The A Team L.A. Times

The total number of rental households has increased to 38 million in the second quarter of this year, an increase of 1.4 million renters in the past 12 months.  It's spooky to imagine a world when all the rental properties are full and all the homes are empty. Because there has not been an overpr...

The Bill that Can Change the Market The newly proposed bipartisan Senate bill is poised to encourage foreigners to buy U.S. homes. The bill would allow foreigners who spend at least $500,000 on a residential property to obtain visas allowing them to live in the United States. American consumers a...

A hot topic in the real estate world: appraisals that are too low. The National Association of Realtors reported that 18% of real estate professionals saw contracts fall through when lenders rejected loan applications/ appraisals came in lower than expected. Appraisers keep taking the heat for mo...

I like to write my blog with a positive outlook because that is my outlook on life. But the real estate market has changed and I have to talk about some unavoidable, negative-sounding things out there. This week I want to explain how to navigate a bank-owned purchase. 1.       Research the prope...

Mortgage rates hit record lows this week, reflecting continued market and U.S. employment concerns, Freddie Mac's chief economist said Thursday. Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.12% for the week ending Sept. 8, down from 4.22% last week and 4.35% a year ago. The mortgage's previou...

Many factors make this a great time to invest. Mortgage rates are at a 40-year low, and homes in many areas are ultra-cheap. Meanwhile, demand for rentals has risen in more than 500 cities, according to recent Census data. That, in turn, has enabled landlords to charge more.   You'll need that re...

    Weather and nature are at the forefront of our thoughts after the East coast was slapped by Hurricane Irene. These times bring to mind new trends that everyone should know about. I am extremely passionate about green homes and real estate that's good for the soul, so the positive reviews on ...

“We can always go down, but we can’t go up,” is a common phrase thrown around when deciding how to price a home. My clients and the clients of agent’s everywhere often want to leave a little “room to negotiate” in their original pricing by adding a few percentage points to the cost. Here’s why a...

The stock market news and unemployment issues are hindering the real estate market. People are still waiting for the best deal on the market, imagining that prices could get even lower. Many families looking to expand and move up in the housing market are also worried that their job security leav...

When it comes to real estate, all is not always as it seems. Many buyers — and some sellers — labor under misconceptions that could sink their housing aspirations. Take the notion that you will hunt for a house until you find the "perfect" one. Sorry. There is no such thing as the perfect house....