Builder confidence climbed two points to 18 in September, the first increase in seven months, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). NAHB attributes the increase to recently enacted federal tax credits for homebuyers and lower mortgage rates in the wake of the takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
“Builders have several reasons [...]

Here are five things that, according to earth911.org, will contaminate or thwart paper mills’ attempts to recycle paper and cardboard:
- Oil and water don’t mix. That large pizza box with the oil imprint will become recycled paper with an oil stain.
- Did your napkin or paper towel blot up a water spill or nail polish [...]

Home prices in California are expected to stabilize next year, but the state’s economic woes will continue, due to rising unemployment, declining consumer spending, and other factors, according to the latest UCLA Anderson Forecast released Wednesday. In addition, the forecast says that, while the national economy is still not technically in a recession, several converging [...]

An annual comparison of comparable homes found that California is home to eight of the top 10 most expensive housing markets in the U.S., while eight of the top 10 most affordable cities are in the Midwest, according to a recently released Home Price Comparison Index. The most expensive real estate market, La Jolla, Calif., is [...]

Calif. median home price - July 08: $350.760
 

Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region July 08: Santa Barbara So. Coast $940,000
 

Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region July 08: High Desert $177,330
 

Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index - Second Quarter 08: 48 percent
 

Mortgage rates - week ending 08/28/08 30-yr. fixed: 6.40% Fees/points: 0.6% 15-yr. [...]

U.S. home prices declined by an annualized 0.4 percent during the second quarter of 2008, following a 10.8 percent annualized drop in the first quarter, according to the latest Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index Purchase-Only Series from Freddie Mac, which excludes refinanced transactions in its calculations.
“While U.S. home value indexes continued to decline, an encouraging [...]

Fannie Mae announced a management restructuring last Wednesday, resulting in Fannie’s chief financial officer and two other top executives leaving the company, and three current executives being promoted in their places. The new management team is effective immediately, and will oversee and implement the company’s capital management and credit-loss reduction plan.
News stories that Fannie Mae [...]