Monday 243 & 6 Month Bill Auction Tuesday 25Existing Home Sales-consensus 5.50M..... Year to year this number has dropped 9% and housing supply for July was at 9.6 months.  Case-Shiller Home Price Index ICSC-USB Store Sales  Tracks comparable weekly sales from major retail chains and represents 10% of total retail sales.  Is considered to be one of the most timely indicators of consumer spending. Redbook a timely indicator of consumer spending and also represents about 10% of total retail sales.  This measure tracks weekly sales from discounters, chain and department stores.Consumer Confidence -Consensus 1044 Week Bill Auction  Wednesday 26MBA Purchase Applications measures applications at mortg... 09/22/2007

Last week was quite eventful as we saw the Fed lower interest rates by 50 basis points to 4.75%!  This is the first easing in four years! They forcefully responded to concerns of economic weakness by lowering both the Discount and the Target rate, which are two key rates.  This is huge and many are now looking for the Fed funds rate to reach 4% next year. Noteworthy are the continued weakness of the dollar and the low consumer confidence levels.  Whether the start of rate decreases will be the shot in the arm that real estate needs remains to be seen, at least in the short term.  Economic data has been mixed, showing moderate growth overall with no compelling case for impending recession.  Hopefully the predictions of another 6-18 months for a rebound on the housing market are wrong!  ... 09/22/2007

 I'm frequently asked if buying makes more sense than renting.  The answer is that there is no one answer as that decision depends on many factors, not the least of which involve your financial situation, job stability etc.It warrants a good look and before I go any further, for the purposes of this discussion I'm going to assume that the person asking me this question meets the following parameters:solid job historyno out of area relocation planned, at least for a few yearsgood credit history and fico scores stable incomeFirst things first, talk to a mortgage agent to see what amount you qualify for, if you don't qualify for a loan the discussion ends here. If you look at rents in the Burbank area, here are the ranges:Studio apartments         $950-11751 Bedroom    " "              $9... 09/17/2007

    Monday 17Empire State Manufacturing Survey-monthly survey of manufacturers in New York State.Consensus20 3 Month & 6 Month Bill Auction Tuesday 18FOMC Monetary Policy Announcement Consensus 4.75%    50 basis point cut Housing Market Index-Produced by the National Association of Home Builders.  This is a survey which is filled out by the members of this organization and it gives their opinion of the general state of the housing market and the economy. Producer Price Index  PPI Consensus Forecast for August 07: -.3% percentState Street Investor Confidence Index Measures actual levels of risk in investor portfolio. Treasury Int'l Capital-measures foreign demand for our debt and assets by tracking flows of financial instruments into and out of the U.S.  ICSC-USB Store Sales  Tracks comp... 09/16/2007

  For a fun night out, come check out Taste of Downtown Burbank this coming Thursday, September 27 from 5:30pm-9:30pm.It promises to be a fun event as over 30 restaurants and local eateries will participate by providing food from each of the establishments.  There will also be a Beer and Wine Walk in front of the AMC Theaters.Entertainment includes Lao Tizer, a contemporary jazz performer and  Stompy Jones, for fun rock and roll! Cost for the event, if you preorder, is $25 per adult, food only, $35 per adult for food and Kids are $10. Add $5 for same day tickets.Proceeds will benefit the Burbank YMCA! It promises to be a fun event! For your Burbank Real Estate needs visit me at anaconnell.com!    09/16/2007

 There are items from last week and the upcoming week that I thought you might find of interest concerning the  Burbank City Council.Last week the Burbank City Council approved a "zone text amendment" for the Rancho area.  As you may recall there was a heated discussion about this project last year.  I wrote a post about some of the concerns in Burbank City Council gets tough on Rancho Neighborhood Developments.Bottom line is that by a 3-2 vote (Councilmembers Golonski and Bric dissented) the council voted to end grocery store development in the Rancho area.  They also approved the zone text amendment stating that food stores on a smaller scale would be allowed.My thoughts revolve around the logistics.  Is it easier to police a larger entity like a Whole Foods or a mom and pop type sto... 09/16/2007

  Feng Shui Realtor in Burbank CA, Los Angeles County. I am available to help you how to buy a house with good feng shui in 2015 - Best location exterior/interior to place water fountains:  NORTH, EAST, SOUTHEAST When leasing or selling a property, I place two of this water fountains to attract the perfect tenant/buyer.   Hello, Folks:  i love reading feng shui, practicing feng shui and helping others understand how  feng shui can benefit you. If you are wondering what feng shui means, here is a brief explanation:  Feng shui means wind and Shui means water. The ancient Chinese scholars discovered that wind and water affect our environment and well being. Weather is created by the changing of temperatures, which is caused by the rise and fall of the sun and the moon. This is how yin and ... 09/14/2007

 We're basically on hold until Tuesday, when the FOMC(Federal Open Market Committee) meets to discuss our future interest rate policy.  Rumors have gone from 1/4 to 1/2 point decrease in the Federal Funds Rate.  The question is whether this will be of any real value to the market.  A 1/4 point decrease seems to be factored in.Items of note:Report in the Financial Times on Wednesday that the Fed is considering a "special purpose funding facility" otherwise called a bailout, since adding liquidity through the normal channels has done little to reduce the 30-180 day libor rates. (Of interest since many mortgages that are due to adjust soon are tied to the libor rate).  It also said that possibly the Bank of England along with the ECB(European Central Bank) would set up these programs to a... 09/14/2007

If you love Italian food and are ever looking for a great Italian Deli then the Monte Carlo is a must.This great location has been in Burbank for over 40 years and has an incredible Market & Deli.  The Deli offers a huge selection of Italian Specialties like Focaccia, Homemade Italian Sausage, Fresh Daily Veal Cutlets and Ground Beef, Italian Cookies, Pastries and Cannolis.  In addition the Market and Deli has a Imported Grocery section features dozens of Olive Oils, a giant selection of Pastas, San Marzano Tomatoes, Italian Coffees, Balsamic Vinegars, Risotto, Olive Spreads and many hard to find imported items including a large selection of Imported Wines.While there be sure to enjoy some of their 24 Flavors of Gelato and Sorbet for those hot summer nights.The location also features a ... 09/09/2007

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Monday 10Consumer Credit This report represents the overall value of outstanding consumer credit debt.  Very simply put, if demand exceeds supply, interest rates rise.    3 & 6 Month Bill Auction Tuesday 11 ICSC-USB Store Sales  Tracks comparable weekly sales from major retail chains and represents 10% of total retail sales.  Is considered to be one of the most timely indicators of consumer spending. Red... 09/08/2007

Please click on the following link to view all of our Open Homes for the weekend of September 8, 2007.Windermere Burbank Open HomesThere are some great homes being held open and we would love to see you there.If you have questions or would like to schedule a showing of any of these fine homes please do not hesitate to let me know.We look forward to seeing you there. 09/07/2007

 The Pending Home Sales number came out this morning at down 12.2% for July versus the 2% that was expected.  Realtors are reporting that sales are taking longer to close and many are failing to close.  Much of this, I'm sure, is tied to our current credit market situation and how much harder it is getting to qualify for a loan. On a more important note is what  the Libor rate is doing.  Libor stands for the London Interbank Offered Rate.  This is a widely used benchmark that many mortagages are tied to.  The 3 month Libor rate is at 5.72% with the one month rate at 5.82%.  What this means is that the many homeowners whose adjustable rate mortgages are tied to Libor are going to be in for a surprise when their payments readjust. This also highlights the fact that current rumors of an in... 09/05/2007

                                                                                                                             Monday  3Labor Day! Tuesday 4Construction Spending-Consensus 0% Good indicator of the economy's momentum.ISM Manufacturirng Index Consensus-53.0 Survey of manufacturing firms that measure their sentiments on a variety of areas including employment, production, new orders and inventories.Motor Vehicle Sales  Consensus 12.0M3 & 6 Month Bill Auction  Wednesday 5House Financial Services Committee holds hearing on recent events in the credit and mortgage markets and potential implications for U.S. consumers and the global economy. Pending Homes Sales Index-Release from NAR Gauges demand and momentum of housing marketChallenger Job Cut Report Announced corporate layoff... 09/01/2007

Hello I read an article very  recently about the advantages of including a floor plan along with pictures and a virtual tour in marketing your listings.Potential Buyers can see the layout of the home and decide if the house interests them before they even see it. Saving the Realtor, home owner and buyer precious time!Below is an aticle about using floor plans as a marketing tool. If you want to schedule a floor plan service, virtual tour or other marketing tools please call Real Ease Marketing at: 818.332.3164 or visit our website at: http://www.realeasemarketing.com/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E0D7123EF932A25751C0A9619C8B63#We service all of Burbank, Los Angeles, Orange County and Ventura CountyThanks and have a great day!Connie 08/29/2007

Hello This week's LA Times had a great article about pre listing home inspections. The article encourages this as a selling tool in selling Real Eastate in Burbank or the southern California area. It shows the potentional buyer that the seller is earnest in his efforts to correctly price his property and to have as smooth as possible transaction.The link is below. If you have any marketing or administrative needs now or in the future please contact me or visit my website at RealEaseMarketing.comThanks and have a great day!http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/news/la-re-inspect26aug26,0,413106.story?coll=la-class-realestate-news  08/27/2007

                                                                                            Monday 27Existing Home Sales-consensus 5.70M..... Year to year this number has dropped 11.4% and housing supply at 8.8 months.  June sales were down 3.8%.3 & 6 Month Bill Auction Tuesday 28 ICSC-USB Store Sales  Tracks comparable weekly sales from major retail chains and represents 10% of total retail sales.  Is considered to be one of the most timely indicators of consumer spending. Redbook a timely indicator of consumer spending and also represents about 10% of total retail sales.  This measure tracks weekly sales from discounters, chain and department stores.Consumer Confidence -Consensus 105FOMC Minutes 4 Week Bill Auction & 20 Year Tips AuctionWednesday 29MBA Purchase Applications measures ... 08/26/2007

 Thought I would write a post that highlights certain items of interest coming up at the next Burbank City Council Meeting.This week the Burbank City Council will be discussing the following items of interest:Quiet ZoneThis resolution, if passed, will look into designating the Buena Vista Street rail crossing a quiet zone.  What this means to you is that for a 1/2 mile either way, trains cannot sound their horns.   Glenoaks RehabCouncil is looking into approving an agreement with City of Glendale where a Burbank portion of Glenoaks Bl.  would be included in City of Glendale's rehabilitation project.  City of Burbank would contribute a portion of the cost, not to exceed $108,530. The Burbank City Council meets at City Council Chambers in City Hall, 275 E. Olive Ave.  Tuesday at 6:30pm. ... 08/26/2007

As i was talking to Marlene Bridges today I was reminded of a great restaurant in Burbank that I wanted to share. Since 1946 "The Smoke House" has been a community favorite.  It offers a fantastic menu and increadible Sunday Brunch.  The restaruant is visited by a few celebs as it is situated directly across the street from the Warnet Bros main lot here in Burbank.This is a must visit for any Steak or BBQ lover as you will not be disappointed in what you get.  They also boast to have "The worlds best Garlic Bread".For hours and to view a menu please visit The Smoke House Website and enjoy.  08/21/2007

We are pleased to announce our FREE Home Buyers Class.  This is great opportunity for first time buyers to be introduced to the home buying process as well as for repeat buyers to get up to speed with the current real estate market.  You will be able to speak with leading professionals in the fields of Title Insurance, Home Warranty, Mortgages, Home Inspection as well as Seasoned Realtors.All are welcome but seating is limited so please call to reserve your seat today.We hope to see you there. 08/21/2007

                                                                                                                            Monday  20Leading Indicators-Consensus .4% -Report looks at ten different sources that are supposed to indicate overall economic activity.  This figure tends to be revised after the fact and does not do a great job of predicting downturns or upturns.  3 Month & 6 Month Bill AuctionTuesday 21 ICSC-USB Store Sales  Tracks comparable weekly sales from major retail chains and represents 10% of total retail sales.  Is considered to be one of the most timely indicators of consumer spending. Redbook a timely indicator of consumer spending and also represents about 10% of total retail sales.  This measure tracks weekly sales from discounters, chain and department stores.S... 08/19/2007