Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and, in many parts of the country, weekend weather was indistinguishable from what one might expect in August. Temperatures climbed into the 90s throughout the Southwest, South Central, Midwest and Southeast and even crossed 100 degrees in parts of Kansas. For homeowners with ceiling fans, the change of season offers a timely reminder to change the direction in which ceiling fan blades rotate. Properly-rotating ceiling fan blades not only cool your home more efficiently, but can lower your energy bill, too. Ceiling fans are meant to amplify your home's natural heating and cooling systems. Using the equivalent energy of a 100-watt light bulb, on a cool day, a ceiling fan will recirculate warmer air, making a room feel up to 6 degrees wa... 05/29/2012

Memorial Day Weekend Events Santa Clarita, Los Angeles & Southern California Santa Clarita Veterans Committee "Remembering Our Fallen Heros" May 28, 2012 Campgrounds "First Come First Served" in California for Memorial Day Weekend 2012 Parks Opened in California for Memorial Day Weekend 2012 Spring Hikes in California Open Memorial Day Weekend 2012 Whitewater Rafting in California Memorial Day Weekend 2012 Six Flags Magic Mountain Valencia, Ca - Open Memorial Day Weekend May 25 - Memorial Day! Huricane Harbor Valencia, Ca. Open Memorial Day Weekend May 26 - Memorial Day! Mountasia in Santa Clarita "Memorial Day Weekend Special" May 25 - 28, 2012! Santa Clarita Street Fair Memorial Day Weekend May 26 - 27, 2012 Greek Theater "War, Tower of Power & Average White Band" May 26, 2012 Pasaden... 05/25/2012

  For the fifth consecutive week, conforming 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates have dropped to new all-time lows. According to this week's Primary Mortgage Market Survey from Freddie Mac, "prime" mortgage applicants willing to pay 0.8 discount points plus closing costs can secure a mortgage rate of 3.78%, on average. This is a small improvement in rate over last week when the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate was 3.79% with 0.7 discount points. 1 discount point is equal to 1 percent of your loan size. Like everything in real estate, though, mortgage rates are local. Freddie Mac reports that the mortgage rates available to consumers varied by region. Northeast Region : 3.78% with 0.7 discount points  West Region : 3.74% with 0.9 discount points Southeast Region : 3.79% with 0.7 di... 05/25/2012

  The April New Home Sales report suggests that the market for newly-built homes is as strong as the market for existing ones.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of new homes sold rose 3.3 percent in April to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized 343,000 units sold -- its second-highest reading since April 2010. April 2010 marked the last month of that year's federal home buyer tax credit program. April's New Home Sales data also marks the 7th of eight consecutive months during which the number of new homes sold climbed nationwide, a streak unequaled in recent history. During this period, the supply of new homes for sale has dropped 13%.  The complete new home inventory is down to 146,000 homes nationwide. At the current pace of sales, home buyers in Santa Clarita and across t... 05/24/2012

  Low mortgage rates are helping to make homes more affordable. It appears home buyers have taken notice. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, Existing Home Sales rose 3.4% in April from the month prior, registering 4.62 million homes sold on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. An "existing home" is a home that's been previously occupied. April's sales volume represents a 10 percent jump from April of last year. For buyers and sellers in Santa Clarita , the April Existing Home Sales report supports the notion that the housing market may be improving; that the "bottom" occurred sometime in late-2011. Home values have been rising in many U.S. markets and home builders now report the highest levels of foot traffic through models since 2007. Demand for U.S. housing is gr... 05/23/2012

  Falling mortgage rates and stagnant home prices are making a positive effect on home affordability nationwide including here in Santa Clarita. Never before in recorded history have so many homes been affordable to households earning a moderate annual income. Last week, the National Association of Home Builders reported the Home Opportunity Index at 77.5 -- its highest reading of all-time. The index indicates that more than 3 of every 4 homes sold last quarter were affordable to households earning the national median income of $65,000. Last quarter marks the 12th straight quarter -- dating back to 2009 -- in which the index surpassed 70. Prior to this run, the index had never crossed 70 even once. That said, like most real estate statistics, the Home Affordability Index has a national ... 05/21/2012

We are seeing 10 year low inventory levels in Santa Clarita, Valencia, Stevenson Ranch, Castaic, Saugus, Newhall, and Canyon Country not only with foreclosures, but also with short sales and equity sales.  This article confirms others are experiencing the same: A bank-owned home for sale in Las Vegas. (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images / May 17, 2012)   Foreclosure activity in the U.S. fell last month to its lowest level since the start of the credit crisis in 2007, driven largely by drops in states such as California, where the process occurs outside of the courtroom. Foreclosure filings – default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions – were logged on 18,780 homes, according to RealtyTrac. That was a drop of 5% from the prior month and a 14% decline from April 2011. One in e... 05/18/2012

  The Federal Open Market Committee released its April 2012 meeting minutes this week, revealing a Federal Reserve in the ready in the event additional monetary stimulus is needed. The Fed Minutes function much like the minutes from a business meeting; or, condominium association meeting, for example. It's a detailed review of the conversations and debates between FOMC members, and is typically published 3 weeks after a Federal Reserve meeting.   The Fed Minutes is a follow-up statement on the FOMC's more well-known, post-meeting press release. It's also much more lengthy. Whereas the April 25, 2012 press release totaled 444 words, the Fed Minutes spanned 6,618.  Those extra words are important, too, because the detail offered within the Fed Minutes lends insight into how our nation's c... 05/17/2012

    The Mortgage Forgivness Debt Relief Act is set to expire 12/31/2012, there is only 6 more months left to successfully close a short sale and still be eligible for relief! If it closes  January 1, 2013 or later you will not be eligible for the tax relief. Some transactions still take up to six months or more to complete, don't let anyone tell you there is still time or they will extend it again. Yes they are working on a bill right now but nothing is guaranteed. There are so many issues that can prolong a short sale transaction past six months it depends on your lender, the investor, is there MI? your Realtor and the buyer of your property. We have seen time and time again buyers submitting multiple offers on short sales knowing they will buy the first one that gets approved. What ha... 05/17/2012

Dear Client, Friends & Fellow Realtors, Do you know anyone looking to buy or sell a home?  Please let me know! Home Prices are rising in most regions of the USA.  Well priced homes in Valencia, Stevenson Ranch and all other areas of the Santa Clarita Valley are selling briskly and many are receiving multiple offers.  This is not all bad news for buyers since home prices and interest rates make home ownership more affordable than they have been in decades.   This may be the last opportunity to sell a home by Short Sale and not have some of the tax consequences.  Contact me to discuss options of selling and preventing a Foreclosure on the permanent record!   Weekly Events in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles & So. California!   “Memorial Day Weekend Events” in Santa Clarita & Southern California... 05/17/2012

All SCV Foreclosures for Sale NEW AND UPDATED LISTINGS $489,900 25726 Lewis WY Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381BEDS: 4   BATHS: 3 full baths   SQ FT: 2,500 MLS F12061030DETAILS $333,900 28935 Mirada Circulo Valencia, CA 91354BEDS: 3   BATHS: 2 full, 1 part baths   SQ FT: 2,129 MLS F12057218DETAILS   The information being provided by CARETS (CLAW, CRISNet MLS, DAMLS, CRMLS, i-Tech MLS, and/or VCRDS) is for the visitor's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties visitor may be interested in purchasing. Any information relating to a property referenced on this web site comes from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) program of CARETS. This web site may reference real estate listing(s) held by a brokerage firm other than the broker ... 05/17/2012

Homebuilder Confidence is on the rise once again. After a brief dip in April, the National Association of Homebuilders reports that the Housing Market Index rose 5 points in Mayto 29. The increase marks the sharpest climb in homebuilder confidence on a month-to-month basis in 10 years, and raises the index to a 5-year high. The Housing Market Index is scored from 1-100. Readings above 50 indicate favorable conditions in the single-family new home market overall. Readings below 50 indicate poor conditions. The HMI has not been above 50 since April 2006. The Housing Market Index itself is a composite reading as opposed to a straight-up homebuilder survey. The published HMI figure is a compilation of the results of three specific questionnaires sent to NAHB members monthly. The survey ques... 05/16/2012

Usually when agents start talking about referrals, people assume they’re hunting for new listings or more buyers to represent. This isn’t one of those posts! In fact, I wish more people would come to me looking for referrals in our community of Santa Clarita Valley. A good real estate agent knows people in the community you can trust, and I’m always happy to provide the connection. (More) 05/16/2012

Why the Santa Clarita real estate market is hot again... By Joshua SuessTo fully understand what is happening in the Santa Clarita real estate market, it is important to look at supply and demand. If we look back at this time in 2005, the number of homes for sale in all of the Santa Clarita Valley was at approximately 500 homes total. This wasn't anywhere close to an amount needed to supply the nearly 200,000 people living in our valley. Money was cheap and buyers were confident in their decisions to buy homes and felt they would see decent appreciation in return. Prices were rising and only approximately 25% of the LA County population could afford a median priced home of $564,600. In 2006, the "bubble" began to burst with many changes occurring in the market. Prices began to fall due... 05/16/2012

What happened to the Santa Clarita real estate inventory Posted: 12 May 2012 09:45 AM PDT If you are a buyer in the current Santa Clarita real estate market, you are going to want to know the answer to this question.  In fact, if you are a seller, it may be the time to start making...[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]          This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now 05/14/2012

Don’t cry for me American Real Estate Market! Good Times, Bad Times I’ve seen them all.  You don’t owe me anything  and I owe you and on you quite a bit!  It seem like ownership was a marriage made in heaven and wind would always be behind my sails.  But just like a marriage, rocky times are inevitable.  It takes hard work, dedication, loyalty and an enormous amount of luck to save a marriage as well as a home.  Timing is everything in life and just like the wind behind our sails there are things that are out of our control.  I have endured a lot of pain through this devastating Recession and near Depression, personally as well as professionally.  Home values, lack of income and personal tragedy have given unfathomable tests of strength.  The burden of putting others in homes that have ... 05/09/2012

Day One Of The Rest Of My Life......What I did today towards acheiving my goals and making the world a better place Went to the gym this morning! Had a great company meeting today. Ate a great, healthy lunch. Went to my business networking group and had a good meeting this week. Showed property to a very nice buyer with a great personality. Read 10 more pages of "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson. Donated $100 to an agent friend's fundraising cause. Got a short sale written approval for my buyers in Santa Clarita today! Getting on the tennis courts tonight. Counted my blessings. Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale 05/09/2012

Dear Family, Friends & Clients, Mother’s Day is upon us and always brings to mind the sacrifices, pains and heart breaks that our Mothers have endured to allow us a chance of a better life.  Careers have been put on hold, dreams have never had a chance to be fulfilled and years of health have been diminished just for us. A Mother’s love for a Child is special and cannot be duplicated or replicated.  Those of us that are missing our Mothers learn from them even in their absence.  The lessons taught take a lifetime to be appreciated.  Dani & I send our love and respect to Mothers around the world!   Dani & I have found Mother's Day Events, To Do, Reservations in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles & Orange County!   Your Friends & Realtor,   Tony & Dani Lewis RE/MAX of Valencia   www.TonyLewis.com... 05/08/2012

Okay, so you are a Santa Clarita home buyer, and you want a home in a great neighborhood, and you want amenities like walking paths, community swimming pools, community spas, tennis courts, a clubhouse that you can use for your private events. And oh, yes…you want all this without paying Mello Roos.  (Mello Roos is the California bond that many home builders in the Santa Clarita Valley add to the property). And, of course you want low HOA fees!  Does this community exist?  YES!   (More)   Search for current active listings in Valencia North Park     05/08/2012

We are watching as the prices are increasing in most of the Santa Clarita Cities - for now.  IN fact, this has to due with a "supply and demand" issue.   05/07/2012