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According to Ellie Mae’s latest Origination Report, the average FICO® Score on all closed loans dropped to 722 which is its lowest mark since April. The average includes all approved refinance and purchase loans. FHA and VA loans showed the most opportunity for millennials looking to enter the market with low down payments and even lower FICO® Score requirements. Ellie Mae’s Millennial Tracker revealed that those who purchased homes in December with an FHA Loan were able to do so with an average down payment of 4% and a FICO® Score of only 684. Joe Tyrell, EVP of Corporate Strategy at Ellie Mae commented onRead More →

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In: real estate market analysis, Sellers, Uncategorized

San Diego Housing Inventory The housing crisis is finally in the rear-view mirror as the real estate market moves down the road to a complete recovery. Home values are up, home sales are up, and distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) have fallen to their lowest points in years. It seems that the market will continue to strengthen in 2018. However, there is one thing that may cause the industry to tap the brakes: a lack of housing inventory. While buyer demand looks like it will remain strong throughout the winter, supply is not keeping up. Here are the thoughts of a few industry expertsRead More →

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CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that “over the past 12 months, 712,000 borrowers moved into positive equity.” This is great news, as the share of homeowners with negative equity (those who owe more than their home is worth), has dropped more than 20% since the peak in Q4 of 2009 (26%) to 4.9% today. The report also revealed: The average homeowner gained approximately $14,900 in equity during the past year. Compared to Q3 2016, negative equity decreased 22% from 3.2 million homes, or 6.3% of all mortgaged properties. U.S. homeowners with mortgages (roughly 63% of all homeowners) have seen their equity increase by a totalRead More →

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Some Highlights: Buyer demand continues to outpace the supply of homes for sale which means that buyers are often competing with one another for the few listings that are available! Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply needed to sustain a normal housing market. Perhaps the time has come for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire. Source: Housing Market & Real Estate News Lenora LostaunauLenora is a full-service San Diego real estate agent, serving residents county-wide, and those looking to live in San Diego. She specializing in Metro and Coastal San Diego, with a Masters DegreeRead More →

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In: real estate market, San Diego Real Estate, Sellers, Uncategorized

According to recently released data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median amount of time a home spent on the market hit an all-time low of only three weeks in 2017. Strong buyer demand, a good economy, and a low inventory of new and existing homes for sale created the perfect storm to accelerate the time between listing and signing a contract. The time needed to sell a home has dropped substantially since its highest mark of 11 weeks in 2012. The chart below shows the median weeks on the market from 1987 to today. Bottom Line If you are a homeowner whoRead More →

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Homeownership is a major part of the American Dream. As evidence of that, 91% of Americans believe that owning a home is either essential (43%) or important (48%) to achieving that “dream.” In a market where some people may be unsure about the benefits and possibilities of buying a home, it is important that we remember this. Homeownership is NOT just about the money. In fact, some of the major benefits are non-financial. Here are a few of those benefits as per the National Association of Realtors: Consistent findings show that homeownership does make a significant positive impact on educational achievement. Several researchers have foundRead More →