Category: Miscellaneous
Is Your REALTOR® Connected
Is your REALTOR® connected? No, I don’t mean in the MobWives fashion, if that’s what you thought, you’re watching too much reality TV. As an active Palm Springs REALTOR® I believe it’s important to take advantage of the technology available to today’s real estate professional. Everything that required an agent to go back to the [...]
How to Reduce Your Property Taxes
If you’re like most homeowners today, your home has seen a decline in value which means you may be able to reduce your property taxes. If you believe you’re paying too much property tax, contact your county assessor’s office or visit their website as soon as possible, before any new assessments are finalized. How to [...]
Prosecuting Wall Street
I am quite sure that Countrywide was not alone, but they were certainly one of the biggest players. This is the reality behind the real estate crisis and why it continues to roll along with no end in sight! I can tell you story after story of Countrywide reps and reps from other banks encouraging [...]
FHA Loan Limits Reinstated
WASHINGTON (November 17, 2011) – The National Association of Realtors® commends Congress for reinstating the loan limit formula and maximum cap for Federal Housing Administration-insured loans for two years. “As the nation’s leading advocate for homeownership, we applaud members of Congress for restoring FHA’s previous loan limits, which will help reduce consumer cost burdens, stabilize local housing [...]
Occupy Oakland: Police Injure Iraq War Vet
Let me first start off by saying that I’m in complete support of the Occupy Protests that are happening across our great country. I’m also a big supporter of our police officers and the brave men and women of our great military. I was raised to fight for what’s right and to respect law enforcement. [...]
Occupy Wall Street Videos Cause Brouhaha
There’s been a lot of brouhaha on the interwebs today about these Occupy Wall Street videos: [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HZdVD67CmwI'] I usually don’t comment on things of this nature, but feel compelled to add my thoughts here. I have said from the release of the very first videos from New York of Occupy Wall Street protests that [...]
9/11 10 Year Anniversary
For the husband who told his wife I love you one last time before his plane went down in a field, for the wife who stopped in the stairs to call her husband to say I will love you forever, for the mothers and fathers who kissed their kids goodbye the morning they died, for [...]
Get Your Free Smitty’s Glass Wax
[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz2JnsjSMbk'] Smitty’s Glass Wax! A Better Way to Clean Your Glasses! I found this stuff over at the College of the Desert Street Fair, it’s simply amazing! It’s been one full week since I’ve used Smitty’s Glass Wax to clean my sunglasses, MACBook Pro computer screen and HTC EVO, there are no fingerprints, oil, [...]
Despite Rental Demand, It Is More Affordable to Buy in Most US Cities
Despite the shift in the American Dream, which is putting less emphasis on homeownership Trulia’s third quarter Rent vs. Buy Index reveals that of the 50 largest cities in America, 74% now boast that owning a home is more affordable than renting which is welcome news to those thinking about buying a home. In 14% of the cities [...]
Home Cost vs Mortgage Rate Trade-Off
Currently, most people are concerned about where prices are headed and whether or not prices have bottomed. However, one thing to consider as you are thinking about your first (or next) home purchase is the mortgage rate as most forecasts call for a ½ percentage point increase or more by year’s end. Which is better? [...]
Author Anne Rice Loses Rancho Mirage Home to Foreclosure
Famed author of Interview with the Vampire Anne Rice has lost her Rancho Mirage, California home to foreclosure. Anne purchased the 6 bedroom, 9 bath, 9,156 square foot home in December of 2005 for a whooping $3,600,000. It would appear from tax records that JP Morgan Chase allowed her to over mortgage the property by [...]
The Truth About Obama’s Home Sales Tax
I’m continually asked by clients about the Obama Home Sales Tax, I’m sure many of you have recently received this e-mail? If you haven’t, my bet is you’ll be seeing it soon! The truth about Obama’s home sales tax is that it will affect very few homeowners. Will You Ever Sell Your House ? “Did [...]
REO Homes Get Cleaned Up
With large numbers of foreclosed properties crowding the inventories of many mortgage lenders, the Chicago Tribune reports that despite their concerns, many banks are putting money into their properties to help them sell. The paper says that by putting up some money for renovations, lenders can turn many of their properties from “uninhabitable” into livable [...]
Field Poll: Quality of life plunges in California
Californians are bummed out. The Golden State’s residents rated their quality of life at its lowest mark in almost 20 years, citing the economic downturn and stagnant personal finances, according to a joint UC Berkeley and Field Poll. “Residents are reconsidering the image of the Golden State and showing more ambivalence toward it,” said Jack [...]
The LO Compensation Fed Rule Scandal
The Fed Rule on LO compensation was written and is based on four reports. Two were pro-broker and two were anti-broker. Well the Fed has opted to ignore the more scientific pro-broker studies, in favor of one extremely shallow study, and another that was conducted by two billionaires that got rich in the sub-prime market [...]
California home sales decline in February as market adjusts to post-foreclosure freeze environment
LOS ANGELES (March 15) – Following three months of sales gains, California home sales posted a weaker-than-expected performance and declined in February, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 497,660 in February, according to information [...]
Is Your REALTOR® Marketing Your Home Properly
Is Your REALTOR® Marketing Your Home Properly, if you have a home for sale in Palm Springs (or anywhere for that matter), you should check to make sure that your listing in the MLS is both accurate and complete. A review of the Palm Springs Board of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service showed that many “tricks [...]
