http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-poll8mar08,0,6136361,full.story?coll=la-home-business
âMore than one quarter of those who have adjustable-rate mortgages say they arenât sure theyâll be able to make their monthly payments if their interest rate goes up. These loans have been particularly popular in California and other states with high housing costs.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/08/news/top_stories/18_00_453_7_06.txt
"San Diego Countyâs inventory of unsold existing homes is fast approaching 16,000, twice the total one year ago and five times the number in March 2004, a local real estate agent said Tuesday.â
"Weâve gone up by 400 properties in the last five days,â he said. âThatâs 80 properties a day.â At the same time, sales are declining sharply.â
http://www.garp.com/risknews/newsfeed.asp?Category=6&MyFile=2006-03-03-12369.html
âHousing today is more highly leveraged than it was in 1989, just before the last bicoastal housing bust occurred. Today the housing leverage ratio is about 43%. In 1989, the leverage was about 35%. Between 40% and 50% of new mortgage debt applied for in the past two years has had an adjustable-rate element to it. Back in 1990, only about 10% of new mortgage debt was of an adjustable rate nature. A lot of these adjustable-rate borrowers in the past two years are in the âsub-primeâ category or are speculators."
âIt has been estimated approximately $600 billion of sub-prime adjustable rate mortgages will reprice over the next two years. Chances are mortgage defaults will be on the rise with these repricings. This will put âreposâ on the market, which will depress home prices. Speculators, with negative cash flows and slower or no appreciation in their investment properties, also will add to the glut of homes for sale.â
http://www.lewrockwell.com/french/french40.html
âOne builder with a project in the busy southwest confided that he dropped his prices $20,000 per unit to compete with the handful of large publicly traded builders that have projects surrounding his. Unfortunately, that move just prompted the big builders to drop prices more. He described competing in that market area as a âbloodbath.ââ
And a Realtor speaks...
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...7,0,4341446.story?coll=orl-business-headlines
âQ: Weâve seen the real-estate market in Orlando and Florida cool from last yearâs record pace. Is it going to continue to slow?â
âA: Continue to slow? I think what may happen, I donât think youâll see a reduction in [intangible] value; letâs put it that way. Value and price are different things. You probably wonât see a reduction in value, but maybe in prices, meaning you can pay less but itâs worth more. Value is how much that particular piece of property is worth to you.â
Huh? OWP
âMore than one quarter of those who have adjustable-rate mortgages say they arenât sure theyâll be able to make their monthly payments if their interest rate goes up. These loans have been particularly popular in California and other states with high housing costs.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/08/news/top_stories/18_00_453_7_06.txt
"San Diego Countyâs inventory of unsold existing homes is fast approaching 16,000, twice the total one year ago and five times the number in March 2004, a local real estate agent said Tuesday.â
"Weâve gone up by 400 properties in the last five days,â he said. âThatâs 80 properties a day.â At the same time, sales are declining sharply.â
http://www.garp.com/risknews/newsfeed.asp?Category=6&MyFile=2006-03-03-12369.html
âHousing today is more highly leveraged than it was in 1989, just before the last bicoastal housing bust occurred. Today the housing leverage ratio is about 43%. In 1989, the leverage was about 35%. Between 40% and 50% of new mortgage debt applied for in the past two years has had an adjustable-rate element to it. Back in 1990, only about 10% of new mortgage debt was of an adjustable rate nature. A lot of these adjustable-rate borrowers in the past two years are in the âsub-primeâ category or are speculators."
âIt has been estimated approximately $600 billion of sub-prime adjustable rate mortgages will reprice over the next two years. Chances are mortgage defaults will be on the rise with these repricings. This will put âreposâ on the market, which will depress home prices. Speculators, with negative cash flows and slower or no appreciation in their investment properties, also will add to the glut of homes for sale.â
http://www.lewrockwell.com/french/french40.html
âOne builder with a project in the busy southwest confided that he dropped his prices $20,000 per unit to compete with the handful of large publicly traded builders that have projects surrounding his. Unfortunately, that move just prompted the big builders to drop prices more. He described competing in that market area as a âbloodbath.ââ
And a Realtor speaks...
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...7,0,4341446.story?coll=orl-business-headlines
âQ: Weâve seen the real-estate market in Orlando and Florida cool from last yearâs record pace. Is it going to continue to slow?â
âA: Continue to slow? I think what may happen, I donât think youâll see a reduction in [intangible] value; letâs put it that way. Value and price are different things. You probably wonât see a reduction in value, but maybe in prices, meaning you can pay less but itâs worth more. Value is how much that particular piece of property is worth to you.â
Huh? OWP
