UCLA Forecast Says Housing Crisis to Ease, No Recession in 2008

ANDERSON FORECAST SAYS HOUSING CRISIS TO EASE, NO RECESSION IN 2008 The housing market woes are expected to begin easing up by late 2008 and, despite mounting job losses and fuel and food cost increases, the country will avoid a full recession, according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast report released Tuesday. “Our no-recession forecast remains nervously intact,” said UCLA Anderson Forecast Director Edward Leamer. “We see a lot of problems in the first half of 2008 as housing … [Read more...]

Fun Facts about California Home Ownership

Did you know…? Over the long-run, the median home price of an existing single-family home in California has increased about 9 percent a year since 1969, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.  The Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington said Wednesday that its index of total mortgage applications rose 3 percent last week to its highest level since March 2004, and applications were up 73 percent from a year earlier. This could be a sign that potential buyers … [Read more...]

Tom Sinkovitz, Former KRON-TV Anchor, Talks San Francisco Real Estate

  Check out these informative videos about San Francisco consumer real estate issues! Topics include: Why It Makes Sense to Use a REALTOR® Where Is the Market Headed? Renting? It Might Make More Sense to Own Shared Equity Mortgages, An Alternative for Some What to Do If You Have a Problem Mortgage Watch the Videos HERE.    Tags: Tom+Sinkovitz, realestate+videos, homebuying, homeselling, sanfrancisco+realestate … [Read more...]

September 2007 San Francisco Real Estate Trends

  San Francisco’s real estate market is…? What is going on anyway? In casual polling of fellow agents, I hear words like, “random,” “spotty,” “hard to predict,” “complex,” and so on. At our Zephyr Real Estate  office meeting, agents will announce their sales (address, list price, #offers, and a ball park estimate of sales price). These meetings are a phenomenal way to stay in touch with the broader market trends. Lately, the … [Read more...]

Zephyr Hosts a Free Seminar for Clients with Real Estate Attorney! Get your questions answered.

What: Zephyr Public Seminar: Real Estate Legal Issues   Where: Contract Design Center, 600 Townsend Street   When: Saturday, October 20th 10am - noon   RSVP: Danielle Lazier, 415.695.0552, danielle@zephyrsf.com   Elizabeth Erhardt, a litigation attorney and partner of Sideman & Bancroft LLP, will be the featured speaker. Liz concentrates her practice on resolving real estate disputes, including landlord-tenant matters, co-owner disputes, purchase and sales agreements, … [Read more...]

Check out the Suprising Results: Has your home’s value gone up or down? Depends on where you live!

All real estate is local. Okay, yes, we are all affected by national and international economics, such as the recent credit crunch. BUT, how we are affected depends on where we live. California is not equal. San Francisco is not Fresno. Alameda is not Albany. And so on. Want to know how your City and County faired this year over last. Check out the attached PDF with the Median Home Sales Price July 2007 compared with July 2006. The results are surprising… San Francisco City and … [Read more...]

Mortgage Crunch & What it Means for San Francisco Buyers

Right now, there are a lot of headlines a lot regarding the mortgage meltdown. What’s hype, what’s not? In general, I stick to my usual soap box of don’t believe everything you read and proceed with rational observance b/c “If it bleeds, it leads.” (In case you are wondering, I welcome you taking my opinions with a grain of salt too! I am educated, aware, and in the trenches though I certainly don’t know it all and am only one person with an opinion.) What’s happened? In … [Read more...]

A&E’s Flip this House – Casting Call

  How cool is this? The casting director of A&E’s Flip this House found MY blog and asked me to help get the word out for a new crew!! Obviously, I was both excited and flattered. Steve Grant wrote, “I think your blog is great, and could possibly be a great way to spread the word about the search for the new cast….”   But enough about me, what do you think of me? (Remember that timeless Bette Midler quote from Beaches?) Anywho, do you want to be on … [Read more...]

So you wanna own a rental property in San Francisco?

Generally speaking, it is wise to begin with owning your own home. So, if you are set on acquiring your real estate empire, start at home…literally. However, after that, it is wise to consider diversifying your portfolio. Smart rental homes are a great investment for the long-term. Right now, it is a great time to get into the rental market here in San Francisco. Certain areas are booming like the good, ole days with crazy over bids and multiple, non-contingent offers. Yet, other areas … [Read more...]