By Don Dunning | February 26, 2009
Green is good and so many of us in California do what we can to preserve our increasingly fragile planet. Companies know this and some attempt to exploit our positive intentions by promoting their products as green. Orange oil treatments to eradicate termites are an example. For years, as a state director of the California […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | February 22, 2009
I just got another call from a struggling homeowner caught in the mortgage meltdown mess. She had read my article and wanted to know if she could hire me to help her out of her negative equity, unaffordable monthly payment situation. Seems she bought a house near Sacramento, was talked into a bad loan and […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | February 1, 2009
Our tax dollars are bailing out banks and other financial institutions from their greedy, shoddy practices, but those same lenders are, in many cases, harming, not helping, buyers and sellers in the current housing crisis. As a director, I heard this point illustrated time and again by Realtors from across the state at our first, 2009 meeting of the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) in Monterey recently.
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | January 16, 2009
Interest rates for home purchases have reached their lowest point in history, but how long will they remain at those levels? Regarding this question, the California Association of Realtors distributed this item to its members: ”The Federal Reserve’s announcement that its purchasing up to $500 billion of securities backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | January 12, 2009
Real estate by-the-hour, as I have discussed in previous articles, is a tremendous approach in certain situations. Recently, I received a thank you note from a client saying how well hourly consulting worked for her. I helped with her purchase of a For Sale By Owner, East Bay property. I am pleased that my advice, including how to negotiate with the seller, worked out so well for her.
The email reminded me that this service is so needed, yet exists in a vacuum that is unlikely to soon be filled. Consulting by-the-hour continues to be held back by a number of factors.
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | December 18, 2008
Today’s news reports indicate that 30-year, fixed rate mortgages have dropped to an average interest rate of 5.19 per cent, the lowest level since 1971. Meanwhile, unemployment claims are reported to be near the highest since 1982. If you have good credit and have been thinking about buying a home, this is a fabulous opportunity. […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | December 15, 2008
As an hourly real estate consultant, I have helped people in the East Bay. In one recent case, the client was a senior citizen who had a number of questions relating to her property. She was neither buying nor selling, but required information for planning purposes. Several days ago, I helped another individual with a […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | December 8, 2008
On 11/6/08, I wrote a blog about foreclosure scams. Subsequently, the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) legal department created a Q&A on the subject that provides details that might help prevent some distressed homeowners from being victimized.
Here I have excerpted some of the more salient Q&A’s from C.A.R.
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | December 3, 2008
In my last post, I talked about why this is a great time to buy. As many have discovered in the past week or so, this is also a fantastic time to get a new loan or refinance an existing one. According to news reports, applications for mortgages more than doubled during Thanksgiving week. This […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | December 1, 2008
Doing some MLS research, I substantiated my sense of the current market in Oakland. The statistics backed up what I have been saying to my clients — soft prices combined with attractive interest rates add up to a special buying opportunity. In fact, it is the best time to buy in our area in over 10 years. As I always tell my clients, never assume anything. Real estate runs in cycles and each one, although it seems long-lasting at the time, is always temporary.
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