Rent prices across California have climbed to historic levels, and Humboldt County is no exception. For prospective buyers in areas like Eureka, CA, the high cost of renting a home is becoming harder to justify. Monthly rents now rival or even exceed what a mortgage payment might be for comparable properties. This shift has made owning a home more financially appealing than ever.

In communities such as Arcata and Fortuna, the rental market is extremely tight, with high demand and limited availability. Many renters find themselves renewing leases at increased rates year after year, wit... Read more

Buying a home is one of the biggest milestones in life, and it often comes with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. For many buyers, the biggest sticking point is interest rates. It is tempting to wait for rates to drop before committing to a mortgage, but in reality, waiting can mean missing out on the home that truly fits your needs. The phrase “date the rate, marry the house” has gained popularity among realtors, especially in competitive markets like California and Humboldt County, because it captures an important truth: interest rates are temporary, but the home you buy can shape your fu... Read more

As the year draws to a close, many potential homebuyers in California begin weighing the financial impact of purchasing property before December 31. Buying a home in the fall can unlock valuable tax benefits that provide immediate financial relief. For instance, closing on a property before the year ends allows buyers to deduct mortgage interest, property taxes, and in some cases, mortgage insurance premiums from their taxable income. This can lower your tax liability for the current year, giving you a head start on building wealth through real estate.

In markets like Humboldt County,... Read more

Do you own a home which has negative equity and are wondering how this occurred? The answer is simple. Negative equity occurs when you purchase a home using a home loan and the home prices begin to decline due to economic slowdown. The home value now decreases below the value principally on mortgage. This condition is called negative equity. It can be calculated by taking the value of the home, less the balance on the remaining loan.

An important aspect in the performance of home loans in the third quarter of 2009 was the high resale of foreclosures. This came up to one fifth of the t... Read more

Small banks start feeling financial stress

By Charles Piller
cpiller@sacbee.com


http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2000836.html

At first, the Sacramento region’s small, business-oriented community banks appeared to have sidestepped the plight of banking titans that staggered under the burden of home mortgage defaults. Now some are showing signs of stress.

Gold Country Bank in Marysville has become the weakest bank of its size in California – below 98 percent of similar banks nationwide, according to Bankrate.com, a leading independent ev... Read more

Home Front: Fewer empty new homes means supply, demand in balance

ShareThisBy Jim Wasserman
jwasserman@sacbee.com

Published: Friday, Apr. 10, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
The first quarterly report on new-home sales in the Sacramento area during 2009 is in – and there’s one good sign amid a new low of 699 sales in January, February and March.

Excess supply – houses built or almost built without buyers – are back to lows last seen in mid-2004 and early 2005, the height of the buying frenzy.

The tally as March ended was 1,159 empty houses in El D... Read more

Brought to you by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Dear C.A.R. Member:

Following several months of debate and delays, our state representatives in Sacramento delivered a 2009-2010 budget to Governor Schwarzenegger today. The governor is expected to sign the budget as presented. Although details are sketchy, the budget appears to raise existing sales tax levels by 1 percent, and places a 0.25-percent income tax increase across the board. Under provisions included in the new budget, the vehicle license fee will increase from 0.65 percent to 1.15 percent of a vehicle’s... Read more