Archive for October, 2008



The Latest…

Published on October 28, 2008

Calif. median home price - August 08: $350,140

Calif. highest median home price by C.A.R. region August 08: Santa Barbara So. Coast $930,000

Calif. lowest median home price by C.A.R. region August 08: High Desert $169,200

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

Mortgage rates - week ending 10/16/08 30-yr. fixed: 6.46% Fees/points: 0.6% 15-yr. [...]


California Housing Production Decline Continues in September

Published on

Housing production continued to decline in September, when 4,364 permits were pulled throughout California, down 32 percent compared with the same month a year ago and down 6 percent from August, according to statistics compiled by the Construction Industry Research Board.

Single-family permits totaled 2,326, down 35 percent from September 2007 but up 4 percent from [...]


HOPE for Homeowners Program

Published on

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) of the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development has posted a list of lenders participating in the HOPE for Homeowners program. Participating lenders have indicated an interest in refinancing loans under the HOPE for Homeowners program.When contacting the lenders, the FHA is strongly encouraging consumers to also contact their [...]


USB Rechargable Batteries

Published on October 20, 2008

Want an alternative to using disposable batteries, which leak toxic wastes into landfills and ground water? USB Cell produces rechargeable AA batteries that do not require adapters or cables, but instead can be inserted into your laptop’s USB port, or other USB port, and be recharged hundreds of times. Visit http://usbcell.com/ or http://www.terrapass.com/green-store/gadgets-chargers/ for more info.


New Home Sales Decline in August

Published on

The pace of new home sales across California in August declined 39 percent from August 2007, according to the latest CBIA/Hanley Wood Market Intelligence (HWMI) New Home Sales and Pricing Report released today, representing a significantly smaller decrease than the 57 percent year-over-year decline a month earlier, according to the report.
Sales of new single-family homes [...]


Job Losses to Continue into 2009

Published on

Employment figures fell 0.8 percent in September to 108.4, a 10 percent decline from where they were one year ago, according to the latest Conference Board Employment Trends Index from The Conference Board, which is predicting the trend in job losses to continue well into the first quarter of 2009.
“The deterioration in the Employment Trends [...]


Prices to Level Out and Sales to Rise in 2009

Published on

Home prices throughout most areas of California will post declines next year, while sales of existing homes will continue to rise in 2009, according to C.A.R.’s 2009 California Housing Market Forecast.
“The current uncertainty about the financial system and economy is likely to persist over the next several weeks, and could extend into next year,” said [...]


Fed Announces Plan to Purchase Equity Stake in Banks

Published on

The federal government on Tuesday announced the launch of a new program designed to assist with ongoing efforts to help stabilize the U.S. banking system and restore confidence in the country’s financial markets, as well as those abroad. So far, nine of the nation’s largest banks have agreed to participate in the program, which will [...]