WASHINGTON (April 25, 2012) – Potential home buyers rely on open houses to help them find the home of their dreams. This weekend buyers can have a greater chance of doing just that during Realtor® Nationwide Open House Weekend, which is organized by state and local Realtor® associations across the country. This Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, Realtors® from coast to coast will host thousands of open houses while engaging consumers on the benefits of homeownership and bringing buyers and sellers together.

“Realtor® Nationwide Open House is a fantastic opportunity for those interested in homeownership to connect with a Realtor® who can offer expert guidance and advice on the home buying process,” said National Association of Realtors® President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc., in Miami. “During the weekend Realtors® will be on hand to answer questions about the local housing market and provide insights into the social and financial benefits of homeownership. Open houses are also a great way for potential buyers to get a feel for what is available in their local market.”

According to NAR’s 2011 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 45 percent of all buyers used open houses as a source in their home search process. This figure suggests the value of open houses even in the Internet era. In addition, buyers in the Northeast region are significantly more likely to use open houses, followed by those in the Midwest region. Women are more likely to use open houses than men, as are buyers who were not born in the U.S. or whose primary language is not English. Older buyers rely more on open houses than younger buyers, and buyers with higher incomes are also more likely to visit open houses.  [Read More]

Dave Thurman’s Open House – 5430 Tommy Way, Linden CA 95236

California home sales slipped in March, declining 4.5 percent from February, but prices were up 9.2 percent in the same month.

“Tight inventory and robust home sales, particularly in the Bay Area, fueled the substantial increase in the March median home price,” said LeFrancis Arnold, president of the California Association of Realtors.

The statewide pattern was essentially flipped in Stockton, where existing home and condo sales jumped by 37 percent in March compared to February, but the median price increased by only 0.8 percent to $120,000.

However, compared with March 2011, Stockton home sales in March fell 10.6 percent while the median price gained 1.7 percent year over year.

Prices in Manteca fell in March but were up from a year earlier; prices in Tracy were up in March but virtually the same as the March 2011 median. Sales in both cities climbed in March but were roughly equal to March 2011 sales.

Statewide, the median home price snapped a 16-month annual price decline and posted its first year-over-year gain, according to CAR figures.  [Read More]

For Sale – Open Sundays! Now Only $265,000

Raymus Built Home in Linden! Spacious single story 3 bedroom 2 bath on 70×115 lot. Fully landscaped front and back, lots of concrete with RV/boat parking and gazebo with a Catalina Spa. Open living room, formal dining room and kitchen with 10′ high ceilings, brick gas fireplace, built-in book cases on ceramic tile flooring. Master suite was extended with double sinks and walk-in closet. Also includes private office/den, inside laundry and 2-Car garage. Owner is licensed real estate broker. Virtual Tour

2011 Foreclosure Activity Ends With a Whimper

Realty World – Dave Thurman

Stockton Real Estate · Homes for Sale · REALTOR® Since 1976

On Saturday, January 14, 2012 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.

The Wall Street Journal

Just as in 2011, in 2012 many will be trying to figure out where housing is headed. While the housing market didn’t worsen in 2011, it also didn’t stabilize either. This year, the story will be about local markets. While many housing markets rose and fell together, they’re recovering at difference paces so talking about housing on a national level is not beneficial.

Making sense of the story

• Confidence and jobs: Housing is more affordable than it has been in decades, but many would-be buyers are worried about buying today if prices are going to be lower tomorrow. Still, others don’t want to buy a house until they have more evidence that they’re not going to get laid off or see their hours cut back.

• Foreclosures: Banks and other mortgage investors own around 440,000 foreclosed properties, but there’s another 3.4 million loans in foreclosure or serious delinquency, according to estimates by Barclays Capital. Because banks are faster to cut prices to unload inventory than are traditional sellers, home values can fall further as the share of distressed sales rises.

• Rents: If low mortgage rates aren’t enough to give urgency to would-be buyers, rent hikes could accelerate buyers’ decisions to take the plunge.

• Mortgage credit and rates: It’s still hard for many buyers to get approved for a mortgage because banks are demanding lots of documentation of borrowers’ incomes.

• Regulation: Many analysts don’t expect Congress to make major changes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the election year, but several major regulatory changes could significantly reshape the future of the lending landscape in 2012.

• Meanwhile, the regulator that oversees Fannie and Freddie is revamping the way that mortgage companies are paid for collecting loan payments. This could lead to a broader shakeup in the mortgage industry that ultimately influences how much borrowers are charged for mortgages and how banks handle loans that fall into delinquency.

Read the full story

http://on.wsj.com/wHMaiG

For Sale – Open Sundays! $275,000

Raymus Built Home in Linden! Spacious single story 3 bedroom 2 bath on 70×115 lot. Fully landscaped front and back, lots of concrete with RV/boat parking and gazebo with a Catalina Spa. Open living room, formal dining room and kitchen with 10′ high ceilings, brick gas fireplace, built-in book cases on ceramic tile flooring. Master suite was extended with double sinks and walk-in closet. Also includes private office/den, inside laundry and 2-Car garage. Owner is licensed real estate broker. Virtual Tour

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

Number of Homes for Sale vs. Sold vs. Pending

October 2010 there were 1259 homes for sale in Stockton, California in comparison to October 2011 where there was a decrease to 988 homes for sale. The number of homes sold in October 2010  was 349 and in October 2011 the number of homes sold increased to 361. In October 2010 there were 404 pending sales which increased to 567 in October 2011.

More graphs and charts from our MLS and  TrendVision Reports

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