Monday, March 26, 2012
San Francisco Chronicle
A federal court has frozen assets at five California companies that are being investigated for trying to scam U.S. homeowners facing foreclosure.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/03/22/financial/f082349D68.DTL
Thursday, February 23, 2012
On a statewide basis, the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HOI) found that a family earning the median income could have afforded 66.2 percent of the new and existing homes that were sold during the fourth quarter, up from 63.5 percent in the third quarter. It was the highest statewide affordability level recorded since the California-specific HOI began in 2007, with the previous high being set in the first quarter of 2011 at a level of 64.6 percent. In contrast, the lowest statewide level was recorded with the inaugural state index in the first quarter of 2007 with an affordability reading of 11.2 percent.
The San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin County metro area was California’s least affordable metro area for the 13th consecutive quarter with 37.1 percent of the homes sold being affordable to a family earning the median income, up from 32.9 percent in the third quarter. Orange County was California’s second-least affordable market at 47.4 percent, followed by Los Angeles County, 48.3 percent, as the state’s third-least affordable market.
Sutter and Yuba counties were California’s most affordable metro area with 92.5 percent affordability, up from 89.3 percent in the third quarter. Stanislaus County was the state’s second-most affordable market with 91.5 percent affordability, followed by Merced County with 91.2 percent affordability.
http://www.cbia.org/go/newsroom/press-releases/statee28099s-housing-affordability-climbs-to-new-heights-in-fourth-quarter-cbia-announces/
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The San Francisco Chronicle
Banks may seize more than 1 million U.S. homes this year after legal scrutiny of their foreclosure practices slowed actions against delinquent property owners in 2011, RealtyTrac said.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/12/BUPF1MOFAU.DTL
Monday, December 19, 2011
The San Francisco Chronicle
The volume of outstanding home mortgages declined to $9.88 trillion from $9.94 trillion June 30, according to Federal Reserve data released Thursday.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/09/BU7U1MA2OB.DTL
Thursday, October 6, 2011
On Oct. 1, the conforming loan limit was decreased, and the U.S. stopped guaranteeing loans larger than $625,500. To determine how the change in loan limits will impact home sales nationwide, Redfin released new data showing which areas are most vulnerable to the policy change.
The following information states the city/county, percent affected, previous loan limit, and new loan limit.
San Francisco, CA, 11 percent, $729,750, $625,500; San Mateo, CA, 8.5 percent, $729,750, $625,500; Arlington, VA, 8.3 percent, $729,750, $625,500; Santa Clara, CA, 6.2 percent, $729,750, $625,500; District of Columbia, 5.7 percent, $729,750, $625,500; San Diego, CA, 5 percent, $697,500, $546,250; Orange, CA, 4.5 percent, $729,750, $625,500; Fairfax City and County, VA, 4.4 percent, $729,750, $625,500; Suffolk, 4.3 percent, $523,750, $465,750; King, WA, 3.9 percent; $567,500, $506,000; Los Angeles, CA, 3.1 percent; $729,750, $625,500; Queens, NY, 2.1 percent, $729,750, $625,500; Sacramento, CA 0.7 percent, $580,000, $474,950; Baltimore City, MD, 0.7 percent; $560,000, $494,500; Multnomah, OR, 0.1 percent, $418,750, $417,000.
More info
