Bob's Coto Blog

A surprisingly strong rebound in California's real estate market helped lift a key home price index for the eighth month in a row. That's good news for people who plan to sell their homes this spring. Prices are now up almost 4 percent from the bottom in May 2009, but still almost 30 percent bel...

A surprisingly strong rebound in California's real estate market helped lift a key home price index for the eighth month in a row. That's good news for people who plan to sell their homes this spring. Prices are now up almost 4 percent from the bottom in May 2009, but still almost 30 percent bel...

Standard & Poors released its Case-Shiller Index Wednesday. The report shows that, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, between December and January, home prices rose in more than half of the index's tracked markets. The strength of this month's Case-Shiller report, however, should be put in context....

Starting Monday, April 5, 2010, getting an FHA mortgage will be more expensive for borrowers. In new guidelines set forth earlier this year, the FHA announced plans to raise additional revenue and reduce the overall risk of its mortgage portfolio.  The changes include the following: Increase Upf...

Short Sales are Rapidly Becoming Both Easier and Faster NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Short sales are the hottest thing going in the distressed-property market, and the trend is expected to get even hotter in coming weeks, when the government starts handing out cash to encourage lenders to close the...

Mortgage markets tanked last week, raising rates to their highest levels in a month.  Most of the losses occurred Wednesday in what was the worst 1-day mortgage market performance in more than 6 months. Even Friday's rally could barely dent the losses. Most of the movement was tied to geopolitica...

Economists at IHS Global Insight and PNC Financial conclude that Orange County homes were priced 5.6% too low in 2009’s fourth quarter. Comparing local house-sale prices to historical real estate and economic trends, IHS-PNC estimates that Orange County homes were undervalued for the 7th consecu...

The Administration's Making Home Affordable Program has put a couple of great tools on their website that can help answer your questions about a possible Loan Modification. ( Part of HAMP - the Home Affordable Modification Program.)There is an Evaluator Tool and a Questionnaire. If you can no lon...

There is an interesting wrinkle with the new bill just signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, regarding tax credits for California home buyers - state bill AB 183.Here is some language from that bill: "Requires buyers to close escrow between May 1 and Dec. 31 to qualify." ( For an up to $10,000. tax ...

For the 22 business days ending March 8 – DataQuick’s latest homebuying report — Orange County saw … For the 22 business days ending March 8 Slice Price Yr. ago Sales Yr. ago Houses $500,000 +13.6% 1,559 -4.1% Condos $288,750 +11.5% 812 +15.7% New $523,500 +6.5% 101 +26.3% All O.C. $420,000 +10.5...