housingstorm.com real estate news community

Homebuyers’ interest in green home features increases
More than half of all home shoppers report that green home features, from energy efficient appliances to solar panels, are an important part of their purchasing decision, though only one percent of home listings market these features to buyers, according to a ZipRealty survey.  The survey revealed that 55 [...]

Sacramento market indicators are better than you’ve been told.

Strategic defaults are when a borrower who has the capacity to pay but doesn’t, or who doesn’t complete a workout alternative in good faith such as a loan modification or short sale.  Such defaults have been growing among underwater borrowers.
In a recent article from Realtor magazine “Borrowers with a Fannie Mae backed mortgage who engage [...]

An article by Jim Puzzanghera of the Los Angeles Times  “Just as the housing market recovery has stalled, so has the President Barack Obama’s main program to ease home foreclosures.
Only 36,695 homeowners received permanently lowered mortgage payments in July through the much-criticized Home Affordable Modification Program, the smallest increase since December, administration officials said Friday.
And the [...]

The program is designed to complement the HUD Energy Efficient Mortgage Program by encouraging home buyers to take advantage of the opportunities an EEM creates to make their home more energy efficient, comfortable, affordable and reliable.
Program Description and Guidelines
The ECO Program is designed to promote the HUD Energy Efficient Mortgage Program. The program provides a [...]

Doug Reynolds, a Sacramento Realtor, provides an analysis of the local market. This month focusing on the “Double-Dip” that is starting in the Sacramento Real Estate Market. An analysis of past, present and future. More information can be found at his website, www.BuyWithDoug.com, as well as his blog and Facebook page(Doug Reynolds Real Estate).

MeterRead™ is a money saving, eco-friendly app that eliminates the confusion of reading your electric meter and more importantly, gives you feedback on your energy use with each reading.
Studies show that motivated people who monitor their energy use generally save around 10-20% on their electric bill. This could add up to hundreds or even thousands [...]

Housing statistics for July 2010 were just released by the Sacramento Association of Realtors.  The “double-dip” that most economists have been talking about and predicting is starting to show up in the statistics.  Let’s take a look at the numbers for July, then a current rundown of the market and prediction for the rest of [...]

The Franchise Tax Board (FTB) recently announced it will accept applications for the California first-time home buyer tax credit through midnight on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010.  The FTB believes it will have received more than enough applications to cover the $100 million allocated for eligible first-time home buyers.  The state did not want to be [...]

HUD has confirmed that after 10/04/2010 FHA guidelines will change & the monthly PMI (private mortgage insurance) factor will increase to .85% – .90% (from .55%) but the Up Front PMI (which can be financed back into the loan) will be reduced to 1.0% (from 2.25%).
 
These results will increase a buyers payment, so if you are [...]

No one who buys a home intends to miss any mortgage payments. But unexpected life circumstances can quickly stymie the best of intentions, and homeowners can’t always prevent defaulting on their payments.
If you’re one of these homeowners, it’s important that you take steps to prevent the situation from getting worse. Many homeowners fall into the [...]

I recently came across a good Q & A with a contractor and appraiser that answered this question about getting a good return on remodeling your home or fixing it up to sell for top dollar.  enjoy.
Q: In your opinion, what home improvements (kitchen remodel, new front door, or wood floors) offer the best payback [...]

Homebuyers Seeking Tax Credit, Equity Sellers Fuel Quarterly Increase in Sales, Prices
 Homebuyers scurrying to meet the April 30 deadline to qualify for a federal tax incentive and a rising percentage of traditional equity sales sparked a sharp increase in the number of existing single-family detached homes sold in Sacramento County during the second quarter of [...]