10 hottest housing markets for 2014

10 hottest housing markets for 2014

via @CNNMoney

Foreclosure inventory ‘healing at an accelerating rate’

Foreclosure inventory ‘healing at an accelerating rate’

via Inman News

Oakland Makes the Top Ten in Turnaround Towns

#1 #Oakland

East Bay Happenings

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Rates at 2014 Lows – Mortgage Time

MORTGAGE TIME Mortgage Market News for the week of Jan. 10, 2014

Compliments of: Patrick Gardner Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS ID: 378888 415-423-1424 Email me Visit my website   JOB GAINS FALL SHORT Investors were focused on the strength of the labor market this week. A strong reading for job gains in Wednesday’s ADP report caused mortgage rates to move a little higher. The ADP data turned out to be a poor indicator for Friday’s weaker than expected Employment report, however, and mortgage rates ended the week lower. Against a consensus forecast of 200K, the economy added just 74K jobs in November. This was the smallest monthly increase in jobs since January 2011. Given that several other labor market indicators showed greater strength in December, many investors were skeptical about how accurately the data reflects the strength of the labor market. For one thing, bad weather likely was a factor in the shortfall, as the construction sector was particularly weak. Upward revisions to the November data also partly offset the December results, leaving average gains of about 160K over the last two months. Bottom line, though, the report fell short of expectations, causing mortgage rates to move lower after the news. In another twist, the Unemployment Rate unexpectedly declined from 7.0% to 6.7%, the lowest level since October 2008. Looking below the surface, reported job gains accounted for just 0.1% of the decline, while a large group of people leaving the labor force was responsible for the remaining 0.2% decline. While the headline Employment report is based on data collected from just large employers, the Unemployment Rate is derived from a separate survey of individual households. According to this survey, there were job gains of about 150K in December, while roughly 350K people were no longer seeking work and thus were removed from the labor force. Since the Unemployment Rate is simply the number people in the labor force seeking work divided by the total labor force, it counts equally whether a person stops seeking work by finding a job, giving up on the job search, or retiring. ALSO NOTABLE • The Trade Deficit declined to the lowest level since October 2009 • The European Central Bank (ECB) made no change in rates • Mel Watt was sworn in for a five-year term as Director of the FHFA • Janet Yellen was confirmed to be the next Chair of the Fed WEEK AHEAD The most significant economic data next week will be the Retail Sales data and the monthly inflation reports. Retail Sales account for about 70% of economic activity and will be released on Tuesday. The Producer Price Index (PPI) focuses on the increase in prices of “intermediate” goods used by companies to produce finished products and will come out on Wednesday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most closely watched monthly inflation report, will come out on Thursday. CPI looks at the price change for finished goods which are sold to consumers. Housing Starts and Industrial Production will come out on Friday. Import Prices, Philly Fed, Empire State, Consumer Sentiment, and the Fed’s Beige Book will round out a busy schedule.

Oakland is HOT!

Oakland is HOT!

2013 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,200 times in 2013. If it were a cable car, it would take about 53 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Your Weekly Mortgage Time is Here…Late, but here Nonetheless

MORTGAGE TIME Mortgage Market News for the week of Jan. 17, 2014

Compliments of: Patrick Gardner Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS ID: 378888 415-423-1424 Email me Visit my website INFLATION REMAINS TAME Mortgage rates began the week with downward momentum following last Friday’s big miss on the Employment report. That, combined with low inflation, more than offset this week’s slightly stronger than expected economic growth data, and mortgage rates ended the week a little lower. With the Fed’s recent decision to reduce its bond purchases, investors were left evaluating what they believed to be the appropriate level of mortgage rates for the current economic environment. In short, moderate economic growth and low inflation represent relatively favorable conditions for mortgage rates. This week, the December Retail Sales report revealed gains consistent with moderate growth. Since Retail Sales account for about 70% of economic activity, investors pay close attention to this data. Two of the more significant monthly inflation reports also were released this week, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Producer Price Index (PPI), and both confirmed that inflation remains tame. Core CPI was just 1.7% higher than one year ago, well below the Fed’s target level of 2.0%, while Core PPI was even lower at 1.4% on an annual basis. JOLTS, another report released this week, is quickly gaining prominence with investors because it is considered to be a favorite of incoming Fed Chair Janet Yellen. The JOLTS survey measures Job Openings and Labor Turnover levels, providing another level of insight into labor market conditions. Since the Unemployment Rate has been heavily influenced recently by people leaving the labor force rather than by job gains, investors and Fed officials are eager for additional details to judge the strength of the labor market. The November JOLTS data showed that Job Openings unexpectedly rose to the highest level since March 2008. The percentage of people quitting their jobs was nearly unchanged. ALSO NOTABLE • The Empire State index rose to the highest level since May 2012 • Capacity Utilization increased to the highest level since May 2008 • The Fed’s Beige Book reported moderate economic growth • Unemployment in the euro zone remained at a record high 12.1% WEEK AHEAD The Economic Calendar will be nearly empty next week. Existing Home Sales, Leading Indicators, and Jobless Claims will be released on Thursday. Mortgage markets will be closed on Monday in Observance of MLK Day.

MORTGAGE TIME Mortgage Market News for the week of Jan. 10, 2014

Compliments of:   Patrick Gardner Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS ID: 378888 415-423-1424 Email me Visit my website     JOB GAINS FALL SHORT Investors were focused on the strength of the labor market this week. A strong reading for job gains in Wednesday’s ADP report caused mortgage rates to move a little higher. The ADP data turned out to be a poor indicator for Friday’s weaker than expected Employment report, however, and mortgage rates ended the week lower. Against a consensus forecast of 200K, the economy added just 74K jobs in November. This was the smallest monthly increase in jobs since January 2011. Given that several other labor market indicators showed greater strength in December, many investors were skeptical about how accurately the data reflects the strength of the labor market. For one thing, bad weather likely was a factor in the shortfall, as the construction sector was particularly weak. Upward revisions to the November data also partly offset the December results, leaving average gains of about 160K over the last two months. Bottom line, though, the report fell short of expectations, causing mortgage rates to move lower after the news. In another twist, the Unemployment Rate unexpectedly declined from 7.0% to 6.7%, the lowest level since October 2008. Looking below the surface, reported job gains accounted for just 0.1% of the decline, while a large group of people leaving the labor force was responsible for the remaining 0.2% decline. While the headline Employment report is based on data collected from just large employers, the Unemployment Rate is derived from a separate survey of individual households. According to this survey, there were job gains of about 150K in December, while roughly 350K people were no longer seeking work and thus were removed from the labor force. Since the Unemployment Rate is simply the number people in the labor force seeking work divided by the total labor force, it counts equally whether a person stops seeking work by finding a job, giving up on the job search, or retiring. ALSO NOTABLE • The Trade Deficit declined to the lowest level since October 2009 • The European Central Bank (ECB) made no change in rates • Mel Watt was sworn in for a five-year term as Director of the FHFA • Janet Yellen was confirmed to be the next Chair of the Fed   WEEK AHEAD The most significant economic data next week will be the Retail Sales data and the monthly inflation reports. Retail Sales account for about 70% of economic activity and will be released on Tuesday. The Producer Price Index (PPI) focuses on the increase in prices of “intermediate” goods used by companies to produce finished products and will come out on Wednesday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most closely watched monthly inflation report, will come out on Thursday. CPI looks at the price change for finished goods which are sold to consumers. Housing Starts and Industrial Production will come out on Friday. Import Prices, Philly Fed, Empire State, Consumer Sentiment, and the Fed’s Beige Book will round out a busy schedule.       MORTGAGE TIME Mortgage Market News for the week of Jan. 10, 2014 Compliments of:   Patrick Gardner Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS ID: 378888 415-423-1424 Email me Visit my website     JOB GAINS FALL SHORT Investors were focused on the strength of the labor market this week. A strong reading for job gains in Wednesday’s ADP report caused mortgage rates to move a little higher. The ADP data turned out to be a poor indicator for Friday’s weaker than expected Employment report, however, and mortgage rates ended the week lower. Against a consensus forecast of 200K, the economy added just 74K jobs in November. This was the smallest monthly increase in jobs since January 2011. Given that several other labor market indicators showed greater strength in December, many investors were skeptical about how accurately the data reflects the strength of the labor market. For one thing, bad weather likely was a factor in the shortfall, as the construction sector was particularly weak. Upward revisions to the November data also partly offset the December results, leaving average gains of about 160K over the last two months. Bottom line, though, the report fell short of expectations, causing mortgage rates to move lower after the news. In another twist, the Unemployment Rate unexpectedly declined from 7.0% to 6.7%, the lowest level since October 2008. Looking below the surface, reported job gains accounted for just 0.1% of the decline, while a large group of people leaving the labor force was responsible for the remaining 0.2% decline. While the headline Employment report is based on data collected from just large employers, the Unemployment Rate is derived from a separate survey of individual households. According to this survey, there were job gains of about 150K in December, while roughly 350K people were no longer seeking work and thus were removed from the labor force. Since the Unemployment Rate is simply the number people in the labor force seeking work divided by the total labor force, it counts equally whether a person stops seeking work by finding a job, giving up on the job search, or retiring. ALSO NOTABLE • The Trade Deficit declined to the lowest level since October 2009 • The European Central Bank (ECB) made no change in rates • Mel Watt was sworn in for a five-year term as Director of the FHFA • Janet Yellen was confirmed to be the next Chair of the Fed   WEEK AHEAD The most significant economic data next week will be the Retail Sales data and the monthly inflation reports. Retail Sales account for about 70% of economic activity and will be released on Tuesday. The Producer Price Index (PPI) focuses on the increase in prices of “intermediate” goods used by companies to produce finished products and will come out on Wednesday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most closely watched monthly inflation report, will come out on Thursday. CPI looks at the price change for finished goods which are sold to consumers. Housing Starts and Industrial Production will come out on Friday. Import Prices, Philly Fed, Empire State, Consumer Sentiment, and the Fed’s Beige Book will round out a busy schedule.

New California Laws to Impact Multifamily Housing

Resident Screening Blog

CIC, a leading tenant screening provider to the multifamily housing industry, wants to keep you informed of California legislative changes that take effect in 2014 and 2015.

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MORTGAGE TIME Mortgage Market News for the week of Jan. 3, 2014

Compliments of: Patrick Gardner Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS ID: 378888 415-423-1424 Email me Visit my website IMPROVING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY The economic data released this week reflected continued improvement in the economy, but there was little market reaction. While some volatility was seen during the final days of 2013, mortgage rates ended the week with little net change. Heading into the new year, recent economic data has provided many reasons to be optimistic about the performance of the economy. The US has added an average of nearly 200K jobs over the past three months, and the Unemployment Rate has declined to 7.0%, the lowest level since November 2008. The ISM national manufacturing index held near the highest level since April 2011. Consumer Sentiment jumped to the highest level since July. Finally, Housing Starts were 30% higher than one year ago, at the highest level since February 2008. The Fed’s recent decision to taper its bond purchases reflects its confidence in the sustainability of the economic recovery. Mel Watt is scheduled to be sworn in on January 6 as the new Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The FHFA is the agency that oversees the operations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Since a large percentage of mortgage loans made today are eventually sold to or insured by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Watt will have a very significant influence over mortgage lending. Watt has not made public much of what he will do differently from outgoing Acting Director Edward DeMarco, but his policies are expected to be more accommodating to housing finance. Watt has stated that he will delay the recently announced guarantee fee increases that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had planned to begin charging in March. ALSO NOTABLE • November Pending Home Sales increased slightly from October • Construction Spending rose to the highest level since March 2009 • 2013 was the best year for the Dow stock index since 1995 • The Treasury will auction $64 billion in 3-yr, 10-yr, and 30-yr securities WEEK AHEAD The important monthly Employment report will come out on Friday. As usual, this data on the number of jobs, the Unemployment Rate, and wage inflation will be the most highly anticipated economic data of the month. Before that, ISM Services and Factory Orders will come out on Monday. The Trade Balance will be released on Tuesday. The Minutes from the December 18 Fed Meeting will be released on Wednesday. These detailed Minutes provide additional insight into the debate between Fed officials, and it will be interesting to see the degree of support behind the decision to taper. In addition, there will be Treasury auctions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.