Dave Thurman's Real Estate Blog

Thought you’d be interested in this story from The Stockton Record:

Simple things make holidays special

Christmas season in the modern culture is a time for over indulgence, hectic shopping binges and too much time spent in front the television or hand-held technology. Maybe, we should be more like a Labrador and get down to essentials.

Our Lab awakens each day with a quiet howl and incessant tail wagging before roaming every corner of the kitchen and dining room searching for any fumbles, pieces of food that have been inadvertently dropped. And, after a trip into the chilly outside air she returns to her bed and turns in a circle three times before settling in for a snooze.

Heck, it has taken the Lab eight years to train my wife, but now she makes three revolutions before lying down in bed, too. You see, the simpler things of life can be rewarding.

If I had a wish this time of year it would be that everyone would go outdoors and listen for the distinctive calls of geese flying high overhead through the fog, or gaze at the final colors of the trees as they lose their leaves. I’d wish for folks to go on a quiet walk, maybe along the Calaveras River, Lodi Lake, Mokelumne River at Van Assen Park or a nondescript Delta levee, taking in all that nature has to offer.

San Joaquin County is blessed with so much wildlife that comes each winter without pretention. [Read More]

Number of Homes for Sale vs. Sold vs. Pending

November 2010 there were 1262 homes for sale in Stockton, California in comparison to November 2011 where there was a decrease to 919 homes for sale. The number of homes sold in November 2010  was 385 and in November 2011 the number of homes sold decreased to 354. In November 2010 there were 362 pending sales which increased to 494 in November 2011.

More graphs and charts from our MLS and  TrendVision Reports

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Home prices continued to sink in the third quarter, falling to levels not seen since early 2003.

Home prices dropped 3.9% year-over-year during the three months ended Sept. 30, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index. On a quarterly basis, prices were slightly higher, squeezing out a 0.1% gain. [Read More]

Related articles

• Coming up: September Case-Shiller home price index
• A Look at Case-Shiller by Metro Area
• Text:S&P/Case-Shiller: Sep Home Prices -0.6% Unadj; -3.6% y/y
• Summary Box: Home prices down in most US cities
• Atlanta experiences largest plunge in home price index
• Here Comes The September Case-Shiller Home Price Index…
• Home prices in Chicago area slide – Chicago Sun-Times
• Home Prices Decline
• FHFA home-price index climbs 0.9% in September

The Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) recently announced that it has shut down 85 alleged online mortgage modification scams that prey on vulnerable homeowners through Web banners and other Web advertisements.

SIGTARP investigates mortgage modification schemes in which companies charge struggling homeowners a fee in exchange for false promises of lowering the homeowner’s mortgage through TARP’s housing program known as the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Google, in cooperation with an ongoing criminal SIGTARP investigation of these scams, has suspended advertising relationships with more than 500 Internet advertisers and agents associated with the 85 alleged online mortgage fraud schemes and related deceptive advertising.
Fast Facts
Calif. median home price: October 2011: $278,060 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. highest median home price by region/county October  2011: Marin: $781,250 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. lowest median home price by region/county October 2011: Lake County: $96,500 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. Pending Home Sales Index: October 2011: 122., an increase of 3.1 percent compared with a prior year.

Calif. Traditional Housing Affordability Index: Third quarter 2011: 52 percent (Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates: Week ending 11/17/2011 30-yr. fixed: 4.0% fees/points: 0.7% 15-yr. fixed: 3.31 fees/points: 0.7% 1-yr. adjustable: 2.98% Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)

Hey Investors! Check out the latest from ForeclosureRadar…

Little Change in California, as Nevada and Washington Foreclosure Starts Plummet

On Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 2:00 PM, you are invited to an Open House at 511 N Filbert Street in Stockton. If you are looking for a Single-family Home in this area, don’t miss this rare opportunity to visit this magnificent property. For a preview of this Single-family Home, check out my Web site. Please do not hesitate to Contact Me if you have any questions or wish to schedule a private showing.

511 N Filbert Street, Stockton CA 95205

Affordable and inside all updated better than brand new! Newer dual pane windows, carpets, ceramic tile, fixtures, paint and much more. Great East Stockton location within walking distance of Fremont Center Shopping District. This is not a bank owned home (REO) or a “Short Sale” Asking…$55,500…Host Dave Thurman

Number of Homes for Sale vs. Sold vs. Pending

September 2010 there were 1326 homes for sale in Stockton, California in comparison to September 2011 where there was a decrease to 1076 homes for sale. The number of homes sold in September 2010  was 384 and in September 2011 the number of homes sold increased to 402. In September 2010 there were 422 pending sales which increased to 479 in September 2011.

More graphs and charts from our MLS and  TrendVision Reports

Realty World – Dave Thurman

On Saturday, October 29, 2011 from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM, you are invited to our Open Office at 2652 East Main Street in Stockton. If you are looking for residential, commercial, or investment properties in this area, don’t miss this opportunity to visit and meet with Dave Thurman, REALTOR®. Appointments are not necessary!

• Pick up a free list of homes!
• Foreclosure auction dates & information.
• Get pre-qualified for a home loan.
• Ask questions about foreclosures and short sales.
• Discuss agency and disclosure requirements.
• Become a member & start up your own Shaklee business
• First-time buyers and investors are welcome.

Citigroup paying $285M to settle SEC fraud charges

WASHINGTON (AP) — Citigroup has agreed to pay $285 million to settle civil fraud charges that it misled buyers of complex mortgage investments just the housing market was starting to collapse.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Wednesday that the big Wall Street bank bet against the investors in 2007 and made $160 million in fees and profits. Investors lost millions.

The payment includes the fees and profit Citigroup earned, $30 million in interest and a $95 million penalty. The money will be returned to investors in the deal, the SEC said.

Citigroup neither admitted nor denied the SEC’s allegations in the settlement.

“We are pleased to put this matter behind us and are focused on contributing to the economic recovery, serving our clients and growing responsibly,” Citigroup said in a statement.

The penalty is the biggest targeting Wall Street firms that mislead investors ahead of the 2008 financial crisis since Goldman Sachs & Co. paid $550 million to settle similar charges last year. JPMorgan Chase & Co. also settled similar charges in June and paid $153.6 million.

All of the cases have involved so-called collateralized debt obligations. Those are securities backed by pools of other assets.

In a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday, the SEC said Citigroup traders discussed in late 2006 the possibility of buying financial instruments to essentially bet on the failure of the mortgage assets being put together in the deal.

Rating agencies downgraded most of the investments that Citigroup had bundled together just as many homeowners stopped paying their mortgages in late 2007. That pushed the investment into default and cost its buyers — hedge funds and investment managers — several hundred million dollars in losses.

Among the biggest losers were Ambac, a bond insurer, and BNP Paribas, a European bank. Ambac had sold Citigroup protection against losses on the investment, allowing Citigroup to bet against it.

I found this article reading [recordnet.com]

On Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 2:00 PM, you are invited to an Open House at 2335 E Lafayette Street in Stockton. For a preview of this Home, check out my site at DaveThurman.com. Please do not hesitate to Contact Me if you have any questions or wish to schedule a private showing.

2335 East Lafayette Street, Stockton CA 95205

Custom Built Home plus Rental or Guest House on double 100×115 alley lot in East Stockton near Filbert Street and Hwy 4 Crosstown Freeway. Lots of off street driveway space and garages off alley. Very secured with wrought iron fences, windows, doors and alarm service. Main house is 3-bedroom 2-bath with a bedroom converted to an office. Includes formal dining, fireplace and central heat/air. Rental / Guest House is 1-bedroom 1-bath. This is a One-Of-A-Kind property being sold by the original owner/occupant/builder. Priced right at $99,500. See a virtual tour!