Question of the week: Is it true President Trump may change the mortgage market? Answer: Yes. In December the WR&MU covered some changes in the industry for 2025, not mentioned was a major change that will impact the mortgage, and therefore the real estate market, if enacted. Some background. As part of the legislative responses […]
Question of the week: If our home is completely or partially destroyed, what can we do? Answer: Similar to after a significant earthquake, the wildfires in Southern California have homeowners wondering what if…. What if our home is destroyed, or unlivable, due to a natural disaster, fire, or other reasons? What can we do? The […]
Question of the week: What are some impacts that the Southern California Wildfires will have on housing in the region? Answer: Taken singularly either the Palisades or Eaton fires would be historic in scope of damage to natural habitats and structures lost. The Palisades fire as of this morning has burned over 20,000 acres, for […]
Question of the week: What next for the economy and real estate? Answer: When the Federal Reserve began increasing its benchmark interest rate in March 2022 when inflation jumped to 9.2%, up almost 3% from December 2021, it announced it was going to be increasing rates to bring down inflation and would continue to do […]
Question of the week: What are some changes in the industry for 2025? Answer: Perhaps the most significant change is an annual event, the change in the maximum loan limits for conventional and FHA mortgages. The Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) sets the maximum conforming (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan limits based on the […]
Question of the week: What time of year is it? Answer: ID theft and credit card scamming season! Greatly tempering the benefits of the internet and e-tail are the risks of identity theft and compromised credit accounts. There are tens of thousands of shops around the world spending all day every day probing, prying, and […]
Question of the week: What’s happening in the housing market? Answer: October saw the biggest increase in month-to-month home sales in California in the past 40-months, up 4.7% from September and up 9.5% from last year. With the increase in sales came an increase in the statewide median home price ($888,740) by 2.4% from September […]
Question of the week: What was the result of the housing related ballot propositions? Answer: In September I wrote about propositions on the California ballot that were housing related and my positions on them. For those not following closely, here are the results. So far; as of 9:30 this morning there are 1,429,504 “estimated total […]
Question of the week: Can we save on taxes by making some home improvements? Answer: Yes! Two years ago the WR&MU question was, “Should we get solar panels?” In the answer federal tax credits were covered, at the time of the writing the credit was expiring in 2024, however Congress extended the credit to 2032. […]
Question of the week: How is the economy? Answer: Strong. The final economic data before our national and local elections next week show a strong economy, incomes outpacing inflation, slower inflation, and consumers still spending. The economy grew at strong 2.8% in the 3rd quarter, a bit slower than 2nd quarters 3.0%, but at a […]
