2014 FHA Loan Limit Changes

What is FHA? The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was established as a result of the Great Depression to assist the housing industry. The FHA continues to help home buyers who do not meet typical financing needs  like  not having a great credit history.  As of 1/1/2014, FHA has decreased the loan limits on all FHA loans across the nation. The government is trying to tighten up restrictions in hopes to avoid another housing bubble. The question is, has this been enforced too soon? Is the market stable enough to take another hit on high valued homes in each respective county? Will lenders be able to accommodate and help fill the void?

How does this affect San Joaquin County?  Some areas of San Joaquin county are not seeing the effects of this change.  However, areas such as Tracy are feeling the impact.  With little inventory under the FHA loan limit, buyers who are dependent on using FHA are being forced to buy less house or look outside Tracy for a home.  Inventory has doubled since the first of the year and homes sales in Tracy are down month over month from the same time last year.  Homes are staying on the market longer and prices have flattened in the price range above the FHA loan limit. 

The Aguilera Real Estate Team is here to assist you with all of your real estate needs.  Let us help you navigate the ever changing real estate market.  Whether your are buying or selling, we are on top of the changes and will guide you through a smooth and efficient real estate transaction. 

Below you will find a list of counties and their changes in FHA loan limits from 2013 to 2014. 

Counties	2013	2014
Inyo	$437,500	$369,150
Kern	$368,750	$271,050
Kings	$325,000	$271,050
Lake	$401,250	$271,050
Lassen	$285,000	$271,050
Los Angeles	$729,750	$625,500
Madera	$425,000	$271,050
Marin	$729,750	625,000
Mariposa	$412,500	$322,000
Mendocino	$512,500	$373,750
Merced	$472,500	$271,050
Monterey	$729,750	$483,000
Napa	$729,750	$592,250
Nevada	$562,500	$477,250
Orange	$729,750	$625,500
Placer	$580,000	$474,950
Plumas	$410,000	$336,950
Riverside	$500,000	$355,350
Sacramento	$580,000	$570,450
San Benito	$729,750	$625,500
San Bernadino	$500,000	$355,350
San Diego	$697,500	$546,250
San Francisco	$729,750	$625,500
San Joaquin	$488,750	$304,750
San Luis Obispo	$687,500	$561,200
San Mateo	$729,750	$625,500
Santa Barabara	$729,750	$625,500
Santa Clara	$729,750	$625,500
Santa Cruz	$729,750	$625,500
Shasta	$423,750	$273,700
Siskiyou	$293,750	$271,050
Solano	$557,500	$400,200
Sonoma	$662,500	$520,950
Stanislaus	$423,750	$276,000
Sutter	$425,000	$271,050
Tehama	$312,500	$271,050
Tulare	$325,000	$271,050
Tuolumne	$437,500	$331,200
Ventura	$729,750	$598,000
Yolo	$580,000	$474,950
Yuba	$425,000	$271,050

TracyRealEstateBlog - Tracy And Mountain House 10 Listings Of The Week 1-31-2014

Below are some of the best listings that have become active in the past week in Tracy & Mountain House. Images are courtesy of Metrolist. If you are interested in looking at homes in our market, visit our search feature on our website today!

1. 680 Marie Angela Drive, Tracy - $435,000

This is one of our own listings! Click here for more info!

Beautiful Two Story Home! Custom two tone paint with laminate flooring throughout downstairs. Spacious kitchen with lots of cabinets, counter space and an island. Newer Stainless Steel appliances. Oversized master bedroom. Ceiling fans downstairs and in 3 bedrooms. In ground gunite spool (Pool/spa combo) with rock waterfall, and palm trees. Yard is fully landscaped. Come see this beauty!

2. 1440 Cherry Blossom Lane, Tracy - $419,000

Beautiful spacious well maintained home. 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home. Great Desirable location! Extra-large living area with Gas Fire Place. Walking distance to school and park. Freshly painted and new carpets. Has water softener. 

3. 3951 Maison Court, Tracy $410,000

Nice Two story home located in the Edgewood Community. Built by Western Pacific in 2003. Boasts approximately 2,700 square feet of living space, five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, bedroom & full bathroom located downstairs, formal living and dining rooms with laminate flooring, open kitchen with tile counters, tile flooring, ample cabinet space, nook,& prep island with sink, newer HVAC system, landscaped front and rear yards, court location, located within the Jefferson School District.

4. 1564 Westcliff Lane, Tracy - $379,900

Awesome home! Nice floor plan with loft for den or office. Very nice kitchen and family room with cozy fireplace. Well-kept two story home. Superb location for commuting and shopping. Very good curb appeal.

5. 3919 Middlefield Drive, Tracy - $379,000

Gorgeous Edgewood Home!! Open and spacious, 3 bedrooms + loft / game room, freshly painted interior, new carpet, new appliances, new ceiling fans, new fixtures, new landscaping, too much to list. A must see!

6. 1201 Parkside Drive, Tracy - $367,900

Immaculate & Ready to Move In!! Offering 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,945 square feet of living space on a large 6094 sq. ft. lot. Elegant dining room w/ new chandelier. Spend time w/ friends & family in the open kitchen complete w/ new stainless steel refrigerator, dishwasher and newer gas range. Ceiling fans in all bedrooms and window coverings included as well! Fun in the sun all summer w/ the built-in gunite pool including safety fence, serene water feature & newer motor. Don't miss out this gorgeous find!

7. 1541 Teakwood Way, Tracy - $315,000

Stunning home. Updated throughout. Light and bright. Laminate flooring, and hardwood on the stairs. Beautiful granite in the kitchen. Huge island great for entertaining. RV access. Large, clean rear yard. Fantastic curb appeal. Great location close to I-205. A great value for the future owner.

8. 420 Northgate Court, Tracy - $285,000

Beautiful Home in the Heart of Tracy! Spacious 3 bedroom 2.5 bath and 1878 square feet. Completely updated with granite kitchen countertops with stainless steel appliances and tile floor, downstairs ALL laminate flooring, open and bright floor plan. 3 tone interior paint. Outdoor patio perfect for entertaining with a swimming pool. House has a lot of potentials. Quiet Community. Close to shopping area and freeway. Don't miss out, come see!

 

9. 142 E Beverly Pl, Tracy - $255,000

This doll house has a covered porch, bay window with window seat in LR, kitchen island, gas cooktop, tile flooring, newer vinyl dual pane windows, newer HVAC, large backyard has arbor, large patio & Tuff shed. Shows well.

10. 845 S Amor Street, Mountain House - $625,000

Extremely sought after Bethany Village beauty on a 12,000+ square foot lot with room for a pool. Gorgeous Mountain Views with no neighbors behind you. Nestled in a quiet area with no major traffic so the children can play freely. Beautiful granite slab counters, large Island, open floor plan, great for entertaining. Huge master suite with extra-large closet and separate tub and shower. Walking distance to the award winning schools and beautiful trails. Downstairs full bath with bonus room. 3 Car Garage.

TracyRealEstateBlog - Americans Build Larger, More Costly Homes

Newly built single-family homes in the United States are getting bigger, costlier to build and more expensive, according to the National Association of Homebuilders. This news comes on the heels of news that home prices climbed 11.8% between November 2012 and November 2013.

In fact the only thing shrinking for new construction is the size of the lot they’re built upon, according to NAHB’s most recent construction cost survey of 3,019 builders. The survey was conducted in August and September of 2013.

The survey shows that this trend is happening across all levels of homebuilding. That is to say, the increase in the average price, cost and size is not a result of high-end homes gains pulling the average up or lower-cost and mid-level homes gains pushing upward.

"It’s an across the board gain," says Heather Taylor at the economics and housing policy department at NAHB. "In fact we factor out the high end market since it can skew the results."

The cost to build a single-family home was $246,453 in 2013, which is the highest cost since 1998. Newly constructed home prices jumped 25% to $399,532. That is below the peak of $454,906 in 2007.

While the cost of building a new single-family home in 2013 represented a 34% increase from the cost, profits jumped to 9.3% from their 2011 all-time low of 6.8%.

The average size of the home in the 2013 construction cost survey was 2,607 square feet, which is about 300 square feet more than the average size of the homes reported in the 2011 construction cost survey, but still about 100 square feet less than the peak reported in the 2009 survey.

The average home in the NAHB survey was built on a one-third acre lot, as opposed to a half-acre lot average found in the 2011 NAHB survey.

By type and percentage of construction costs, interior finishes accounted for 29.3% of construction cost, with the balance spread among framing (19.1%), exterior finishes (14.4%) and the combination of plumbing, electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (13.4%).

The average share of the home’s sales price which goes to construction cost jumped from 59% in both 2009 and 2011 to 61.7% in 2013. Finished lot costs, accounting for the second largest share of the sales price, dropped from 22% in 2011 to 19% in 2013.

Although the cost of construction per square foot remained relatively stable in 2009 and 2011 ($82 per square foot, and $80 per square foot, respectively), it jumped to $95 per square foot in 2013.

These results, NAHB reiterate, are national averages; the survey sample is not large enough for a geographic breakdown. Building practices, the cost of labor, the cost of land, and to some extent the cost of the materials can vary from place to place and depend on the nature of the particular home being built.

-Courtesy of Housingwire.com

TracyRealEstateBlog - Residential Construction Spending Hits 2008 Levels

Residential Construction Spending Hits 2008 Levels

Construction spending on private, residential projects reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $346 billion in November, up 17% over November 2012. That's the fastest pace since mid-2008.

Construction spending overall climbed 1% in November according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, and most of that was lead by private construction rather than public projects. The overall breakdown by segment was: residential construction spending climbed 1.7%, while commercial construction spending increased 0.6%.

Private construction spending of all types rose 2.2%, while public outlays for construction dropped 1.8%.

A full breakdown of the November construction spending report can be found here on the Construction spending section of the United States Census Bureau.

Are you curious about the value of your home? Demand and values are continuing to climb higher. Please visit our website for a FREE, non-obligation, Comparative Market Analysis!

TracyRealEstateBlog - 7 Housing Trends for 2013

7 Housing Trends for 2013

As 2013 comes to a close and real estate experts forecast where the housing market is headed in 2014, here is a look back of the trends from 2013. 

1. Housing Prices Rose Faster Than Expected

According to Trends Vision by Metrolist, the median sold price for a home in Tracy was $278,000 in January 2013, and it has since climbed to $345,000 by November 2013. The pace of price appreciation accelerated significantly over the year. 

2. Mortgage Rates Rose Remained Low

We expected mortgage rates to rise in 2013, and they started to increase in the late spring, but they're still very affordable when you look at rates on a historical scale. They aren't the super-low rates we saw in the past few years. According to Freddie Mac, 30-year fixed-rate loans were as low as 3.45% in December 2012 and rose to 4.49% in September 2013. It is forecasted that 

mortgage rates are likely to stay low and perhaps even drop between now and mid-2014. 

3. Bidding Wars Returned

The combination of rising prices, low mortgage rates, and low inventory led to a sense of urgency among buyers and the return of bidding wars. According to Realtor.com, inventory in 2012 reached a high of 2,083,710 homes on the market, then declined to 1,583,497 homes in February 2013. By the end of the September 2013, 2,210,000 homes were for sale, approximately five months of inventory. 

4. Housing Affordability Remained High

 Housing affordability has slightly come down this year because of home value appreciation and the lack of income for the consumer to keep up. Even though affordability is at a five-year low, it's still the fifth-highest in the past 30 years. 

5. All-Cash Buyers Continued to Be a Strong Market Segment

Nearly a third of all home purchases were made with cash. This trend has been consistent for three years prior. Some cash buyers are from overseas and some are institutional investors, while others are your smaller market investors who have had trouble obtaining financing for such activities previously. Even owner-occupant buyers are cash buyers because of the tight underwriting standards as of late. Some people are getting help from relatives to buy, and they plan to take a home equity loan to repay them. 

6. Mobile Apps Accelerated Connections Between Buyers, Sellers and REALTORS

Nearly every Realtor and brokerage in the county introduced a mobile app this year to make it easier for buyers and sellers to access information from their smartphones and tablets, including the KW Smart Phone App. Everyone realizes that a desktop can sometimes be inconvenient when looking for up-to-date Tracy Real Estate information. According to the National Association of Realtors, 68% of homebuyers used a mobile app during their home search and 89% used a mobile search engine at the initiation of their home search.

7. Rising Rents and Pent-Up Demand Pulled More First-Time Buyers Into The Market

We are currently seeing a replenishment of renters who want to buy homes instead. In 2002, nearly 70% of people owned homes and 30% were renters. That has declined to 65% of people are home owners and 35% are renters. Rents are rising rapidly than home prices in some markets. There is an increasing demand from people who don't want to live with their parents and who want to buy a home.

TracyRealEstateBlog-Housing Market Is Heating Up

Housing Market Is Heating Up, if Not Yet Bubbling
Source: The New York Times

Renowned economist Robert Shiller (co-developer of the S.& P./Case-Shiller Index) writes in the New York Times that while we are not in a bubble now, there are troubling signs that we may be heading toward one. He notes the country could be lapsing into a bubble mentality— a self-reinforcing cycle of popular belief that prices can only go higher.

Read the full story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/business/housing-market-is-heating-up-if-not-yetbubbling.
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Housing Market Is Heating Up, if Not Yet Bubbling - Aguilera Real Estate Team Tracy California Real Estate

Lisa Aguilera    
The Aguilera Real Estate Team

Cell: 209-814-8256 | Office: 209-597-8256 |Fax: 209-496-9319 | BRE # 01766690

 2311-A North Tracy Blvd, Tracy CA 95376 | Keller Williams Realty, Tracy Branch Office
Email: LisaAguilera1@gmail.com | Website:  www.TracyRealEstateToday.com | Tracy & Mountain House CASubscribe To My Newsletter | 1 Minute Housing Market Trends Update |  Equal Housing Opportunity  

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This blog article was provided by Lisa Aguilera, a Nationally recognized Realtor and member of the Central Valley Association of Realtors (CVAR). Top Producing Realtor and  CVAR Master’s Club Winner with over $3.2 Million in Sales Annually. Search California real estate and homes for sale: www.TracyRealEstateToday.com.   Short Sale information at Short Sale My Tracy Home or Short Sale My Mountain House Home. Homeowners anywhere in California or the United States contact me for more information: Short Sell Your Home.

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Disclaimer: The information provided on this website should not be constituted as legal advice. The content is intended to provide general information about real estate, short sale and foreclosure processes, and should not be acted upon without the counsel of a qualified REALTOR®, attorney, and tax expert.

TracyRealEstateBlog-Market Trends Real Estate Newsletter August 2013

http://www.tracyrealestatetoday.com/Blog/Monthly-Market-Trends-Newsletter-August-2013