Housing Froth Creating Imbalance for Consumers and Investors

Home buyers and sellers should think twice before jumping into over-heated real estate markets. Fed chief Alan Greenspan feels the housing boom is economically imbalanced or uneven. New liquidity in real estate assets could disappear if interest rates raise on feelings from investors that risk levels are growing in the real estate sector.

Real estate agents I've spoken with from several fast-appreciating markets have told me "thank goodness for the interest-only, 40 year term and 100% loans, otherwise we couldn't get buyers into homes at current prices". That's not a good sign for continued escalation of home prices, because mortgage lenders don't have an endless supply of mortgage products.

Home buyers are also uneasy in over-heated markets with rising values because they have difficulties perceiving how they are going to have appreciation at similar levels to the seller of the property they are considering buying. Prices to not increase at same levels forever. Markets are based on supply and demand, according to recently released numbers for July 2005, the number of homes for sale nationally is the largest since 1988. If sellers are looking to take profits and sell, the increased supply will drive prices down.

Not all areas of the country are in over-heated real estate markets, but you should do your homework before purchasing a home or investing in income property. Ask your real estate agent to prepare spread sheets for days-on-market, number of homes for sale and sold prices for 2004 versus 2005. Increasing days-on-market shows a slowing market and climbing inventory signal that potential buyers are staying on the sidelines.

Mark Nash is a nationally recognized consumer advocate for buyers and sellers of residential real estate. Author of four books including the recently released "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home" Thomson 2005. Mr. Nash has been featured in USA Today, Fidelity Investor's Weekly, CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, Dow Jones Market Watch, Unique Homes Magazine and The Universal Press Syndicate. His radio show "Real Estate Coast to Coast with Mark Nash" premieres on http://www.business.voiceamerica.com Wednesday September 14, 2005 9AM PST,11AM CST and 12 Noon EST. The show is looking for interesting guests including; real estate journalists, interior designers, home improvement experts, real estate attorney's, appraisers, home inspectors and celebrity's.

More than 40 states signed onto a proposed $25-billion deal with major mortgage servicers over faulty foreclosure practices. New York, Nevada and Delaware joined California in holding out for better terms.

More than 40 states signed onto a proposed $25-billion settlement with major mortgage servicers over faulty foreclosure procedures, but California, New York and other key states were still not among them.

California has until Monday to share in a multi-state deal with banks to obtain mortgage relief and reforms. Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, who walked away from talks last year, says the door remains open.

With a Monday deadline at hand, California officials have resumed direct talks with the Obama administration about joining a multibillion-dollar, multi-state mortgage settlement with the nation's largest banks, a source said Sunday.

The talk show host pays $12 million for the 4,088-square-foot house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The ocean-view home sits on 1.26 bluff-top acres with beach access.

In one of the more talked-about transactions in town, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have sold their Malibu beach house to daytime host and comedian Ellen De Generes for $12 million.

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom house built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore lists for $2,875,000.

A decorative cast stone entrance opens to this restored Spanish Colonial Revival-style house in Pasadena's South Orange Grove area. Built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore, the house retains such original details as coffered wood ceilings and arched doorways.

They don't believe they can sell their property for what it's worth, so they're spending money on making their homes more comfortable.

Do you fit any of these descriptions?

A biennial research report by the National Assn. of Realtors indicates that a handful of real estate agents and brokers and their clients either don't know the law or don't care to follow it.

When it comes to lawsuits, real estate agents and brokers tangle mostly among themselves.

The president aims to help about 3.5 million people with good credit who are unable to refinance at historically low rates because their homes are worth less than their mortgages.

 

The White House hopes to help millions of homeowners lower their monthly mortgage bill with a $5 billion to $10 billion plan to set up a streamlined refinancing program for people who are current on their payments.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 large U.S. cities fell 1.3% in November from October as foreclosures continue to drag down the housing market.

Three straight months of home-price declines in the biggest U.S. cities showed that foreclosures remain a significant drag on a housing market that is entering its fifth year of deterioration.

L.A. Clipper Chris Paul may be quick down the court, but he moves pretty fast when it comes to buying multimillion-dollar real estate too.