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An influx of foreign buyers and Internet money could be creating conditions for another bubble in California’s housing market, says one real estate expert. Kathy Fettke, CEO and co-founder of The Real Wealth Network, told J.D. Hayworth and John Bachman on “America’s Forum” on Newsmax TV that she is “concerned” by what she is seeing in California’s real estate market. “In California, for sure, Chinese buyers have been active,” Fettke said. “We see that they have been looking for a safe place to put their money because they’re seeing that they’re in a bubble actually in China and are trying

With limited knowledge that the real estate market has tanked over the last several years, you might be hesitant to pull the trigger to make what should be an excellent investment today. With some fortitude and patience, today is likely the best opportunity you’ll have in your lifetime to make a hefty profit from a real estate investment. Generally, your options are to either rent out your investment or flip it. This article focuses on flipping properties. Consider Your Risks Adjustable rate mortgages were a huge problem in the real estate melt down a few years ago. Still, today some

Vastly improved home prices over the past five years have changed the landscape of California’s distressed housing market, which is now just a fraction of what it was during the Great Recession, the California Association of Realtors said today. In January 2009, 69.5 percent of all homes sold in California were distressed, which includes short sales and real estate-owned properties, REOs. Five years later, that figure has shrunk to 15.6 percent, CAR said in a statement. REOs comprised 60 percent of all sales in January 2009, while short sales made up 9.1 percent of all sales but rose to as

While December data show home prices in Monterey County blew past 2012 levels, month-to-month figures show a definite slowing, bringing back some degree of normalcy in the real-estate market, according to area Realtors and data released Monday from CoreLogic prices were flat, even decreasing by 0.1 percent in December 2013 compared to November 2013. Some degree of braking is a positive trend, because hyperinflation in prices would be unsustainable over time and could lead to another home-price “bubble” similar to the one that burst in 2007-2008, economists and real-estate experts say. “We simply couldn’t keep going at this rate,” said

Patience seems to have paid off for those who’ve postponed putting their homes on the market until this year, real estate analysts say. They stand to pocket the kind of profits not seen since the housing boom. Prices surged more than 10% in many markets last year, bidding wars are once again common, and homes are routinely going for well over the asking price in some cities. These trends make it seem like a return to the go-go days of the housing boom. Single-family homes were selling at an average price of $244,300 in November, up 7.2% from a year

The housing market’s recovery has been shoring up the U.S. economy, but it is still challenging for homebuyers, according to real estate market trends tracked by a new survey conducted by real estate brokerage Redfin. Now is an advantageous time to sell, say two-thirds (65 percent) of 468 Redfin agents surveyed in the fourth quarter. This is down from 72 percent in the third quarter and 86 percent, a 2013 benchmark, in the second. Just over half (56 percent) of surveyed agents said that it was a good time to buy a home in their area. Nearly nine-in-ten respondents (87

Home prices got off dead center as early as February, and climbed like the California Screamin’ roller coaster ride at Disney California Adventure Park. Unpredicted price escalation took hold for the rest of the year. Foreclosure filings took a steep fall. The market rumbled toward recovery, despite pinched inventory and hairpin turns. Thanks to the national debt ceiling talks, there was even an OMG moment as the year wound to a close. Economists wagged their fingers at Washington politics. Consumers took a deep gulp. And, for a spell, it seemed the Car Land sign that reads, “Dang Near Fainted,” had

Distressed California homeowners can breathe a sigh of relief. Those who decide to short sale their home — or sell it for less than is owed to the lender — don’t have to pay state tax on the mortgage debt. In January, Congress extended the federal Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 giving thousands of homeowners a break on having to pay taxes on the forgiven debt for a year. But California chose not to continue its state tax relief program. Real estate organizations and state leaders have tried for months to get the program reinstated. This week, the

Southern California home sales plunged in November, falling with a 10.4 percent thud across Riverside County and by the same percentage in the entire six-county region, the latest report from San Diego-based DataQuick said. DataQuick president John Walsh called the performance “underwhelming.” The month was far from flamboyant by DataQuick president John Walsh’s standards because of two likely culprits: Low inventory and a pullback in home-buying and consumer confidence during the early-October fiasco on Capitol Hill over ways to resolve the debt ceiling. Consumer confidence waned. FHA-backed mortgages that were not well into the escrow pipeline hit a few snags