Pandemic Go Boom Boom
SoCal’s home prices and sales rose sharply in Dec., continuing a pandemic housing boom experts say is in large part driven by rock-bottom mortgage rates and people seeking out more space. Topping bu...
The Market
Top 10 Predictions for 2021
The year 2020 was a quixotic one: Real estate flourished, the stock market boomed, social divisions cracked wide open, and people around us died from an out-of-control global infection. Covid-19 changed the trajectory of everything that any of ...
R.I.P Pocket Listings
In May the National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR) implemented what they euphemistically called the Clear Cooperation Policy, a crackdown on off-MLS (Multiple Listing Service) “pocket listings.” To reiterate: May 2020 was NAR’s choice of timing...
Mortgage Rates Continue To Slide Around
Average mortgage rates fell Friday, as predicted, with conventional home loans starting at 3.063% (3.063% APR) for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage.
Mortgage rates have fallen by a worthwhile amount over the last week, while dramatic events play...
What Will 2021 Look Like
In late October each year, The California Assoc. of Realtors (C.A.R.) releases their predictions for the following year. After gathering data and crunching numbers, here are their thoughts on 2021…
C.A.R.’s forecast points towards a mode...
Will the Market Surge This Season?
Mortgage applications to buy homes fell by 2% last week from the week prior, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The MBA metric, known as the purchase index, was still up year-over-year, making it the 21st week the index has po...
Stand and be Counted, Counties
Stand and be counted, Counties!
As another pandemic-related milestone dominates the headlines, SoCal’s home prices are garnering attention, too. Our 6-county region’s median price reached $600,000 in August, up 12.1% from a year earlier...
Where do I put my…
While California made huge strides in 2017 with favorable Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) legislation, a new series of state bills, signed into law by Gov. Newsom in early 2020 further lowered barriers to creating ADUs, a.k.a. Granny Flats or gar...
Aunt Becky Sells Out
Many notable deals we handle (including a couple this week not mentioned in this newsletter) are with notable people. We sign non-disclosure agreements and try to keep their big-ticket purchases out of the papers. But over 25 people touch each ...