Most times when you hear an advertisement that sounds “To good to be true”, it usually is, but not in this case. For the last 10 or so years, my current home loan was at 3.75%, arguably a very good rate. However when the pandemic hit around March of 2020, I could tell by the […]
True Wealth – How to Avoid the Looming Retirement Crisis
June 15, 2020 By
Wealth vs. Saving – The Distinction There are many different definitions of wealth. For this purpose I will define wealth as “a durable and perpetual source of significant income”. If you are planning on retiring, income is what you need. Many would consider one million dollars in the bank as wealthy, but let’s think of […]
My Favorite Alternative Investment Media
May 4, 2020 By
Somewhere around 1986 the Fox Network started. Many including myself thought, “Well how is this going to work, we already have 2(CBS), 4(NBC) and 7(ABC)”. Three decades later we have more media choices than we know what to do with. The sad thing is that when you listen to Fox or MSNBC you think you […]
Coronavirus, Market Meltdown & Real Estate
March 19, 2020 By
Coronavirus and Real Estate – First Impressions Friday February 21st, was the last day before the market meltdown. On that Friday the Dow Jones industrials closed a little under 29,000. The following Monday the markets closed down 1,000 points. Tuesday, another 1,000 point drop. Wednesday gave us a reprieve and Thursday we were hit with […]
It’s Time Again to Look at Refinancing
February 24, 2020 By
With interest rates hitting all time lows its once again to look at refinancing your home mortgage. Only this time with a different twist. When you buy a home you have to accept the interest rates at the time of purchase. It is discouraging to know that you are likely to never get the absolute […]
Home Sellers – Be Very Afraid of the Agent that Tells You This….
February 15, 2020 By
“You don’t have to do any fix up, I have buyer that will buy it “AS IS” !!!” Well guess what? So do I. All I have to do is look in my email deleted folder. I have hundreds of buyers wanting to buy my fixer upper listing. These Flippers are so nice that they […]
Looking For Signs of a Possible Market Top
July 8, 2019 By
It is common knowledge that Southern California has Real Estate cycles. Often very dramatic boom & bust cycles. In 2017, many homeowners started getting nervous that the market felt “Toppy”. In response to this sentiment I dove deep into the market and wrote “A Top is NOT in sight…”. This article is available on our […]
Buying With a Partner When All is NOT Equal
November 10, 2015 By
When you buy a home with a partner or spouse and everything is split 50/50, it is easy. But what happens when what you bring to the table is different? How do you make it equitable for both parties when contributions are not equal? This morning I spoke to a couple that are looking to […]
A Tepid Recovery
July 31, 2014 By
This recovery is very unlike the past two recoveries of 1985 and 1995. In both previous recoveries, prices climbed to new highs and powered forward for 5 – 10 years. The two previous price moves forward were 1985 – 1990 and 1996 – 2006. In both previous recoveries, it was like a light switch was […]
The Future of Real Estate Prices
December 5, 2013 By
The investment world has no shortage of commentary and media on the state of the economy. CNBC runs 24/7 with analysts prognosticating the next boom or bust. Most larger stocks have analysts that follow with baited breath each new earnings report. Real Estate on the other hand, receives no such treatment or following. I just […]
Barron’s Real Estate Article Correct! – But Missing Risk of Higher Rates
October 8, 2012 By
Last month Barron’s cover story was about the housing market. The cover predicts that home prices will be headed up 7% in the next 3 years. This prediction almost seems a day late a dollar short, as in August I wrote that Los Altos homes price were up $30,000 year over year, which translates to […]
Banks are Idiots – Wells Fargo Prefers You Screw Them, Than Be Paid Back.
March 5, 2012 By
Today I got to speak with Larry and Sean at Wells Fargo. This was my second day of three way calls with my client on the line, trying to get somewhere in an attempt to “Do the right thing” and save Wells Fargo $20,000, or more. Jenny & Jim bought their home about 10 years […]
Economics is a Dismal Science.
January 9, 2012 By
If I were the dean of a college I would put the economics department in with the history department, or possibly the psychology department. Just the thought of associating the term “science” with economics is very misleading to all students and layman trying to understand economics and investment theory and downright insulting to scientists. The problem lies […]
Ben Bernanke – Between a rock and a hard place in Housing Market
January 7, 2012 By
Ben Bernanke is intentionally trying to devalue the US dollar to prop up the housing market. While I don’t agree with him doing this, I do understand why he is trying to destroy the dollar. Deflation by itself isn’t really a problem. I know that the word deflation is always associated with the Great Depression, […]
Home Prices Drop Double Digits in only 4 Months!
March 1, 2008 By
Credit Crunch – the Straw that Broke the Buyer’s Back. It was the perfect storm. A seasonally quiet time coupled with the now infamous “credit crunch”, quoted as the worst credit crunch in the last 20 years by Bear Stearns president, James Cayne. As the credit crunch started to unfold, it was unclear what would […]
Creative Lending, A Sign of Trouble?
April 28, 2003 By
I was interviewing lenders today to get a pulse on their business. It was a trip down memory lane. One lendernd I, were reminiscing about the creative financing tools we had in the early 90’s. Then the market was at it’s top and affordability was a big issue. Here are two creative ways we helped […]
Is There a Real Estate Bubble?
September 1, 2002 By
As a prospective buyer, if I knew prices were rising rapidly, then I might bid more for a home than it was worth. However if I knew that prices were dropping, then I might bid lower or I might just wait. But buyers don’t know what the future holds, they only think they know based […]