLLAR (Bank Owned and Foreclosure) REO's!

Okay, you know you're curious! So, what are the most expensive Bank Owned homes around here? Believe it or not, there are plenty of home owners who paid MILLIONS for their home, and then defaulted. We have those right here, and they are probably part of the 'half price' inventory that this market is currently in (most of the Bank Owned properties are going for half the price they were 'worth' in 2004/2005). So, take a look!

Click Below:

Million Dollar REO'S!

These are some of the most expensive REO (Bank Owned and Foreclosure) properties in and around the Temecula and Murrieta areas. Looking for a great Bank Owned property in Southern California area, in the million dollar range? Start your search here!

REO Multiplexes - Income Opportunities under $300,000!

Okay, so this doesn't exactly look like your dream home. But it aleady is for someone else. These 'multiplexes' usually make terrific income opportunities for an investor. Most are already rented out, and at these low prices, the rent usually covers your mortgage, and then some. I've sold a lot of duplexes in the past, some that were even built in the early 1900's, and they turned out to be really good deals. If you can find some duplexes, or better yet, fourplexes, and they already have long term tenants in them, then you might find yourself a good investment.

Click Below:

REO Multiplexes!

CONDO'S - Murrieta and Temecula REO's

Here are Condo's and Townhomes in the Temecula and Murrieta areas. All are REO's. All are under $300,000. There are some great deals here if you are looking for something in the $100,000's! Condo's and Townhomes not only make terrific homes, but they are great investment properties as well. How about a condo near the college? Renting out those might be much easier. Or a 'condo' in a senior community? You don't have to be a 'senior' to purchase or own it, just to live in it. The senior community has a terrific rental market.


Click Below:

http://www.mrmlsmatrix.com/DAE.asp?ID=28122080-292065318-70

Murrieta REO's under $300,000!

Check out ALL of Murrieta's REO (Bank Owned) Properties that are listed UNDER $300,000! Murrieta has quickly become the City of Opportunity again. There are some great buys throughout Murrieta now. The City itself has grown exponentially over the past 5 or 10 years, but still has kept it's 'small town' feel to it.

The 'deals' that you're going to find here are usually on much newer and much bigger homes. Some of us Realtors like to call this market the 'half price sale' meaning that the prices you are going to find today are probably half the price that buyers paid for them back in 2003/2004. What that means for today's buyer is that they have already seen how fast these properties CAN appreciate, and most likely will again sometime in the next 10 years. But they can now purchase these properties for arouhalf the price the price that they might have bought for four or five years ago. That makes these properties MUCH more affordable in today's market.

Click Below:

http://www.mrmlsmatrix.com/DAE.asp?ID=28122095-292064323-52

Temecula REO's under $300,000

View ALL of Temecula's Bank Owned Properties UNDER $300,000. You will probably still see lots of Temecula REO properties in this properties, but usually nowhere near the inventory that Murrieta and the French Valley have.

When buyers come in and tell me that they want a newer home, that's at least 2000 sq ft plus, and they want it in the low $200,000's, in Temecula, I let them know that their choices will probably be limited. Whether it's because there wasn't quite as much growth (building new homes) in Temecula back in 2004/2005 (when most of the buyers were purchasing in over their heads), so there isn't quite as much that defaulted there. It could also be that some people prefer Temecula, so if anything does come available that is deemed 'a good deal' it is usually snapped up right away. Most of the 'deal's in Temecula (most of the homes that are available in this price range) will probably be older homes.

Click Below:

http://www.mrmlsmatrix.com/DAE.asp?ID=28122094-292063854-08

Canyon Lake REO's under $300,000

All Canyon Lake 'Bank Owned' properties. When I did a search on the MLS for the City of Canyon Lake, it pulls up ALL of the properties with a Canyon Lake address. Unfortunately that includes a few Quail Valley properties that agents like to categorize under Canyon Lake.

It's true that some of these properties have a 'legal' address of Canyon Lake on their title report, but we all know that it's not really located within the gated and guarded City of Canyon Lake. So, as you're looking through this group of properties, makes sure you are looking at the map next to the property photo, and you can see the lake somewhere near the property. If the map shows Vista Way or Casa Bonita or even Goetz Road, chances are the property is located outside of the bounderies (and gates) of Canyon Lake, and it is actually a Quail Valley property. What that also means is that particular property will not include all of the amenities of a true Canyon Lake property (lake and swimming pool priviledges, etc).

Click on the link below:

http://www.mrmlsmatrix.com/DAE.asp?ID=28124096-292068606-24

Okay, so what's the difference between BANK OWNED and SHORT SALE properties?

I hear that question almost every day. I have buyers come in and tell me they want to purchase a 'foreclosure' but they're not exactly sure what that is. Some buyers say they want to purchase from a home owner in 'distress', but that could mean the seller will have to participate in a Short Sale, and sometimes, those are much more complicated.

In a 'normal' (good) market, a seller who has equity in his property (meaning his/her home is valued more than the purchase price), he can sell his home through a 'normal' sale. If he owes $200,000 on his loan to the bank, but sells his home for $400,000 (because the value is there), most likely he will experience a normal transaction.

If that same seller owes the bank $400,000 but the value of his home has now dropped to $200,000 he will now have to do a Short Sale in order to sell his home. What that means is that the seller is in control of listing the home and is still very much the home owner (even if he is behind in his payments a couple of months), but if an offer comes in for UNDER the amount that is owed to the bank (under the $400,000 in this case), the bank with the loan (holding the note on the property) will have to APPROVE the sale.

Sometimes this process can take months. The bank will request Bank Statements, W2's, PayStubs, a Hardship letter from the sellers, and other financial data that can show the bank that the sellers cannot continue with their current monthly payments. The bank will then order an appraisal. If the appraisal comes in higher than the purchase offer price (the price the buyer is offering the seller), then the bank can counter the buyer and ask for more money. That is where the negotiation (and The Negotiator) comes in, and it usually involves some compromising from ALL of the parties involved (the bank, the buyer, the seller and even the Real Estate Agents involved). This process can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months, and sometimes will end with the home going into Foreclosure anyway, or put up for Auction before the transaction can be fully approved. In that case, the offer is no longer 'good'. And the 'Seller' now becomes the Bank.

If the property is Foreclosed upon, the Bank will be the new owner. Now the property is considered Bank Owned or an REO (Real Estate Owned) property. It used to be that the banks would put the properties back on the market, but for a price comparable to what the market used to be (in other words, they would list them too high). Now the banks have gotten wise and they realize that the lower the price, the more offers they will get, and the price will creep back up with multiple offers, and counter offers. So, the trick is if you see a new Bank Owned property that is a 'really good deal', make a strong offer right away. If it's a weekday, you have a good chance the agent will submit your offer directly to the bank, and they may just accept it right away. If you get one of those agents that sits on offers and collects them for a week or so, then your offer gets submitted as a 'group' and chances are the bank will counter back asking for your 'Best and Final' offer. With multiple offers now in, you'd better make it a really good offer if you really want the property!