By Don Dunning | January 27, 2009
The California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) meets over a 5-day period, three times a year. As a director, I attended the first one for 2009, held in Monterey last week. Not surprisingly, the main topic of discussion dealt with short sales and REOs, which are making a huge impact on the residential real estate market. […]
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 15, 2009
For many years, I have been a member of two “expert witness” groups. Participants are all experts in their fields and are called upon by attorneys to help in litigations. Membership in one of my groups is made up of only real estate experts. Last night, I attended the monthly meeting of the other — […]
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 | January 9, 2009
The Pacific Northwest has been suffering torrential rains while California is facing water rationing. My wife and I have a second home on Vancouver Island. On Wednesday, we received a call from our tenant. After an all night rainfall of record proportions, the ground was totally saturated, the street in front of the house was […]
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