Palos Verdes Real Estate

Real Estate General Info Category

May, 2013, Newsletter

Dear Neighbor:  Onward and upward!  Reasonably-priced homes continue to sell quickly, often with multiple offers.  Interest rates still have not moved upward, remaining at around 4%.  And lenders have begun making 95% loans again (5% down) – I think this is called amnesia.  One of the less-obvious issues we’re having these days is that of appraisals.  This is always a problem when the market is rising, as appraisers use closed sales (which, of course, are lower in a rising market) to determine...Continue Reading!

The Results Are In

In 2012, I ended up being the #1 Prudential agent in Palos Verdes and #4 overall in number of sales (including other brokerages) out of the thousands of agents that do business here. Now, you may say, #4 is no big deal but, if you read my stuff, you know that, unlike the other agents who do my level of business,  I do all this myself -- no assistants, secretaries, sub-agents, no foreclosure contracts with banks -- no nuthin'.  I do this because if you hire...Continue Reading!

Appraisals

This article was originally written in April, 2009, in the wake of the "meltdown", but still holds true today: Much has been written about the causes of the recent economic events as pertains to real estate, from the unqualified buyer, the predatory lender, potential collusion between the various parties, bogus loan ratings, and right on thru to the ultimate trusting investor.  Some have even addressed appraisals, but there is a problem with appraisals I've not seen discussed anywhere: The purpose of the...Continue Reading!

March 2013 Newsletter

Dear Neighbor:  The real estate market is still jumpin’, with interest rates remaining below 4% for all but the biggest loans or smallest down payments.  There is still very little for sale, and prices have certainly risen during the past 6 months or so.  The feeling on the street is that it’s just a matter of time (and not much time) before rates rise, so my theory (not exactly genius) is that everyone who has been thinking about buying and can,...Continue Reading!