Included in H.R. 5623, the Home Buyer Assistance and Improvement Act that is headed to President Obama’s desk for signature, is an extension to September 30, 2010 for those transactions to close escrow and qualify for the tax credit. Many buyers were experiencing delays in getting their loans finalized. Part of this was attributed to the increase in the number of loan applications and lenders being short-staffed; while others are entangled in the short sale process which often involvs a little more time than a traditional equity sale. See More….

Other items that the Bill provides include:

• Enhanced information sharing that would prevent prisoners from claiming the Homebuyer tax credit;
• Applying a bad check penalty to electronic checks payable to the IRS;
• Modifying the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 to extend the authority of the Department of Homeland Security to implement fees that they project will reduce the deficit by $95 million over 11 years.

To read the full text of the Bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.5623

Are you sorry that you missed the $8000 Tax Credit?

For example, the average interest rate in the Month of April, prior to the deadline, was 5.34%. A borrower with a 30 year fixed rate on a $280,000 mortgage would pay $1561.82 per month. If that same borrower were to purchase in May with an average interest rate of 4.625%, that payment would be $1439.59 per month. This is an annual savings of $1467 which over 30 years result in savings of over $44,000. That’s quite a bundle!

“In the months immediately following the expiration of the tax credit, we expect measurably lower sales,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.

Borrowers who wanted to take advantage of the credit have now purchased. Some describe these as “borrowed buyers” who would have normally purchased over the course of the summer months, concentrating buying activity into a set amount of time. This concentration resulted in an increase of 30% in home sales for the month of March.

For now, with the interest rates as low as they are, there is still a good incentive to purchase which will soften the landing for the tax credit expiration. And there are Laguna Beach Homes for Sale which could become great values with favorable prices and low interest rates.

However, there is still the question of that “shadow inventory”, the millions of foreclosures that need to be sold but haven’t yet been listed. That number could be as high as 4.5 million homes owned by banks and individuals that are waiting for the right time to enter the market.

When they do, the normal supply and demand factors will come into play to determine price. As prices rise, inventory will increase which could drive the prices down as supply outpaces demand. As the inventory decreases, prices will creep up again until demand is met. This cycle could result in a sawtooth recovery of home prices – moving up and down until inventory is stabilized.

For buyers looking for a bottom in the market, it may be wise to watch for several dips and be ready to take advantage of the right home at the right price. As always, get your financial ducks in a row before you find the home of your dreams. If you are going to use bank financing, get preapproved now. It is always best to be ready so when that home you want enters the market, you will be able to act.

And for Laguna Beach Homes for Sale, you just may be able to find a home priced less than $1 million that could qualify for favorable financing. Imagine, investing and living a Laguna Beach Lifestyle!

Until next time…

Boston Fed President, Eric Rosengren said that he believes mortgage rates will rise about three-quarters of a percent to about 6 percent as a result. Things may be a little “wobbly” at first; however, there is an acknowledgment by Fed Vice Chairman Donald Kohn that “We are still in unchartered waters…We will need to be flexible and adjust as we gain experience.”

It is anticipated that the Fed is unlikely to step in again unless a renewed crisis occurs, such as a sudden and destabilizing rise in mortgage rates. There seems to be an indication that the Feds would like to move away from their reliance on unconventional policy measures.

In a policy statement issued after the Fed’s December meeting, the central bank reiterated plans to finalize the program by the end of March and was planning to continue to close down other emergency measures as scheduled.

Said Torsten Slok, senior economist at Deutsche Bank,” That was a fairly strong signal that they will not continue the purchases later on”.

Read the full story…

So, let’s take a look at what options are still currently available for folks interested in purchasing a home in the Orange County Real Estate Market in the next few months:

• Home prices that have been adjusted lower from their market peaks
• Low interest rates
• Tax Credits for both first time home buyers and existing homeowners
• Buyer protection programs offered by some banks and some Real Estate Groups, such as California Association of Realtors
• A large inventory of homes from which to choose – with many custom homes in the Laguna Beach Real Estate Market

Everyone seems to be in agreement that we need to get the inventory of distressed homes off the market before we see overall market recovery in prices. The question is, are you ready to be one of those new homebuyers that will benefit from the current market and the government incentives?

Take the time to review your personal financial situation, talk to your lender, and be certain that you are not missing a rare opportunity. Don’t be concerned if you are not quite ready to make that purchase, find out what you need to correct, improve, or save, in order to get yourself ready to purchase that home you’ve had your eye on.

Until next time…

So what does this mean? The higher the percentage; the more affordable for a first time home buyer to purchase a house. What these numbers are telling us is that 67 percent of households in California can now afford to purchase a home. And for Orange County, 53 percent of households are able to purchase an entry-level home.

The second quarter of 2009 brought in the following stats:

• The median price of an entry-level home in California was $224,180;
• The estimated monthly payment, including tax and insurance, was $1330. This assumes a 10 percent down payment and an interest rate of 4.92 percent; if your terms are different, the payment will vary;
• The minimum household income needed to purchase an entry-level home in this price range was $39,930.

What is interesting to note is that the minimum qualifying income was lower than last year when it was reported that a person needed a household income of $60,460 to qualify for a loan on an entry-level home. Interest rates are still low, as they were last year; however, with the decrease in home prices in Orange County overall, first time homebuyers are still able to buy a home now at good terms and great prices. The median income for the State of California is $61,030.

You may be wondering how this relates to Aliso Viejo Homes, Laguna Niguel Homes and Dana Point Homes. These are the areas that we have seen a lot of activity in first time home sales with people buying a home, getting great deals. For the beginning of November, 2009 there are 23 homes actively listed for sale in these cities with a maximum price of $225,000. Most of these are condos; however, there are a couple of single family residences as well.

This is incredible!

Add to this the just announced extension of the tax credit and you should start to wonder why you are waiting to buy a house in Orange County! First time homebuyers and investors alike should be able to see some interesting opportunities.