What a week it has been in the economy. The federal reserve is still struggling to contain inflation and as a result increased the federal funds rate. After the announcement stocks roared back in a huge “relief” rally and mortgage rates fell. What do all these...
Look at this chart above, over the last 5 years long term rates have continued a steady climb higher; now compare the chart above to the one below, see a correlation. When rates surged, the treasury tried to step in and a profound event happened that radically...
We have all used Kelly blue book values to see car values, now KBB is getting into the house business creating a “blue book” value for your house. How accurate is the new KBB value? How is this different than the Zestimate; realtor.com estimate, or any other...
I think most real estate pros would agree that the recent run up in prices in many areas throughout the country is concerning. Are there leading indicators of what could be to come? Take a look at charts of two high end ski towns Aspen and Telluride, CO from...
I was recently interviewed in Mortgage Professional America and one of the key questions was “what is the root cause of the condo crisis”. It seems like everyone is just now talking about the crisis in condos and attached dwellings, but this should not be a surprise...
The real estate market has rapidly changed. The number of owners who are underwater is small but growing, and they have recently been concentrated in pandemic boomtowns such as Austin, Texas, Cape Coral, Fla and Denver, CO. A rapid rise in prices in these...
Weinberg told Mortgage Professional America ” the July jobs report was the turning point in how I think about where the economy is heading. After months of strong headline numbers, the report showed a sudden loss and downward revisions.” After watching inflation pull...
In a controversial ruling the Supreme court made a groundbreaking ruling on property rights that has implications for property owners throughout the country. The ruling regarded tax liens and answers the question of whether a city can “seize” a property for unpaid...
As I was hiking with my family almost at treeline in Colorado, one of my dogs suddenly went on point. To our surprise there was a brown bear sauntering through the field (sorry looks like a brown sheep as we are a good distance away on a ridge). In 30 years we...
In case you missed it, I was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal: Homeowners foreclosing on more residents. Did you know foreclosures in HOAs have jumped 40% in the last two years? Why? The WSJ did a great article focusing on the root causes of the distress...
With rising insurance costs and litigation HOAs across the country are coming under pressure financially. This is leading to more HOAs declaring bankruptcy. Why is a recent lawsuit against an HOA so important? What does this mean for property owners? What are the...
Look at the picture above, in 2018 these buildings sold for 40 million, in 2026 they just sold for 8 million a stunning 78% loss in value. This will lead to an enormous loss in tax revenue for Aurora, CO. The same is happening throughout almost every major metro area...
Last week I asked all of you: Is the credit score a useless tool to determine risk? The real estate pros have spoken, the majority think (66%) think that the credit score is not the best tool to determine risk, while 34% still think that the credit...
I recently looked at two loan files, one had a 650 and one had a 750, which one was actually a riskier borrower (not the one with the higher score)? How can you now easily inflate your credit score? Is the score now useless? Why the huge changes in credit...
First, yes above is yours truly, hopefully you were not expecting Tom Cruise behind the keyboard 😊 In case you missed it, I was recently quoted in a Mortgage Professional America article: Fannie and Freddie are taking on more risk than anyone is admitting. ...
Many don’t know but the overwhelming majority of all loans originated are ultimately sold to governments sponsored entities like Fannie or Freddie that package the loans and sell as mortgage backed securities. This means that whatever Fannie and Freddie...
Last week I asked all of you where will interest rates be at the end of 2026? The real estate pros have spoken, the majority think (85%) that rates will stay about where they are at or head a little higher. Take a look at the chart below of interest...
It seems like all the economists are surprised that inflation continues at elevated levels and suddenly the market is in a panic about higher inflation. Am I the only one in the world that buys groceries, fills up my gas tank, goes out to eat, etc… Anyone...
Last week I asked all of you will real estate prices fall back to Covid levels? The real estate pros have spoken, I was floored at the results. My prediction is that it would be evenly split, but the results were just the opposite with 88%...
During the Covid real estate boom everything with 4 walls took off in price. Are these price gains sustainable? Will real estate fall back to Covid values, wiping out huge gains in real estate prices? Have prices already adjusted to pre covid levels in some...
The May inflation report is in, rising to the highest level in 3 years. Look at the chart above, out of nowhere yields have surged to almost 20-year highs and predictions exceeding 6%. The market is suddenly catching on that we have an inflation...
When I saw the headlines about NY reducing property insurance rates I was definitely intrigued. How can NY reduce property insurance rates 30% overnight while the rest of the country is facing double digit increases year over year? What is New York's secret?...
New government rules allow Crypto to be used for mortgage collateral. At the same time Crypto just hit its lows for the year plunging 52% over the last year while the S&P return is about + 24%. Should lenders accept crypto for mortgages? How does this impact...
Rents have made a quick U turn. After rising substantially over the last decade, they are quickly reversing course. Why are rents now falling? Is this just a trend or a blip. Look at the chart below, how does this alter the predictions on rents? ...
