Interest rates are heading higher!  The market was rattled by the news out from the Fed. that they were going to "tapper" off the buying of treasuries and slow down the QE process! This will led to higher interest rates and place a slowing effect on the housing market! Check out my web site www.myslohomefinder.com for all your home search needs in San Luis Obispo County. The week ahead:                     Durables Orders for April came in better than expected. However, on average for the core, this means that manufacturing merely is less sluggish than believed last month. New factory orders for durables in April rebounded 3.3 percent after dropping a sharp 5.9 percent in March (originally down 6.9 percent). Analysts expected a 1.1 percent increase. The transportation component gained 8... 05/27/2013

Does anyone out there recall the inflation and stagnation of the 1970's and early 1980's? Just look around and you can see inflation from the supermarket to the gas station. The Fed. had to raise interest rates to 15% plus just to get rid of it.  Well it's back!  We are looking at rising prices and lower wages, combined with high unemployment.  The Japanese have been going through stagnation since 1990, and it looks like the rest of  the world will follow.  Next to drop is China, with its ghost towns build just to increase GDP.  Then there is the Euro Zone and its social welfare "nanny state" that no one can afford.  Wait until all these bubbles pop, and they start to print more money to fix it! Inflation will follow! See my web site at www.myslohomefinder.com for all your San Luis Obis... 05/25/2013

Rates are going up slightly, and so are home prices!  We just aren't building enough!  But as prices rise we notice more homes hitting the market. See www.myslohomefinder.com for all your San Luis Obispo County home search needs. We specialize in atascadero homes for sale,paso robles homes for sale,templeton homes for sale,san luis obispo homes for sale,pismo beach homes for sale, and Morro Bay Homes for sale.     Last week and the coming week :Consumer Sentiment Up               Consumer spirits are improving dramatically this month in what very well may be a reflection of improvement in the jobs market. The Consumer Sentiment Index jumped to 83.7 for the mid-month reading vs 76.4 for the final April reading and vs April's mid-month reading of 72.3. The Economist consensus was looking ... 05/18/2013

Have a great weekend!  Check out my web site at www.myslohomefinder.com for all your San Luis Obispo County home search needs.   The Day Ahead:Consumer Sentiment       Consumer spirits are improving dramatically this month in what very well may be a reflection of improvement in the jobs market. The Consumer Sentiment Index jumped to 83.7 for the mid-month reading vs 76.4 for the final April reading and vs April's mid-month reading of 72.3. The Economist consensus was looking for 78.0 with the high-end estimate at 82.5. The latest reading is near the recovery high set in November.       Dow is trading at 15,278+48.91the 10 yr bond is at 1.91 from 1.88 Yesterday, . Currently mortgages areunchanged from Yesterday       Conv. - 3.5%   FHA. - 3.25%       Have a super weekend!!! 05/17/2013

What's going on this week? See my web page at www.myslohomefinder.com for all your San Luis Obispo home search needs.  We specialize in San Luis Obispo real estate for sale, Atascadero real estate for sale, Paso Robles real estate for sale, Templeton real estate for sale, Arroyo Grande real estate for sale, Pismo Beach real estate for sale, Grover Beach real estate for sale, Morro Bay real estate for sale, Cayucos real estate for sale, Cambria real estate for sale, Nipomo real estate for sale, and Oceano real estate for sale   The Week Ahead: Retail Sales, Moderate Data Calendar, and Fed Speakers       Headline Retail Sales edged up despite a decline in gasoline prices. Core sales actually were somewhat healthy. Retail sales increased 0.1 percent, following a drop of 0.5 percent in Marc... 05/13/2013

Rates are slightly higher today.  New economic data shows that China's growth is slowly down, and this is lowering the price outlook for commodities.  Housing is still hot here on the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo County California. Check out my web site at www.myslohomefinder.com for all your real estate needs in San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles, Atascadero, Templeton, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, Avila Beach, Grover Beach, Nipomo, and Oceano California.   The Day Ahead: First and Only Meaningful Econ Data this Week       Jobless claims are offering solid signs of improvement in the labor market. Initial claims are down for a third straight week, 4,000 lower in the May 4 week to a new recovery low of 323,000 (prior week revised to 327,000). The ... 05/09/2013

  Home ownership is at the lowest level in 17 years, and the drop has been the largest since the Great Depression. The percentage of Americans who owned their homes has seen its biggest decline since the Great Depression, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The rate of home ownership fell to 65.1%, and is 1.1 percentage points lower than it was in 2000. The decline was the biggest drop since the 1930s, when home ownership plunged 4.2%.   Visit my web site at www.myslohomefinder.com for all your San Luis Obispo County real estate needs.       The Day Ahead:No Significant Data               Markets are looking for Thursday’s Jobless Claims report.               Dow is trading at 15,019+49.29the 10 yr bond is at 1.78 from 1.75 Yesterday, . Currently mortgages are slightly worse from Yest... 05/07/2013

The San Luis Obispo County property market is really heating up!  We have been involved in 3 bidding wars in the past 2 weeks.  And all the prices are going at above asking.  We have been warning our buyers that they have to step up to the plate and offer more than asking.  The only exception is the million dollar plus properties.  But that market is starting to improve too.  Yet no bidding wars! On our web page www.myslohomefinder.com we have seen a 60% increase in hits from buyers seeking properties.  About 50% of these hits are from out of the area.  This county has gain a lot of popularity due to the climate, clean air and lack of traffic.  We have seen some of our local wineries bought up by foreign interests, mostly Asians.  So for all you buyers out there, don't sit on the fence.... 05/06/2013

We received an email from a large asset management company that we should gear up for more BPOs and foreclosure activity.  From what the email said they want us to get ready to do the BPO and foreclosure deals, and expect more activity. We'll have to wait an see how much actually comes to market.  We noticed a lot more requests for BPOs in the last 2 days so there maybe something to the story.   See my web site www.myslohomefinder.com for all your real estate needs in Atascadero, Templeton, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, Avila Beach, Oceano, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Los Osos, and Cambria California.   The Past Week and the Week Ahead:GDP, Consumer Sentiment       The economy had some bounce in the first quarter as GDP growth showed some acceleration. ... 04/27/2013

New factory orders are way down.  It also looks like China is slowing down with new orders to its factories dropping also.   Go to my web site at www.myslohomefinder.com for all your real estate needs in Atascadero, Templeton, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, Avila Beach, Grover Beach, Oceano and Nipomo California.    The Day Ahead:New factory orders and Durables Goods       Durables Goods orders dropped back to Earth after soaring in February-and it was not just aircraft related. But the core rate unexpectedly fell. Both measures disappointed. New factory orders for durables declined 5.7 percent in March, following a 4.3 percent surge the month before. The market median forecast was for a 2.8 percent decrease. The transportation... 04/24/2013

Lenders are eager to lend money and there are more options available to you today than ever before.  Finding a good mortgage loan, qualifying, and financing your purchase are major parts of buying a home, http://tinyurl.com/dy2wjx4.What is great about America? It is the American Dream, of course. It is the idea that we are in control of our own destiny, free from harsh government sanctions as in some other lands.  It is the rights and the freedoms that so many other countries do not have. Sometimes we take our basic values for granted, including home ownership, which is a luxury not afforded to residents in some other countries.Millions of people from all over the world flock to the United States because of the American Dream, and the basic tenet of that aspiration is home ownership.  I... 04/24/2013

Home sales for new builds were up but not as much as expected.  We just don't have the inventory of new or existing homes.  Here on the beautiful Central Coast of California we aren't building enough to cut into the demand.  Check out my web site at www.myslohomefinder.com for all you real estate needs in San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Paso Robles, Templeton, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, Avila Beach, Grover Beach, Nipomo, Santa Margarita, and Oceano California.   The Day Ahead: Home Prices, New Home Sales, Auction Cycle Begins       The news out of the manufacturing sector has been mixed at the very best with today's flash PMI pointing squarely to slowing growth at the beginning of the second quarter. The PMI slowed a sizable 2.6 points from the final March reading to 52.0 vs ... 04/23/2013

It’s never too early, nor too late, to become a home owner! According to NAR's "Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2011", most first homebuyers were between the age of 25-34 years old, but some were as young as 18 and some were as old as 90, http://tinyurl.com/dy2wjx4. What is great about America? It is the American Dream, of course. It is the idea that we are in control of our own destiny, free from harsh government sanctions as in some other lands.  It is the rights and the freedoms that so many other countries do not have. Sometimes we take our basic values for granted, including home ownership, which is a luxury not afforded to residents in some other countries.Millions of people from all over the world flock to the United States because of the American Dream, and the basic tenet of... 04/17/2013

Mortgage rates are inching lower due to a fear that we are heading into another recession.  It appears that the problems in the Euro Zone are slowing it down, and with 40% of the S&P revenue coming from overseas, it appears that it is affecting corporate earnings.  Also with the cuts hitting the federal government here, it is having a negative impact on joblessness. Visit my web site at www.myslohomefinder.com for all your home search needs in Atascadero, Paso Robles, Templeton, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Nipomo and Oceano California.   The week that was: Producer Price Index, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment           The March Producer Price Index fell back 0.6 percent after a strong 0.7 percent boost in February. Market expectations were for a 0.2 percent decline. ... 04/12/2013

We here at www.myslohomefinder.com want to wish all our loyal readers a Happy Easter and enjoy your time spent with the family. We are experiencing a drastic drop on inventory here in San Luis Obispo County, with sellers holding off from selling due to rising prices and buyers still thinking it's a "buyer's market". What's going on tody:   Good Friday US Banks open, Equity Markets Closed           While individuals are coping with higher payroll taxes, aggregate Personal Income posted a sizeable gain in February and personal spending rose significantly. However, headline and core inflation were divergent. We are still seeing the impact of the fiscal cliff on data as February numbers reflect some normalcy after January data included after effects of acceleration of income to December to ... 03/29/2013

What's up with interest rates?  Are they going up?  Or are they going down due to deflation caused by Cyprus and the Euro Zone? I'll keep my eyes open and follow this one closely. Go to my web site www.myslohomefinder.com for all your San Luis Obispo County home search and selling needs. What's up today-  Jobless Claims, Existing Home Sales, Philadelphia Fed Survey, and  FOMC from Yesterday   Jobless Claims continue to signal improvement in the labor market. Initial claims did inch 2,000 higher in the March 16 week to 336,000, but the four-week average is down 7,500 to 339,750 which is a new recovery low. A curious improvement in Existing Home Sales data for February was a jump in supply. Also, sales improved. Existing home sales rose 0.8 percent to an annualized pace of 4.98 million un... 03/21/2013

The average mortgage rate for 30 year fixed mortgages nationwide is 3.62%.  It has been slowly climbing due to the perception that we will be looking at higher inflation in the future.  Just go to the gas station, supermarket, or look at the housing and rental market.  But the Feds. have changed the way they measure inflation so food and energy don't count.  We all know that inflation is higher than the stated rate of 2%. See my web site for all your San Luis Obispo home needs www.myslohomefinder.com What's up today-  Initial Jobless Claims, Producer Price Index           Initial Jobless Claims fell 10,000 in the March 9 week to 332,000 which indicates much more improvement in the labor market than Economist consensus for 350,000. The week's total is the second lowest of the recovery. T... 03/14/2013

It appears that the unemployment numbers are dropping!  Housing and rent prices are going up!  And we all know that food and energy are shooting up!  So these are all signs of inflation, and when inflation spikes up, the Fed is going to have to raise the interest rates.  Get ready for it!  It's coming!  Just had a client get a sweet deal.  My client had to rent it for awhile since they can't move until next year.  Their total payments with PITI comes to about $1,400 a month.  They were able to rent it for $1,900, and they had about 14 calls from applicants. Now we can see why so many investors are jumping into the market! Go to my web site www.myslohomefinder.com for all your Central Coast home needs. What's up today-   Unemployment Rate, Payroll Jobs           The jobs market has impro... 03/08/2013

Well welcome to March, and today is the sequester day!  What's going to happen because of it! All I know is the political propaganda I hear from those talking heads in Washington.  It's always doom and gloom, but they never talk about the sky rocketing debt this country and its state have!  Those politicians are spending our tax money like drunken sailors, sorry to all those drunken sailors that don't want to be compared to those reptilian Washington politicians.  We here at Mike's blog want to vote them all out, and replace them with someone new! See my web site at www.myslohomefinder.com for all your San Luis Obispo home search needs. The Day Ahead: Lots of Data, With a Mixed Bag of Results             Personal income dropped a monthly 3.6 percent, following a 2.6 percent surge in Dec... 03/01/2013

How fast times change.  We have gone from a buyers market to a sellers market in a little over a year.  I told many buyers that it was time to buy for the last 2 years.  So listened and some didn't!  I remember talking to one of my buyers a year ago that it was time to buy.  I showed him several houses, and he said "I just talked to a friend who said that we have another 20% to go down!"  I laughed and I asked him if his friend is a realtor, and he said no.  Go figuire!  Is it better to listen to a real estate professional who has been in the market for years, or listen to a "friend".  I told him maybe we can talk when the market is 10% up!  Which is what it is now!  No call! Here is a great article by Morgan Brennen the lovely Forbes staff writer- 'Seller's Market' Developing As Housin... 02/22/2013