Tag Archives: real+estate

Thoughts On Interest Rates And Housing

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

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

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

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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It Wasn’t That Long Ago…

As the Supreme Court prepares to render a decision on the equality of marriage, I was reminded yesterday that it wasn’t that long ago, when equality in housing did not exist. I was at a new listing I have coming out, checking … Continue reading

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To Do An Open House Or Not To Do An Open House, That Is The Question

As I prepare for another Sunday open house, I thought I’d share some thoughts on this age old practice and pose these questions: Is it worthwhile holding an open house?  And does opening your home to the public actually accomplish … Continue reading

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The Problem With Pipeline

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

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

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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What Should I Expect From A Listing Agent And How Do I Choose?

There’s an old adage when it comes to sales, under promise and over deliver.  I guess this approach originated at some sales training course back when master salesman Zig Ziglar was still selling pots and pans.  While probably the safer … Continue reading

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