Multimedia:

• Click here to view a video of C.A.R. Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young discuss highlights of the June sales and price report.
• Click here to view Unsold Inventory by price point.
• Click here to view a data table comparing current prices with trough prices in areas throughout the state.

Quick Facts:

• Existing, single-family home sales decreased 4.2 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted rate of 492,800 units on an annualized basis compared with June 2009.
• The statewide median price of an existing single-family home increased 13.6 percent in June to $311,950 compared with June 2009.
• C.A.R.’s Unsold Inventory Index rose to 4.8 months in June compared with 4.2 months in June 2009.

LOS ANGELES (July 22) – Home sales decreased 4.2 percent in June in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home rose 13.6 percent, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

“Buyers who scrambled to close escrow in May to take advantage of federal and state tax credits before they expired impacted the number of homes sold last month,” said C.A.R. President Steve Goddard. “Although we expect sales to be lower in the second half of the year because of the absence of the government stimulus, they should remain above the long-run average and be significantly higher than the trough in 2007, when sales bottomed out.

“Although the tax credits are no longer available, it’s important to keep in mind that home prices are substantially below their peaks and interest rates remain at historic lows, making this a very affordable time for many first-time buyers to purchase a home of their own,” he said.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 492,800 in June at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations statewide. Statewide home resale activity decreased 4.2 percent from the revised 514,230 sales pace recorded in June 2009. Sales in June 2010 decreased 11.1 percent compared with the previous month.

Trough vs. Current Price – June 2010

The statewide sales figure represents what the total number of homes sold during 2010 would be if sales maintained the June pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during June 2010 was $311,950, a 13.6 percent increase from the revised $274,640 median for June 2009, C.A.R. reported. The June 2010 median price decreased 3.8 percent compared with May’s $324,430 median price.

Peak vs. Current Price – June 2010

“As we anticipated, home prices have continued to post modest gains, due in large part to the lean inventory of homes for sale in many regions of the state,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “This has contributed to market stability and bodes well for the remainder of the year.

“We’re also seeing an increase in home sales at the higher-end of the market, a reflection of the slight thaw in jumbo financing, although there still is a long way to go before jumbo loans are readily available to qualified buyers,” she said.

Unsold Inventory Index (Months)

Highlights of C.A.R.’s resale housing figures for June 2010:

• C.A.R.’s Unsold Inventory Index for existing, single-family detached homes in June 2010 rose to 4.8 months, compared with 4.2 months in June 2009. The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.
• Thirty-year fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.74 percent during June 2010, compared with 5.42 percent in June 2009, according to Freddie Mac. Adjustable-mortgage interest rates averaged 3.86 percent in June 2010, compared with 4.93 percent in June 2009.
• The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home was 43.3 days in June 2010, compared with 44.3 days (revised) for the same period a year ago.

Regional MLS sales and price information are contained in the tables that accompany this press release. Regional sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. The MLS median price and sales data for detached homes are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state. MLS median price and sales data for condominiums are based on a survey of more than 60 associations. The median price for both detached homes and condominiums represents closed escrow sales.

In a separate report covering more localized statistics generated by C.A.R. and DataQuick Information Systems, 232 of the 372 cities and communities reporting showed an increase in their respective median home prices from a year ago. DataQuick statistics are based on county records data rather than MLS information. DataQuick Information Systems is a subsidiary of Vancouver-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates. (The lists are generated for incorporated cities with a minimum of 30 recorded sales in the month.)

Note: Large changes in local median home prices typically indicate both local home price appreciation, and often, large shifts in the composition of housing market activity. Some of the variations in median home prices for June June be exaggerated due to compositional changes in housing demand. The DataQuick tables listing median home prices in California cities and counties are accessible through C.A.R. Online at http://car.org/marketdata/historicalprices/2010medianprices/jun2010medianprices/.

• Statewide, the 10 cities with the highest median home prices in California during June 2010 were: Manhattan Beach, $1,737,500; Los Altos, $1,618,500; Saratoga, $1,425,000; Palo Alto, $1,308,500; Laguna Beach, $1,230,500; Newport Beach, $1,150,000; Los Gatos, $1,045,000; Rancho Palos Verdes, $1,000,000; Cupertino, $980,000; and Lafayette, $946,250.
• Statewide, the cities with the greatest median home price increases in June 2010 compared with the same period a year ago were: National City, 59 percent; Newport Beach, 52 percent; Richmond, 52 percent; San Bernardino, 47 percent; San Pablo, 38 percent; Fairfield, 37 percent; Walnut, 34 percent; Colton, 32 percent; Imperial Beach, 31 percent; and Poway, 30 percent.

Leading the way...® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with nearly 160,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

###

June 2010 Regional Sales and Price Activity*
Regional and Condo Sales Data Not Seasonally Adjusted

na - not available

* Based on closed escrow sales of single family, detached homes only (no condos).  Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as measuring changes in the cost of a standard home.  Prices are influenced by changes in cost and changes in the characteristics and size of homes actually sold.

 sf = single family, detached home

Source:  CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Median Prices By Region – Current Month vs. Year Ago

For questions please contact me at 714-743-9778

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010070101?OpenDocument

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Yorba Linda             338                                          194

Market’s high end awakened in April, pulling up median.

By JEFF COLLINS and JONATHAN LANSNER THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER 



    The recovering housing market got a boost in April from a reawakening high-end segment, figures from market tracker MDA DataQuick show. 

    Price cuts are getting buyers to buy pricier homes, pushing the median price up. 

    “Price drops (at the high end) and the numbers of sales are certainly bringing up the median,” said Lesslie Giacobbi, an agent for Seven Gables Real Estate. 

    The result, DataQuick reported Tuesday, was a 13.2 percent gain in the median price of an Orange County home – or the price at the midpoint of all sales. 

    Last month’s median was $430,000, which was $50,000 higher than in April 2009. 

    Sales likewise showed signs of improvement, climbing to 2,669 deals in April. That’s up 11.6 percent from April 2009 and was the largest number of homes sold in three years. 

    The year-over-year gains were fairly widespread throughout the county. Breaking down market trends by ZIP code, the numbers show: 

    Sixty-two of Orange County’s 83 ZIP codes had gains in median selling price. 

    Forty-eight local ZIP codes had year-over-year sales gains. 

    Thirty-four local ZIP codes had both sales gains and price gains. 

    Broker Ron Accornero of OC Signature Properties in Orange said that homes in Villa Park that once sold for more than $1 million are now selling for around $800,000 or $900,000. Homes priced above $1 million still are not moving, he said. 

    Rich Cosner, president of a chain of Prudential California Realty offices in north Orange County and the Inland Empire, said that most of the high-end sales are due to increased demand. 

    “The last few years, (the price of a home) has been artificially low because there were so few homes selling over $1 million in the county,” he said. “We are seeing that market come back.” 

    DataQuick figures show that homes priced at $700,000 and above accounted for 20 percent of all sales, the highest proportion in nearly two years. Sales in that price bracket fell to 12 percent of all sales in January 2009. 

    Cosner and Accornero said that demand remains overheated for homes at the lower end of the price spectrum because there now are too few homes selling for less than $500,000. 

    Prices, added Giacobbi, are firming up only at the low end “where investors are paying all cash. All cash is about 20 percent of the sales, and that’s more than it used to be.” 

    Cosner said that 10 or more offers still are common for homes selling at $500,000 and below. 

    “Buyers in this price range are still of the belief that it is a buyer’s market and they can make low offers on properties,” Cosner said. “They learn quickly, after losing out on properties, that this is just not the case. Under $500,000 today the issue is can you get the property at all, not how good of a deal you can get on it.” 

    Meanwhile, the number of homes going into default continued to decline, Data-Quick figures show. 

    DataQuick reported that 1,625 homeowners received notices of default, issued after at least three months of missed payments. That’s down 45 percent from a year ago and down 16 percent from March. 

    Still, 797 homeowners lost their homes at foreclosure sales, 65 percent more than in April 2009. Although up from a year ago, foreclosures have been relatively flat since June. 

    Meanwhile, sales of homes for less than is owed on the mortgage – so-called short sales – continue to dominate the market. 

    Giacobbi said she’s heard estimates that 35 percent to 40 percent of all deals are short sales these days. Those deals are more timeconsuming since the lender with the outstanding loan must approve them. 

    “Some of the banks are terrific to work with. Others are disasters,” Giacobbi said. “It’s not uncommon to be in escrow for months, and when you go back to the agent, she says the buyer lost interest.” 

    Giacobbi estimated that 1 in 8 of those attempting short sales have the means to pay their loan, but decided to walk away from the home because it’s lost so much value and wiped out all of their equity. 

    “They’re not willing to keep making payments on their house,” she said. 

    Agents say it remains to be seen how the expiration of federal tax credits will affect the market. Buyers have until the end of May to close deals to qualify for federal tax credits. 

    The state tax credit, which began May 1, has yet to have an impact, they said. 

    “There is strong demand in the market, and housing in O.C. would have sold with or without the tax credit,” Cosner said. 

    “Since it was available, people would be foolish not to take advantage of it. That being said, the tax credit was not something that would make most people go out and buy a house who were not already thinking about buying.” 

for questions regarding this article contact Ashlie DuCros at 714-743-9778

Yorba Linda                 320                                         213

Brea                           87                                          66

Fullerton                     360                                         314

Anaheim Hills               157                                         122

Newport Coast            143                                          52

Irvine                        662                                          500

Placentia                   119                                          96

Orange                      359                                          283

Tustin                       175                                          222

Corona Del Mar           189                                          39

Villa Park                   35                                            23

North Tustin              83                                            34

Laguna Beach            361                                          73

The median price of a single-family home sold in Saginaw, Michigan, doubled to $60,800, the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors said in a report today. Prices in Akron, Ohio, climbed 90 percent to $95,300 and Grand Rapids, Michigan, recorded a 26 percent increase to $90,700. Nationally, the median declined 0.7 percent.

Cities that led the nation in foreclosures a year earlier had the biggest price increases as a tax credit of as much as $8,000 boosted demand and drove the supply of unsold homes to a four-year low in January, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors’ group. Brian Bethune, chief U.S. financial economist for IHS Global Insight, said an improving job market should sustain the fledgling rebound in real estate.

“In the second half of the year, employment growth and an improving economic situation should keep the housing recovery on track,” Bethune said in a telephone interview from his Lexington, Massachusetts, office.

Today’s report showed the recovery accelerating from the fourth quarter when 67 metropolitan areas reported price gains.

Peak to Trough

The U.S. median home price tumbled 29 percent over three and a half years as defaults among subprime borrowers flooded the housing market with cheaply priced foreclosures and Wall Street piled up $1.78 trillion in losses and asset writedowns.

The median price of an existing U.S. home peaked at $230,300 in July of 2006 and hit a low of $164,600 in February, according to NAR data. The drop was 13 percent in 2009, outpacing 2008’s 9.5 percent decline.

This year, prices may increase 2.5 percent as the economy improves, according to the Realtors’ forecast.

The median price of a single-family home in the New York metropolitan area rose 1.8 percent to $380,400 in the three months ended March 31. The areas surrounding New Haven and Milford, Connecticut, gained 5.3 percent to $227,900.

The Edison, New Jersey, region had a 1.5 percent gain in the median price to $325,800; and Hartford, Connecticut, posted a 1.6 percent increase to $225,900. Prices in the Boston metropolitan area increased 11 percent to $321,800.

“The market has changed dramatically from last year, with things now selling fairly quickly at close to asking price,” said Mary Kelleher, a real estate broker with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in Boston. “Last year was like having root canal surgery.”

Worst Markets

The worst-performing markets were Ocala and Orlando, Florida, each with price declines of 15 percent. Reno, Nevada, fell 14 percent and Las Vegas was down 12 percent.

In a separate report, NAR said U.S. sales fell 14 percent in the first quarter from the prior period, mostly because buyers rushed to purchase homes in the fourth quarter when the tax credit for purchases was originally set to expire.

Congress ultimately extended and expanded the credit for purchase contracts signed by April 30.

South Dakota led the nationwide sales decline with transactions falling 33 percent in the first quarter. Sales in Pennsylvania and Idaho dropped 28 percent. Connecticut transactions decreased almost 15 percent and New York sales were down 9.4 percent, NAR said.

Nationally, home sales probably will rise 4.3 percent to 5.38 million this year and gain 5.1 percent to 5.66 million in 2011, according to a forecast posted on NAR’s website. In 2009, sales climbed for the first time in four years to 5.16 million.

For more information, please contact Ashlie Ducros at 714-743-9778  www.AshlieDuCros.com

April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Sales of new homes surged 27 percent in March and orders for most durable goods climbed, indicating the U.S. economy sped up heading into the second quarter.

The gain in new-home sales was the biggest in 47 years as buyers rushed to qualify for a government tax credit and the weather improved, a Commerce Department report showed. Bookings for goods meant to last at least three years, excluding cars and aircraft, climbed 2.8 percent.

Stocks rose and Treasuries slid as the reports pointed to pickups in housing, business investment and exports that may benefit companies from builders such as Pulte Group Inc. to makers of capital goods including Eaton Corp. The outlook for the rest of the year hinges on job gains that will spur consumer spending, which makes up 70 percent of the economy.

“The pieces are falling into place for a strong recovery,” said Gus Faucher, director of macroeconomics at Moody’s Economy.com in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “We’ve got strong business investment and we’re going to have some investment in residential” real estate.

Stocks advanced, extending the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s longest weekly winning streak in six years. The Dow climbed 0.6 percent to 11,204.28 at the 4 p.m. close in New York, completing an eighth straight weekly gain. The 10-year Treasury note fell, pushing up the yield to 3.81 percent from 3.77 percent late yesterday.

Sales of new houses increased to an annual pace of 411,000, exceeding the highest forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Last month’s purchase rate was the highest since July and followed a record-low 324,000 in February that was higher than previously estimated.

Exceeds Forecasts

Economists forecast purchases would rise to a 325,000 annual rate in March, according to the median estimate of 77 economists surveyed. Projections ranged from 300,000 to 362,000.

Demand may remain elevated through this month as Americans take advantage of a tax credit worth as much as $8,000 before it ends at the end of next week.

“We’ll probably see another jump in April and then we’ll get some payback in May and June,” said Jim O’Sullivan, global chief economist at MF Global Ltd. in New York. “Through the volatility, the trend in home sales is probably more up than down.”

Builder shares rallied, led by Pulte of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Miami-based Lennar Corp. and Standard Pacific Corp., which is based in Irvine, California.

Broad-based Gain

Sales increased in all four U.S. regions last month, led by a 44 percent jump in the South. The median price of a new home increased 4.3 percent in March from a year earlier to $214,000.

The Obama administration extended an incentive for first- time homebuyers in November and expanded it to include some current owners. The deadline for signing contracts is the end of this month, and the transactions must be completed by June 30.

Sales of previously owned homes, which account for about 90 percent of the housing market, are tabulated at contract closings, meaning demand may remain elevated through June. Purchases of new houses reflect contract signings, indicating the credit’s maximum influence on that market will be seen through April.

A report yesterday from the National Association of Realtors showed sales of existing homes jumped to a 5.35 million rate in March, the first increase in four months.

Durable Goods

The gain in orders for durable goods excluding transportation equipment last month was the biggest since the recession began in December 2007, another Commerce Department today showed.

Total orders unexpectedly dropped 1.3 percent, depressed by a 67 percent plunge in demand for commercial aircraft.

Eaton, the Cleveland-based maker of engine valves and transmissions, is among companies profiting from growth in demand for car and truck parts. This week it posted first- quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ estimates and raised its 2010 earnings forecast.

“The expanding world economy drove growth in most of our markets,” Chief Executive Officer Sandy Cutler said in a statement. “In general we are seeing the strongest growth in Asia and Brazil, while many U.S. markets are starting to accelerate and Europe is recovering more modestly.”

Business investment in equipment and software climbed at a 19 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, the biggest gain in 11 years.

Global Recovery

Factories are ramping up output as improving economies from Brazil to China and India boost overseas sales and rising U.S. demand prompts companies to update equipment and replenish stockpiles after last year’s record drawdown.

Bookings for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for future business investment, increased 4 percent. Shipments of those items, used in calculating gross domestic product, increased 2.2 percent.

Economists at Morgan Stanley in New York raised their forecast for economic growth in the first three months of the year to a 3.4 percent annual pace after the reports on goods orders from a prior estimate of three percent.

The U.S. economy, the world’s largest, expanded at a 5.6 percent pace in last three months of the year as companies stepped up efforts to stabilize inventories. It was the strongest rate of growth in six years.

To contact the reporters on this story: Courtney Schlisserman in Washington cschlisserma@bloomberg.net; Bob Willis in Washington at bwillis@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: April 23, 2010 16:40 EDT

Stunning custom home in Fullerton!

Good timing could reap double tax credits

 Kathleen Pender

Some home buyers in California could get a federal tax credit worth up to $8,000 plus a new state credit worth up to $10,000 if they time their purchase just right over the next three months. But double-dipping will be tricky and won't come without risks.

One couple who lucked out are Sibel Demirmen and Scott Henry of San Francisco, who are purchasing a home, their first, in San Rafael's Terra Linda neighborhood.

They were planning to close escrow on April 30, and knew they qualified for an $8,000 federal home-buyer tax credit.

To get the federal credit, buyers must - among other things - close before May 1 or enter into a binding contract before May 1 and close before July 1.

Last weekend, they learned that if they could delay their close until after April 30, they could also qualify for the new California home-buyer tax credit, which was signed into law last week. The state credit is worth up to $10,000, spread over three years.

The seller agreed, and on Monday they signed an addendum to their contract postponing the closing until May 4.

"I was elated. I was ecstatic. I was thrilled," says Demirmen, a singer, music teacher and mother of two.

Although the prospect of double-dipping will excite many house hunters, "I don't think a ton of buyers will get both and benefit from both credits," says Renee Rodda, editor of Spidell's California Taxletter.

To get both, buyers must meet two sets of strict criteria. Timing it right will be tricky, especially in foreclosure or short sales, which can involve long lead times and many parties.

People who have already locked in a rate on a mortgage could lose the rate, or have to pay an additional fee to keep it, if they postpone their closing.

Matt Duffy is buying a home with his wife in Santa Rosa in a short sale, in which the purchase price is less than the debt on the home.

The seller accepted their offer in January. Last week, they heard that both lenders agreed to the deal as long as it closes by April 26.

"We said, 'Cool, we can do that.' We have our mortgage and the federal tax credit," he says.

After reading my Sunday column on the state credit, Duffy realized he could get that too if he delayed his close.

"As it turns out, we are not going to be able to do that. The second lender is demanding we close by April 26 or somebody has to pay an additional $20,000," he says.

"I am of course upset we can't move the date. But we don't want to lose the house. We will still get the federal credit, which is the better of the two credits."

The federal credit: The federal credit is 10 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum credit of $8,000 for first-time home buyers or $6,500 for longtime homeowners who buy a replacement home. Either type of buyer can purchase a new or existing home.

Buyers claim the federal credit when they file their tax return (or amend the prior year's return). This credit is refundable: The full amount will be paid out, even if you have zero federal tax liability or the credit is bigger than your federal tax.

You cannot get the federal credit if your income is too high or the home was purchased after Nov. 6, 2009, and cost more than $800,000.

The state credit: The California credit is the lesser of 5 percent of the purchase price or $10,000. First-time buyers can purchase a new or existing home but repeat buyers can only purchase a new home that has never been occupied.

The California credit is spread over three years, up to $3,333 per year. It is not refundable: If you owe less than $3,333 in one (or more) of those years, you lose the difference that year. Even if you owed $3,333 before you owned a house, you might owe less after because of all the new tax deductions.

The state credit has no income or purchase-price limits. But here's the rub: Some buyers who fall below the income limits for the federal credit might not owe enough California tax to get the full benefit of the state credit.

To get the California credit, you must close escrow between May 1 and either Dec. 31 or whenever the money set aside for the program runs out, whichever comes first. The money is likely to run out long before Dec. 31.

Alternatively, you can reserve a state credit for new construction by entering into a binding contract between May 1 and Dec. 31 and closing before Aug. 1, 2011. People who do this won't get the federal credit because they entered a contract after April 30.

Getting both: Both credits require you to buy the home as your primary residence. Both define a first-time buyer as someone who has not owned a home in the three years prior to purchase.

In short, to get both credits you must be in contract on or before April 30 and close between May 1 and June 30 - and meet all other requirements.

Buyers who are already in contract and want to postpone their closing need to get the seller and lender to agree.

"Sellers might be flexible because it's still a buyer's market, but they may want something in return," says Richard Redmond, a mortgage broker in Larkspur.

"If you have a loan locked in with a close date in April and you want to extend it, you may have to pay a fee or get a higher interest rate," Redmond adds.

 Buyers should consult a well-informed tax person and make sure they understand both credits.

 For more on the state credit, see links.sfgate.com/ZJLF.

 For the federal credit, try links.sfgate.com/ZJLG or links.sfgate.com/ZJLH.

Pending Home Sales Show Healthy Gain

Pending home sales rose in February, potentially signaling a second surge of home sales in response to the home buyer tax credit, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in February, rose 8.2 percent to 97.6 from a downwardly revised 90.2 in January, and remains 17.3 percent above February 2009 when it was 83.2. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which usually occur with a lag time of one or two months.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the improvement is another hopeful sign. “The rise in buyer contact activity may signal the early stages of a second surge of home sales this spring. The healthy gain hints home prices are continuing to flatten,” he says. “We need a second surge to meaningfully draw down inventory and definitively stabilize home values.”

Pending home sales by region:

• Northeast: the index rose 9.0 percent to 77.7 in February and is 18.9 percent higher than February 2009.

• Midwest: jumped 21.8 percent to 97.9 and is 18.7 percent above a year ago.

• South: increased 9.2 percent to an index of 107.0, and the index is 17.5 percent higher than February 2009.

• West: the index fell 4.8 percent to 98.0 but is 14.6 percent above a year ago.

Source: NAR

Number of homes for sale VS. number of homes in Escrow

Banks are ramping up short sales thanks to government incentives and the realization that short sales result in lower losses than foreclosures. On average, banks lose 50 percent on a foreclosure, but only 30 percent on a short sale.

Bank of America, the nation’s largest mortgage servicer, has dramatically reduced the time it takes to process short sales. Elizabeth Weintraub, a Sacramento, Calif.-based real estate practitioner who handles many short sales, said, "Bank of America approved [a short sale] in 24 days. That flipped me out."

The hang-up for many short sellers has been second liens, but the new government program gives first lien holders incentives to share and offers second lien holders and investors a $6,000 cash incentive.

Under the new program lenders must tell the seller the minimum they’ll accept. When the seller comes back with a good offer, it must be accepted within 10 days.

Chris Saitta, CEO of Equator, which produces short-sale software, predicts a boom in short sales. “The challenge will be handling all the volume,” he said.

Source: CNNMoney, Les Christie (03/29/2010)

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-home-sales31-2010mar31,0,6735242.story

For more information, please contact us at www.AshlieDuCros.com

 SACRAMENTO, CA (AP) -- California lawmakers have voted to extend a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.

The credit will apply to first-time buyers who purchase new or existing homes between May 1 and Dec. 31 of this year. It is for 5 percent of the purchase price, or up to $10,000.

The bill received bipartisan support in the Assembly and Senate on Monday and will be sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The governor, who proposed the extended tax credit as part of his job-creation initiative, is expected to sign the bill.

California recently passed a tax break that capped the total credit available at $100 million on new homes purchased between March 1, 2009, and March 1, 2010.

The new bill increases that cap to $200 million and applies to new and existing home.

The Associated Press

Copyright 2010 / All Rights Reserved

Americans' net worth rose 1.3% in the fourth quarter to $54.2 trillion, the Federal Reserve says. It marked the third straight quarter of gains.

Washington

Americans are recovering their shrunken wealth -- gradually.

Household net worth rose last quarter, mainly because the healing economy boosted stock portfolios. But the gain was slight. And it was less than in the previous two quarters.

The Federal Reserve said Thursday that net worth rose 1.3% in the fourth quarter to $54.2 trillion. It marked the third straight quarter of gains. Net worth had risen 4.5% in the second quarter of 2009 and 5.5% in the third quarter.

Net worth is the value of assets such as homes, checking accounts and investments minus debts such as mortgages and credit cards.

Even with the gain, Americans' net worth would have to rise an additional 21% just to get back to the pre-recession peak of $65.9 trillion. That illustrates Americans' vast loss of wealth from the worst economic downturn since the 1930s.

Growth in stock portfolios delivered the biggest boost to net worth in the October-to-December period. The value of stocks increased nearly 4% to $7.7 trillion. Higher home prices helped slightly. The value of real estate holdings edged up 0.2%.

During the recession, which began in December 2007, household net worth plunged as low as $48.5 trillion in the first quarter of 2009. Stock holdings and home values nose dived, and as Americans' net worth evaporated, they felt less inclined to spend.

For all of last year, consumer spending dropped 0.6%. This year, as wealth, the economy and financial conditions slowly recover, consumer spending is projected to grow around a modest 2.2%, according to the National Assn. for Business Economics.

The Los Angeles Times

IRS tells homeowners how to get tax relief if a lender forgives part of their debt

Reduction of mortgage principal, usually considered taxable income, is expected to become more prevalent as the Obama administration and banks seek ways to prevent foreclosures.

• Do you owe as much or more than your home is worth?
• Are you behind in payments or facing foreclosure?

These are common questions that we are asked EVERY day. Our Short sale team of experts are here to handle all of the interactions with your lender(s) so that you may lower your stress and start planning for the future.

 **Here are some benefits of our short sale program**

 -Your property is sold “AS IS” condition which means you make no repairs!

 - No Equity is required for us to negotiate a short sale on your behalf

 -We will put together your hardship package to submit to your Lender(s)

 -You will be working with a team of specialists who are compassionate to your   situation and understand what your are going through

 Our team of expert staff knows the foreclosure process, timelines and options so that you can be confident that you are making the right choice.

All this is at NO CHARGE to you as the homeowner! To discuss the short sale process and your options, please contact our office to set up a FREE no obligation consultation. We are here to provide you with options! Feel free to contact our office at (714)743-9778 or simply login to www.ADshortsales.com

Thank you,

Ashlie DuCros

Ashlie DuCros

Pre-foreclosure specialist

Dre # 01451478

Direct 714-743-9778

Email: AshlieDuCros@mailpcr.com

Website: www.AshlieDucros.com