Start Me Up, I Want to Buy a Home To borrow yet another song reference, and you know I'm fond of those, 'it's not unusual' for first-time buyers to come in our door and readily admit they have no idea where to start the home buying process. Often they are referred by real estate agents who tell...

11/29/2018

Lock Watch for the Week of 11/26/2018

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Lock Watch for the Week of 11/26/2018 Volatility-O-Meter:Wednesday's gonna be a doozy, so shake off your holiday weekend hangover. Economicalendar (all times are Pacific):Mon, 11/26: 2-Yr Note Auction (10am).Tues, 11/27: Case-Shiller HPI (6am), Consumer Confidence (7am), 5-Yr Note Aucti...

11/26/2018

Grateful for the Grind

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Grateful for the Grind This year at Thanksgiving, I find myself up against the same challenge as every November --- how to keep the pedal to the metal and avoid succumbing to the seasonal slowdown that will send the unprepared and uninspired in my industry to the couch for a nap that could last u...

11/21/2018

Lock Watch for the Week of 11/19/2018

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Lock Watch for the Week of 11/19/2018 Volatility-O-Meter:Wednesday is a real market day but otherwise the week is light, even if the meals will be heavy... Economicalendar (all times are Pacific):Mon, 11/19: Housing Market Index (7am).Tues, 11/20: Housing Starts (5:30am).Weds, 11/21: ...

11/19/2018

Packing Light for Your Departure Property

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Packing Light for Your Departure Property I fielded a call this week and it's one that comes in quite frequently. "We saw a place we really like and are thinking about putting in an offer. But we don't know what we're going to do with our existing home and don't think we have time to sell it fi...

11/15/2018

Lock Watch for the Week of 11/12/2018

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Lock Watch for the Week of 11/12/2018 Volatility-O-Meter:"The beatings will continue until morale improves." Keep your eye on CPI... Economicalendar (all times are Pacific):Mon, 11/12: Veteran's Day, bond market closed.Tues, 11/13: Treasury Budget (11am).Weds, 11/14: CPI (5:30am).T...

11/12/2018

For Those About to Buy a Home

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For Those About to Buy a Home I started to get curious about Fannie Mae's HomeReady mortgage program when pricing out loan scenarios that could lean towards either conforming or FHA. I needed to get a sense of which would provide the better fit for the client. In so doing, this HomeReady progr...

11/07/2018

Lock Watch for the Week of 11/5/2018

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Lock Watch for the Week of 11/5/2018 Volatility-O-Meter:I expect the markets to flirt with the reality of higher rates again this week, amid a backdrop of auctions and Tuesday's mid-term elections. Economicalendar (all times are Pacific):Mon, 11/5: ISM Non-Mfg Index (7am), 3-Yr Note Auction ...

11/05/2018

Let's Get Small Condo Projects

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Let's Get Small Condo Projects San Francisco is known for its majestic Victorian and Edwardian homes, and residents and homebuyers in the city know that sometimes these massive dwellings get converted into condominiums. Not one's traditional idea of a condo project, what was once a majestic sing...

11/01/2018