A recent survey found Americans overwhelmingly support home ownership and oppose government changing laws regarding the mortgage interest deduction or making home loans more difficult to obtain. Here are some of the findings in the poll conducted earlier this month by Public Opinion Strategies and Lake Research Partners:

2011 was another difficult year for property sellers here in the north state but buyers took advantage of low prices and near record low interest rates for financing their purchase. Sales were up while prices declined. Here is a summary of how 2011 stacked up based on data from the Shasta Multiple Listing Service (MLS):

Residential and commercial properties built for use on or before January 1, 1994 will face costly plumbing retrofits before the end of the decade. SB 407 was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Jan1,2010. The law will trigger replacement of older plumbing fixtures to new water conserving fixtures on certain

Home sales in the Greater Redding area have picked up significantly year-over-year from 2010. As of today, 1844 homes have closed escrow in the area served by the Shasta Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. Last year at this time, 1582 homes sold and closed. This represents a 16% increase in sales act

Despite all the press regarding foreclosures and their negative impact on the real estate market, Redding seems to be bucking the trends. Inventory of homes available for sale today is 1261 compared to 1575 last year at this time. That equates to roughly 20% less homes for sale, which could be the first sign of price s

Appraisers have struggled valuing homes with expensive solar arrays for loan and sale purposes. A recent study found homeowners who spend thousands on solar systems get all of the investment back and in some cases more than was spent! However, new home builders who incorporated solar weren’t as lucky. The s

Despite the housing bust and the foreclosure mess, a  recent study by Pew Research Center revealed 81% of Americans still believe homeownership is the best long-term investment. That figure is down only slightly from the 84% of respondents who strongly or somewhat agreed to the same question in 1991.  2142 adults were

It was years in the making, but the 2011 Shasta County Road Atlas is hot off the press and available for purchase. Not only does it cover Shasta County, but portions of Trinity and Tehama Counties. The map book consists of more than 70 pages of glossy maps and indexes in a spiral binding. The maps sell for $20.

FICO released an analysis of credit score damage caused by short sale, deed in lieu of foreclosure and foreclosure. The bottom line is all three alternatives result in no significant difference in credit score impact. However, the better your credit score was before the delinquencies, the longer it will take for your cre

The first quarter of 2011 is in the books! The Redding residential home market has been very stable thus far in 2011. 1242 homes were available for sale in early January.  Today, the number of active listings stands at 1260 today compared to 1424 a year ago . Spring usually brings a spike in the number of homes listed

I received an email from a client I sold a house to recently alerting me of an interesting call he received from his lender. A representative of the lender visited and read comments on his Facebook page about trials and tribulations he encountered while revamping a rental property he owns here in the north state after

Redding city councilors recently relaxed rules governing the construction of second units within the city limits. Realtors have successfully lobbied the state legislature to require planning agencies adopt rules detailing the requirements for property owners who would like to add a second home for a caregiver or family

A recent article in a mortgage trade journal pointed out the fact California mortgage applicants have the highest credit scores in the nation.  According to the article authored by Heather Cernoch, prospective borrowers in California have average credit scores of 755, 20 points higher than the national average. 

Wells Fargo implemented new underwriting rules in mid-January that will help buyers with credit scores below 600.  Borrowers with credit scores as low as 500 can now qualify for a loan if they meet certain requirements. Here’s an outline of their new loan policies: Borrowers with credit scores of 500

2011 started with 255 pending home sales according to the Shasta Multiple Listing Service as of January 3rd. Today, 405 homes are in escrow. That is a nearly 60% increase in just one month. How can this be? Some of this can be attributed to dozens of last year’s pending listing inventory expiring on the

Ask an economist, educator, foreclosure expert and developer their predictions for California’s housing market and you will get a mixed bag of responses. Leslie Appleton-Young, cheif economist for the California Association of Realtors, was optimistic in her belief California home prices will edge upward 2% in the

The last year of the first decade of the 21st century is in the history books. 2066 homes sold in the greater Redding area including Anderson, Shasta Lake City and unincorporated areas of Shasta County. 201 land parcels sold and 135 mobile homes sold, all but 18 were mobiles located in mobile home parks. The numbe

A strategic default is defined as a homeowner who is capable of making their mortgage payment but elects to let the property go into foreclosure because the mortgage is underwater or the property is no longer wanted. Second homes and rental properties are examples of properties purchased by affluent property owners whi

A recent article in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL highlighted a scenario I see in my day-to-day practice of real estate.  A property seller, buyer and first lien holder all agree to accept a certain price only to have the second lien holder ask for more money. It’s noteworthy that the second lien holder would g

Just a few years ago, virtually anyone could qualify for 100% financing even with stinky credit. Those loans evaporated after the bubble burst causing an upsurge in usage of FHA loans in the Redding/Shasta County real estate market.  The reason is the relatively low down payment requirements (3.5%) offered by the FHA lo

Yesterday, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched a new website that consolidates data from regional, state and county agencies. The economic and housing market data is derived from the Census Bureau, Labor Department, State and Local governments, housing industry sources and HUD’s own econo

A couple weeks back, while showing a home in Redding, a buyer tossed out this question as he was eyeing the seller’s boat parked under a canopy in the backyard. He was surprised when I told him that was not a good idea. In fact, I give my clients this same advice even if they are asking about the fridge, washer an

Redding City Hall The average Redding home is a three bedroom , 2 bath home with about 1750 square feet. One local apprasier has tracked the value of the typical Redding home for the past couple years and his last report indicates the average cost per square foot took a big hit in October. The last quarter of 2009

The votes have been counted and 111 of 194 measures and tax bonds in last week’s election passed. Flying in the face of calls for reducing big government, a majority of Californians have approved school bonds, hotel taxes, parcel taxes, utility taxes and local vehicle taxes. Another 20 measures are too close to cal

According to a news release today from the California Association of Realtors, the $1.83 billion “Keep Your Home In California”  program is on hold due to logistical difficulties. The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), the lead government agency in California implementing the federal program,  rep

Credit scores are used as a tool by lenders to assess a borrower’s risk for many types of credit. FICO announced a new score developed specifically for analyzing prospective homeowners applying for mortgage loans. Dubbed FICO 8 Mortgage Score, this analytic technology provides a sharper assessment of a home buyer&

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) cites a recent report from the US Government Accountability Office which found numerous schemes perpetrated by scam artists to profit from distressed homeowners. In their desperation to save their homes, borrowers are falling for two popular foreclosure avoidance schemes: Adv

According to a recent article in Smart Money, the minimum credit score to get the best rates and terms on a mortgage just increased by 40 points. A FICO score of 680 use to be the break-point between great credit and good credit. Now the line has been upped to 720,  according to Smart Money author AnnaMaria And

Redding home prices slipped downward in the third quarter to $122/square foot on average for a 1500-2000 square foot home.  That represents about $4/square foot less than the 2nd quarter of 2010. The number of homes listed for sale dropped from the August high-point of 1649 to 1521 this week. Pending home sales

Realtors are studying Bank of America’s decision to voluntarily stop foreclosures in California and have made some preliminary observations. Steve Goddard, President of the California Association of Realtors, summarized what is going on in a newsletter released Tuesday. Here are some of his points:  

The 2009-2010 legislative session has come to a close and here are the bills impacting real estate transactions that passed into law and take effect Jan. 1, 2011: Short Sale Deficiencies- A seller’s first trust deed lender cannot seek a deficiency judgement against the borrower after a short sale. Fr

Last week, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 1178 (Corbett) which would have expanded anti-deficiency protections to homeowners that refinanced their purchase money loans. The bill was sponsored by the California Association of Realtors. Realtors sought protection for homeowners that refinanced their loans without realiz

Mary Lake in West Redding was pondered as a secret fishing lake for youngsters after the lake and 203 acres surrounding it was purchased by a group of developers around 1980. The developers-Brent Owen, Robert “Buzz” Loring and John Fitzpatrick- offered the 5-acre lake and adjacent land to the city for a park

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning to consumers regarding a foreclosure rescue scam designed to exploit financially struggling homeowners. The scam service offer promises to perform a forensic audit of your mortgage loan documents to determine if your lender complied with state and federal lending regula

I ask that question of every out-of-town prospect I have shown property to in the past 26 years and the answers have some common denominators. Here are the most common responses: To be closer to family To get away from more eartquake prone areas of California To be closer to recreational a

For years, borrowers utilizing loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration could apply for a refinance to lower their interest rate without all the headaches of full documentation and fees. Today, homeowners with FHA loans can take advantage of historically low rates with even less hassles.  Here are s

For more than five years now, consumers have had the ability to go online and get free value estimates of their home’s worth. However, some consumers and real estate industry professionals have expressed concerns the valuations are inaccurate and misleading. Reasons cited in a recent Sacramento Bee article include

Fannie Mae launched a website this month to assist underwater borrowersincluding those in Redding/Shasta County. The site offers advice on steps to take to avoid foreclosure as well as directing borrowers to legitimate companies that provide foreclosure-prevention services.  This is in response to a proliferation of co

FHA just announced a new loan program for homeowners that owe more than the current market value for their home. In less than a month, the FHA Short Refinance program will enable some borrowers who owe more than the current market value of their home to qualify for a new FHA insued mortgage. Here are some important poi

After 3 quarters of relative stability, Redding home prices lost about $8/sq ft in July. Blame an onslaughtof bank-owned properties (REO’s) for the decline. The second quarter of 2010 saw a slight increase to $126.54/sq ft from $125.34 in the first quarter 2010. The last quarter of 2009 pegged the average cost per

Location, location, location is taking on a new meaning in the 21st century as home buyers switch from focusing on schools and neighborhoods to proximity to stores and public transportation. Urban planners cite concerns over future oil prices as the main reason for the shift. They say baby boomers with empty nests and th

Apparently so according to the California Taxpayers Association(Cal Tax) reporting on recent election victories for bonds, hotel, parcel, sales and utility taxes. 44 of 64 local tax measures passed on the June 8 ballot with three more remaining too close to call. Based on these results, expect more cities up and down th

Top City of Redding officials want city employees to be on the lookout for signs of gang activity following several recent highly publicized gang incidents in the Redding area. An internal communication memo sent out last week asks city employees to keep their eyes open for gang-related activity since many employees are

Henry Cisneros pinned the housing crisis on greedy Wall Street firms, not government policies he championed as HUD Secretary during the Clinton Administration. Exotic instruments were created to collateralize mortgages then packaged and sold around the world by profiteers wishing to take advantage of the housing boom. H

According to one Redding appraiser who tracks average home prices, prices are slowly ticking upward. The low point since the bubble burst in 2006  was March with 91 home sales with an average sales price of $203,830 or $121.08 per square foot. May saw 99 home sales averaging $214,352 or $124.6 per square foot. It woul

Many homeowners are not aware of a loophole that allows banks to pursue certain borrowers for any cash loss they suffer as a result of a short sale or foreclosure. The existing law, which was passed in the 1930’s, protects homeowners from deficiency liability if the loan was used to purchase the home. The problem

The wave of foreclosures in Shasta County has had a stinging side effect-abandoned pools and ponds have become mosquito breeding havens! If you know of a neglected water feature in your neighborhood, the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District would like to hear from you. Every property owner in Shasta County

The IRS has finally set ground rules for those that use a tax deferred 1031 exchange to purchase a vacation rental home that later becomes a primary or second residence. In the past, the IRS would penalize those that did this because it violated the tax deferment rules 1031 exchanges were designed to address. Many Ame

Looking over April home sales numbers and comparing them to a year ago one thing stands out- pending home sales priced under $200,000 are nearly double the volume as last year. In April 2009, 33 homes priced under $150,000 sold. This year that number was 62. Twenty seven homes priced from $150,000 to $200,000 sold in Ap

Most are unaware of the capital gains and estate tax tax law changes for 2010. If you stand to inherit real estate from a family member, you may want to do everything possible to keep them alive until 2011! Why? Two changes are in effect for this year only which could have significant tax consequences for those that inh