By 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 19, 2009
My newspaper article that appeared this past weekend in the Bay Area News Group elicited a number of strong reactions from readers. In an email, a veteran East Bay real estate attorney said, “I reviewed a contract addendum for buyers that both cancelled all the benefit of the C.A.R. contract, but was also internally inconsistent. […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | February 12, 2009
Here’s another example of a bank’s ineptitude. I just read an article about a case of mistaken property identity that got all the way to the Nevada Supreme Court, Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., v. Thitchener, 192 P.3d 243 (Nev. 2008). According to the article, the lender’s foreclosure division confused the condominium unit of a National […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | February 9, 2009
I’ve already written about the difficulties California buyers and sellers are having with lenders. Well, we’re not alone. I just came across an interesting NY Times article that explains the pain being caused to Big Apple buyers and sellers. For example, many NYC lenders consider “walk-ups” substandard housing. Duh! As a New Yorker in a […]
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 | 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 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 | November 14, 2008
The California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) has just added a new information service to its Web site sharing great tips and ideas on how to green your home, office and life. “At Home with Green”™ includes an index of green resources, terminology and principles. It also offers information on buying a green home, greening an […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | November 6, 2008
Yesterday, I received a call from a fellow asking for advice for his friend. He said she was having mortgage payment problems and wanted to know who she should call to help her deal with her lender. Given her situation, I warned him how, in southern California, some people are getting ripped off by shysters […]
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