Category Archives: Economics

New Home Sales: A Creative Cure

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Tim Freund

For several years now, the housing industry has struggled to boost interest in new homes.  Competition from foreclosures and distressed sales coupled with an oversupply of resale homes, has led to the fewest number of newly constructed homes on record.  … Continue reading →

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Half Empty, Half Full

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Tim Freund

As you probably have realized, when it comes to the real estate market, I’m a “Glass Half-Full” kind of guy.  But lately, even I have begun to question some of my core assumptions.  I have been predicting inflation, rising rates, … Continue reading →

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Diana Olick Get Your Stats!

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Tim Freund

Ok, so maybe I’d like to have Diana Olick’s job at CNBC and maybe I wouldn’t.  Diana, for those who don’t know, is the real estate reporter for financial news channel CNBC.  Diana’s role at CNBC has thrust her into … Continue reading →

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Proposition 13

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Tim Freund

My parents closed on their home in Walnut Creek, California in August of 1966.  For 13 years they saw their home reassessed every year as California property values steadily increased.  In 1978 Howard Jarvis led California in what was characterized … Continue reading →

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Homes Sales Rise

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Tim Freund

I love numbers and I love the folks who interpret numbers (note to self: that includes you so add tone of sarcasm)… Homes sales rise 5.6% from a month earlier!  Great news, yet the pundits and the Diana Olick’s of … Continue reading →

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Another Projection

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Tim Freund

The Mortgage Bankers Association came out with their projections for 2011 and 2012 yesterday and their numbers were very interesting.  Years 2008-2010 were clearly difficult for the mortgage industry.  The financial meltdown left only one real buyer in the secondary … Continue reading →

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An Economic Blaze Cometh

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Tim Freund

In U.C. Santa Barbara economic professor Mark Schneipp’s 4th quarter assessment for Ventura County, he states 2010 was an up and down year and that momentum has once again shifted for the better. He predicts that our economic momentum shall … Continue reading →

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Economic Forecasts

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Tim Freund

The Anderson School of UCLA as well as Chapman University in Orange, independently reported their forecasts for the economy in California.  In the LA Times, the headlines were positive, but every radio report was decidedly negative.  The body of the … Continue reading →

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More On Prices

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Tim Freund

The Case-Shiller index reported a larger than anticipated decline in prices month over month as well as quarter over quarter.  While the news in general was not good, it wasn’t horrific either, and reflects the continued struggle in the economy and … Continue reading →

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Thankful For What What We Have

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Tim Freund

More mixed data to digest today… some good news on the unemployment front and consumer sentiment, more bad news on new home and existing home sales.  I’m feeling a bit like I’ll feel tomorrow at about 5:30: overwhelmed, overstuffed but … Continue reading →

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