Thursday, September 22, 2011

Dodd-Frank Act forcing further consumer protection from early payments!

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Mortgage Safeguards Coming in 2012
By Carter Dougherty - Sep 20, 2011
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will complete work on a rule aimed at ensuring borrowers have the ability to repay their mortgages early by next year, according to Raj Date, the former banker running the new agency.

“We plan to issue a final rule early next year in order to provide clarity to the market as quickly as we can, without sacrificing the quality of our analysis,” Date said today at a Washington conference sponsored by American Banker, a print and online publication covering the financial-services industry.

The rule, required under the Dodd-Frank Act, was issued by the Federal Reserve in April and has been taken over by the consumer bureau, which began work in July. The measure includes underwriting standards aimed at preventing abusive lending practices that lawmakers and regulators say led to record foreclosures in the wake of the 2008 credit crisis.

Date is a former executive with Capital One Financial Corp. (COF) and Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) who joined the consumer bureau in February as associate director for research, markets and regulation. He took over as special adviser to the Treasury secretary overseeing the agency on Aug. 1 after Harvard University law professor Elizabeth Warren stepped down.

Richard Cordray, the former Ohio attorney general serving as the consumer bureau’s enforcement chief, is awaiting Senate confirmation to become its first director.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

June sales and price report


For release:
July 14, 2011
June California home sales, median price post increase, C.A.R. reports
LOS ANGELES (July 14) – California home sales edged up in June, and the median price rose to its highest level since December 2010, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California rose 1.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted 477,710 units in June, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide.  June home sales were down 3.6 percent from the 495,780 units sold in June 2010.  The statewide sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2011 if sales maintained the June pace throughout the year.  It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
“As the housing market tries to gain a more solid footing, the decrease in conforming loan limits that is scheduled for later this year could adversely affect the market,” said C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce.  “Potential buyers – especially trade-up buyers – who are looking for a home in the $500,000 to $1 million price range will, no doubt, face higher mortgage rates, larger down payment requirements, and stricter underwriting standards.  “Would-be buyers on the fence need to act well before Sept. 30, when the conforming loan limit is set to be lowered, to avoid a higher cost of homeownership.”
The statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home sold in California rose 1.0 percent in June to $295,300 from a revised $292,420 in May.  June’s median price was down 5.9 percent from the $313,890 recorded in June 2010.
“Looking across the state, a number of areas are showing signs of strength, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, primarily because of the strong performing tech industry,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young.  “Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Santa Clara counties all posted solid sales and price gains from May levels.”
Other highlights of C.A.R.’s resale housing report for June 2011 include:
  • The Unsold Inventory Index for existing, single-family detached homes was 5.0 months in June, down from 5.5 months in May, but up compared with June 2010’s 4.6-month supply. The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.
  • Thirty-year fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.51 percent during June 2011, down from 4.74 percent in June 2010, according to Freddie Mac. Adjustable-mortgage interest rates averaged 3.0 percent in June 2011, compared with 3.86 percent in June 2010.
  • The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home was 50.3 days in June 2011, compared with 41.5 days for the same period a year ago.
  • View Unsold Inventory by price point
Note:  The County MLS median price and sales data in the tables are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state, and represent statistics of existing single-family detached homes only.  County sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales.  Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as changes in the cost of a standard home.  Median prices can be influenced by changes in cost, as well as changes in the characteristics and the size of homes sold.  Due to the low sales volume in some areas, median price changes in June may exhibit unusual fluctuation.
Leading the way...® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 160,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.
# # #
     June 2011 County Sales And Price Activity - Existing Single-Family Detached Homes
June-11
Median Price of Existing Single-Family Homes
Sales
State/Region/County
Jun-11
May-11

Jun-10

MTM% Chg
YTY% Chg
MTM% Chg
YTY% Chg
CA SFH (SAAR)
$295,300
$292,420
r
$313,890
r
1.0%
-5.9%
1.2%
-3.6%
CA Condo/Townhomes
$236,190
$234,640
r
$260,870
r
0.7%
-9.5%
7.0%
-7.3%
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
$276,230
$276,680
r
$292,700

-0.2%
-5.6%
6.5%
-8.5%
Inland Empire
$172,800
$172,110

$185,130
r
0.4%
-6.7%
9.9%
-4.4%
S.F. Bay Area
$539,880
$512,420

$553,360
r
5.4%
-2.4%
15.3%
-0.2%










S.F. Bay Area









Alameda
$485,870
$465,550

$519,280

4.4%
-6.4%
15.2%
-5.0%
Contra-Costa (Central County)
$658,700
$602,860

$658,420

9.3%
0.0%
11.6%
8.5%
Marin
$843,080
$807,140

$840,690

4.5%
0.3%
25.0%
-0.9%
Napa
$350,000
$377,270

$390,320

-7.2%
-10.3%
-7.6%
-10.7%
San Francisco
$695,910
$641,670

$740,690

8.5%
-6.0%
8.8%
0.7%
San Mateo
$750,000
$810,000

$793,000

-7.4%
-5.4%
12.9%
5.0%
Santa Clara
$635,000
$600,000

$633,000

5.8%
0.3%
15.1%
0.8%
Solano
$189,790
$191,850

$212,830

-1.1%
-10.8%
17.8%
-6.2%
Sonoma
$327,430
$353,750

$366,390

-7.4%
-10.6%
28.3%
1.8%
Southern California









Los Angeles
$301,300
$271,540
r
$313,420
r
11.0%
-3.9%
2.4%
-11.6%
Orange County
$534,680
$544,700

$566,090
r
-1.8%
-5.5%
7.6%
-12.8%
Riverside County
$202,910
$200,000

$214,330
r
1.5%
-5.3%
9.2%
-1.7%
San Bernardino
$129,570
$127,380

$141,900
r
1.7%
-8.7%
11.3%
-8.8%
San Diego
$377,550
$382,300

$397,910

-1.2%
-5.1%
7.3%
-3.0%
Ventura
$443,290
$425,000

$450,930

4.3%
-1.7%
11.1%
-0.6%
Central Coast









Monterey
$287,500
$251,000

$274,000

14.5%
4.9%
4.5%
-16.5%
San Luis Obispo
$364,750
$381,450

$445,000
r
-4.4%
-18.0%
12.2%
12.2%
Santa Barbara
$421,430
$426,320

$475,000
r
-1.1%
-11.3%
1.5%
1.5%
Santa Cruz
$540,000
$437,500

$507,500

23.4%
6.4%
21.9%
9.2%
Central Valley









Fresno
$138,040
$140,840

$161,180

-2.0%
-14.4%
16.2%
1.6%
Kern (Bakersfield)
$139,900
$135,000
r
$135,000

3.6%
3.6%
-1.3%
-14.2%
Kings County
$154,000
$137,690

$175,000

11.8%
-12.0%
12.0%
20.0%
Madera
$122,000
$116,670
r
$135,550

4.6%
-10.0%
-2.4%
-51.2%
Merced
$114,210
$111,850
r
$119,130
r
2.1%
-4.1%
-6.5%
-29.1%
Placer County
$266,560
$258,120

$286,630

3.3%
-7.0%
1.5%
-4.4%
Sacramento
$165,850
$168,200

$196,220

-1.4%
-15.5%
4.8%
-2.5%
San Benito
$249,000
$280,000

$315,000

-11.1%
-21.0%
-23.7%
-26.2%
Tulare
$121,520
$117,970

$140,890

3.0%
-13.7%
-5.6%
12.2%
Other Counties in California









Amador
$152,500
$171,250
r
$188,000

-10.9%
-18.9%
-4.9%
21.9%
Butte County
$221,050
$222,620

$230,360

-0.7%
-4.0%
19.0%
-12.3%
Humboldt
$243,750
$250,000

$242,860

-2.5%
0.4%
53.4%
1.1%
Lake County
$85,620
$105,560

$146,430
r
-18.9%
-41.5%
2.5%
-16.5%
Tuolumne
$166,000
$181,430

$202,940

-8.5%
-18.2%
22.6%
20.4%
Mendocino
$181,430
$281,250

$257,140

-35.5%
-29.4%
18.2%
8.3%
Shasta
$156,840
$151,110

$190,330

3.8%
-17.6%
7.6%
19.6%
Siskiyou County
$140,000
$85,000

$170,000

64.7%
-17.6%
7.1%
-30.2%
Tehama
$87,500
$117,500

$140,000

-25.5%
-37.5%
7.1%
-2.2%

June-11
Unsold Inventory Index
Median Time on Market
State/Region/County
Jun-11
May-11

Jun-10

Jun-11
May-11

Jun-10

CA SFH (SAAR)
5.0
5.5
r
4.6
r
50.3
51.9
r
41.5
r
CA Condo/Townhomes
5.2
6.0
r
5.2
r
57.4
57.9
r
47.5
r
Greater Los Angeles Area
5.4
6.0

4.4

54.4
55.6

39.2

Inland Empire
4.6
5.2

4.0
r
47.3
51.5

34.2
r
S.F. Bay Area
4.3
5.0

4.4
r
49.9
51.9

48.8
r











S.F. Bay Area










Alameda
4.0
4.8

3.7

65.3
69.4

68.6

Contra-Costa (Central County)
4.3
4.9

4.5

77.4
78.3

72.5

Marin
5.1
6.5

5.7

52.5
55.4

56.3

Napa
7.8
7.3

7.8

57.7
57.4

63.1

San Francisco
4.8
5.2

5.3

45.5
47.0

43.1

San Mateo
3.7
4.1

4.1

26.0
24.6

25.7

Santa Clara
3.3
3.9

3.7

24.5
26.0

23.2

Solano
4.5
5.5

3.7

48.3
53.6

47.3

Sonoma
5.9
7.4

5.7

62.9
65.1

62.5

Southern California










Los Angeles
5.4
6.0
r
4.6

52.7
51.9

40.4
r
Orange County
6.6
7.1

6.1

75.0
70.1

64.2
r
Riverside County
4.3
4.9

3.8

53.4
57.8

44.6

San Bernardino
4.9
5.5

4.3

46.6
50.4

31.1

San Diego
6.4
6.8

6.1

50.7
49.7

41.5

Ventura
6.6
7.5

4.4

62.2
77.6

55.8

Central Coast










Monterey
5.5
5.6

5.1

32.3
39.8

26.4

San Luis Obispo
6.2
6.8

7.6

59.7
59.6

49.9

Santa Barbara
6.9
7.0

6.9
r
56.3
99.8

63.2
r
Santa Cruz
5.4
6.8

6.5

41.0
39.1

29.4

Central Valley










Fresno
5.0
4.8

N/A

39.7
39.6

32.1

Kern (Bakersfield)
4.3
4.0
r
3.4

NA
NA

NA

Kings County
4.7
5.3

4.9

45.5
37.0

34.1

Madera
4.7
4.9
r
6.5

57.1
44.2
r
36.8

Merced
4.2
4.1
r
3.1

40.9
32.9
r
23.8

Placer County
NA
N/A

N/A

NA
NA

NA

Sacramento
2.4
2.5

2.5

35.1
40.9

28.7

San Benito
5.8
4.2

3.9

47.3
33.9

29.5

Tulare
5.0
4.6

5.7

34.3
39.9

25.5

Other Counties in California










Amador
8.2
8.0
r
12.6

55.2
46.7
r
121.0

Butte County
6.7
8.2

6.0

45.5
50.3

45.1

Humboldt
8.0
12.2

8.3

46.4
47.6

35.5

Lake County
7.5
7.7

6.3

92.0
88.7

82.8

Tuolumne
8.9
10.7

12.5

47.0
78.7

79.9

Mendocino
10.5
12.6

13.1

63.1
93.4

80.3

Shasta
5.5
6.1

8.2

41.2
44.4

45.9

Siskiyou County
N/A
N/A

N/A

NA
NA

NA

Tehama
7.4
7.9

7.3

50.8
52.8

44.2

*  Los Angeles Metropolitan Area is a 5-county region that includes Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County
*  S.F. Bay Area has been redefined to include the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma
*  Inland Empire includes Riverside County and San Bernardino County
Regional/County sales data and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted.
The MLS median price and sales data for detached homes are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® and MLSs throughout the state, representing 90 percent of the market. County sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. MLS median price and sales data for condominiums are based on a survey of more than 60 associations. The median price for both detached homes an condominiums represents closed escrows. Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as changes in the cost of a standard home. Median prices can be influenced by changes in cost and in the characteristics and size of homes sold. Due to low sales volume in some areas, median price changes may exhibit unusual fluctuation. C.A.R.’s data has been standardized to reflect county-level statistics.


find the article at:"http://www.car.org/newsstand/newsreleases/junesalesprice/"