Category Archives: Economics

A Case For Keeping Fannie And Freddie

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Tim Freund

The President came out two days ago in support of the conservative agenda to do away with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  But there is something that I just don’t understand about the push by the President and Congressional conservatives, … Continue reading →

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Some Thoughts On Bernanke, Interest Rates And The State Of The Market

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Tim Freund

Today, the National Association of Realtors’ pending homes sales data, representing June’s homes entering contract, showed a decline of .04%.  Analysts expected a smaller decline of .01%.  The Decline is being blamed on a combination of low inventory (can’t go … Continue reading →

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It’s Good To Be Right, But This Time Let’s Hope I’m Not

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Tim Freund

Yesterday I was asked by the real estate company I work for to participate in a panel and speak on a couple subjects.  The first topic was on how to successfully create a business based listings and the second, on … Continue reading →

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Thoughts On Interest Rates And Housing

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Tim Freund

Mortgage rates have risen 1.10% since May and while 1% may not sound like much, it represents an increase of 67% and that does sound like a lot.  Effectively rising interest rates means a home buyer can afford less and … Continue reading →

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Personal Debt, Student Loans and Real Estate

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Tim Freund

UCLA’s Anderson School of Economics reported yesterday that the economy is not growing and in fact, that it is “not even normal… it’s bad.”  Not exactly the warm and fuzzy one might expect given the overwhelming indications from Wall Street … Continue reading →

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Something To Keep In Mind

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Tim Freund

Yesterday was an interesting day for anyone involved with real estate.  Whether you’re a Realtor, mortgage broker, buyer or seller, the events of May 28 were pretty incredible.  As is the story on the last Tuesday of every month, the … Continue reading →

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Stayin’ Ain’t An Option

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Tim Freund

For the past couple months I have been of the contrarian opinion that we don’t have a supply problem but rather a demand problem.  That is, here in the Conejo Valley anyway, we are selling a comparable number of homes … Continue reading →

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The Problem With Pipeline

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Tim Freund

Pipeline.  I suppose the word stems from the bringing of water from the well to the parched.  Perhaps it comes from the ancient times.  King Herod is supposed to have built miles of waterways to water the lands of Israel.  … Continue reading →

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The Problem With Appraisals

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Tim Freund

By definition appraisals are backwards looking.  The designed purpose of an appraisal during the loan and purchase process, is to demonstrate to the lender that the security (the house) for the note (the loan), is worth the price the borrower … Continue reading →

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Low Inventory? Don’t Panic, It’s Just A Seller’s Market

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Tim Freund

By now you’ve heard that the real estate market is back and that there really isn’t much for sale.  You look around your neighborhood and there aren’t many for sale signs and when one goes up, it seems a sold sign appears the very next day.  … Continue reading →

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