sacramento area real estate market report: wright report q4-2012

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  • 7/29/2019 Sacramento Area Real Estate Market Report: Wright Report Q4-2012

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    Wright Report

    Perspectives and Overview of Northern Californias

    Residential Real Estate Market:

    Including Statistics and Trends for the United States, State of California, and Northern

    California Counties. Research, Charts, and Graphs for areas within Sacramento, Placer, Yolo,

    El Dorado & San Joaquin Counties.

    July to December, 2012

    TTHHEEWWRRIIGGHHTTRREEPPOORRTT

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    Wright Report

    The Wright Report

    Prepared by:

    Prepared By: Joel Wright

    Document Version: Final

    Last Updated On: March, 2013

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    This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

    License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

    or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco,

    California, 94105, USA.

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    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................... 4

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:.................................................................................................................... 5

    THE EXPERTS WEIGH IN: .................................................................................................................. 6

    Sacramento Appraiser: Ryan Lundquist ........................................................................ 6

    Real Estate Attorney: Stephen Beede ........................................................................... 7

    Mortgage Broker: Jeff Marr ........................................................................................... 9

    MARKET FOCUS: The Budding Recovery ....................................................................................... 10

    MARKET UPDATE: .......................................................................................................................... 14

    THE ECONOMY: ............................................................................................................................. 18

    BANKING & LENDING: ................................................................................................................... 19

    DISTRESSED PROPERTIES: .............................................................................................................. 22

    COUNTY STATISTICS: ..................................................................................................................... 25

    Sacramento County ..................................................................................................... 25

    Placer County .............................................................................................................. 26

    El Dorado County ......................................................................................................... 28

    Yolo County ................................................................................................................. 29

    San Joaquin County ..................................................................................................... 30

    HISTORICAL PRICE GRAPHS: .......................................................................................................... 31

    PLACER COUNTY: ........................................................................................................................... 32

    SACRAMENTO COUNTY: ................................................................................................................ 34

    RESOURCES: ................................................................................................................................... 42

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    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

    The current residential real estate market for the greater Sacramento

    Metro area is poised for one of the greatest increases in appreciation

    ever seen. Not only are rates at all time lows, but rents remain

    strong, demand is increasing, and prices are being driven

    progressively higher by forces on all sides.

    By examining the real estate market, banking, lending, economic

    issues, new homes, distressed inventory and sales, and up to date

    market statistics one can see that the market is moving upwardrapidly and those who purchase now will realize huge price gains over

    the next few years.

    The turnaround in the residential market has two causes, both of

    which have been artificially created to generate recovery: first, low

    interest rates and second, low inventory (low supply and rising

    demand). Interest rates are near 3.5%, and inventory is around 3

    weeks of homes for sale.

    As the two forces play out, prices rise: developers build new homes

    and construction results in new jobs; reducing unemployment and

    increasing tax revenues which leads to an overall economic recovery.

    This situation is occurring not only in Sacramento County but in other

    surrounding counties as well: Placer, Yolo, El Dorado, and San Joaquin.

    Because of the rapid rise in prices there are numerous offers on each

    property with many offers over asking price. It has definitely switched

    to a sellers market and it takes patience, persistence, and a great

    team of professionals to navigate a real estate transaction successfullyin this turbulent market place.

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    THE EXPERTS WEIGH IN:

    Sacramento Appraiser: Ryan Lundquist

    The Market Shift in Sacramento

    The Sacramento market from July through December 2012 can best be described as havingshifted. Housing inventory saw a dramatic decline as the percentage of foreclosures dropped from31.6% of the market in Q1 of 2012 to only 11% of the market in Q4 2012 in Sacramento County.This alone created heightened competition among buyers, but on top of that investor cash becamea very dominant force in the market. By the end of 2012, 35.6% of all sales in SacramentoCounty were cash sales, and 49% of all sales under $200,000 were cash deals.

    Beginning in August 2012 we began to see the private equity fund Blackstone purchase propertiesin mass in multiple counties surrounding Sacramento, but mostly in first-time buyerneighborhoods in Sacramento County under $200,000. They purchased close to 500 properties onMLS (and many off MLS too). With about 80% of their focus under $200,000, and combinedwith many other investors entering the market, we began to see buyers make more aggressiveoffers and even write purchase contracts well over asking price. Essentially we saw the marketappreciate rapidly in the last two quarters of the year. One of the other byproducts of the increaseof cash in the market was a 10% decline of FHA financing in the first-buyer market, and anincrease in conventional financing across the board.

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    In retrospect, few in the real estate industry seemed to anticipate such a rapid recovery in theSacramento area this year as news of the bottom of the market hit. However, it is important torealize the market in large part is being driven by external forces such as heightened investoractivity, low inventory and historically low interest rates. For further context, during the previousreal estate boom a decade ago the unemployment rate was around 5%, but right now its twicethat at 9.9% in Sacramento County. While the current market might remind us of the rapidappreciation experienced in 2003-2005, it is definitely a different kind of market, and well seehow it pans out.

    Ryan Lundquist is a Certified Real Estate Appraiser in the Greater Sacramento Area. He also

    specializes in reducing property taxes. Check out his great Blog at

    www.SacramentoAppraisalBlog.com or contact directly at (916) 595-3735.

    Real Estate Attorney: Stephen Beede

    The Big Unknown Today is how will the Sequestration Affect This.

    In my opinion, the Sequestration could reasonably derail the current market and put it back into

    recession. Heres why. Sequestration" is simply the name given to a mandatory across-the-

    board cut in federal spending exempting only a small handful of social safety net programs. It

    was never intended to take effect but rather was designed by our leaders in Washington to create

    an alternative so bad, that it would force them to cooperate with each other in solving our nation's

    financial problems. Unfortunately, it was too optimistic to expect that our leaders could set-aside

    their political fighting and instead work together to forge a mutually-acceptable plan. The

    sequester requires $85.4 Billion in cuts this year spread out as follows:

    Defense - $42.7 Billion (7.9%)

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    Domestic Programs - $28.7 Billion (5.3%)

    Medicare - $9.9 Billion (2%)

    Other mandatory cuts - $4 Billion

    The administrators running each of those government departments will have the discretion as to

    how those cuts will be made within their agencies. Here is an analysis of specifics put out by theOffice of Management and Budget (OMB):

    For most of us, none of the above cuts will have a direct impact such as loss of jobs. But the

    indirect impacts will touch us all with a trickle-down layering. For example:

    1. Every cut in a government program will result in a loss of some employee jobs and a cut of

    that departments purchasing. This will reduce the money being spent on everything from

    groceries to travel to office supplies and more;

    2. This will cause a reduction in income, first to businesses contracting with the government

    which in turn will result in their reduction of jobs and spending; and secondarily to all the other

    businesses and individuals below as the reductions in spending trickle down through the

    economy.

    3. The still fragile recovering real estate market is dependent upon jobs to fuel new buyers to

    acquire the remaining upside-down properties which still number in the millions. More people

    may find themselves unable to hang on. With more homes hitting the market and less buyers

    available, price growth will stall and maybe even drop.

    Lastly, it is critical to understand that these $85.4 Billion in cuts is just afi rst step in a 10 year

    process to reduce our Federal deficit by $1.5 Trillion by 2021. Under the sequester plan there willbe additional cuts of $109.3 Billion a year from 2014-2021. Overall, the net effect is to reduce the

    size of government and reduce our Federal Deficit.

    These goals are something that we all may recognize needs to be done, but no-one really wants

    the effects to hurt them directly. The reality is however, that whether it is by the Sequester or

    some other agreed-upon Plan, every one of us will feel the pain in one way or another. That will

    be the price of leaving our grandchildren a Nation that is economically solvent rather than

    drowning them in unsustainable debt payments. I personally believe that the future of our nation

    rides on the deficit-reducing budget decisions our leaders make. Whether it is organized

    negotiation or a messy sequestration, these are steps that we know we must take.

    Stephen Beede is a prominent local attorney with very wide experience with residential real estate

    that he brings to his law practice. He can be reached online at www.bpelaw.com and

    [email protected]. He also keeps an excellent blog at www.stevebeede.com; contact him

    directly at (916) 966-2260.

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    Mortgage Broker: Jeff Marr

    Mortgages and the Feds Role.

    When I got started in the lending field roughly 9 years ago (early 2005), our economy was on thetail edge of economic expansion, and one of the most common questions I got was I hear the

    Feds going to raise rates at their next meeting, should I lock my rate before this happens? My

    common response was the Fed only controls short term rates (primarily the Fed Funds and

    Discount rates, which set lending costs for banks needing over-night loans for reserve

    requirements), and has no influence on mortgages, which are longer term debts (30 year pay back

    periods in most cases). I would then typically go on to explain the factors that DID influence

    interest rates, namely the outcome of economic reports indicating whether our economy is

    growing or contracting. Though the Feds role was very limited back then related to mortgage

    rates, this has changed in the past few years, and changed dramatically!

    In response to the financial meltdown that occurred, beginning in late 2008, the Fed began taking

    some extraordinary measures to boost the economy, purchasing immense amounts of both

    mortgage-backed securities (MBS or simply called mortgage bonds), and similar amounts of US

    Treasuries. These purchase programs came to be known as Quantitative Easing, or QE, and the

    Fed has performed three rounds of QE so far, accounting for several Trillion dollars-worth of

    bond purchases

    When the first round of QE was announced in Nov of 2008, the mortgage markets response was

    immediately positive and rates fell sharply, roughly % in a single day upon this

    announcement.we saw a similar response when QE 2 began in Nov of 2010..by the time QE

    3 was announced in Sept of 2011, which had been widely expected for many months, the impact

    on rates wasnt as dramatic, but has mostly acted as lid for keeping rates lowIf we look at

    where rates were in late 2008 compared to current levels, weve seen them drop roughly 1.5 2%

    over this period (they were in the 5.5% range, fell as low as 3.5% in late 2012)and prior to this,

    we had never seen sustained levels this low, ever!

    So given that our economy, and especially the housing market, seems to be improving, what will

    be the impact to mortgage rates when the Fed ends QE 3? Theres been some who expect that QE

    3 will end later year, so will rates slowly move higher, or could it happen more abruptly? Or

    could we retest the last years low rates given all the international economic uncertainty (debt

    crisis in Europe, slowing China economy, etc.)? Well have to wait and see!

    Jeff Marr is a mortgage lender with Alpine Mortgage and a Financial Planner before that. He has

    been in Mortgage Lending since 2005 and financial services since 1997. He can be reached at

    (916) 947-1312.

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    MARKET FOCUS: The Budding Recovery

    Sacramentos growing recovery is, like much of the United States, a

    result of two major forces: historically low interest rates & historically

    low inventory. Both of these elements are artificially created to force

    the housing market to recovery.

    INTEREST RATE: in December 2012, the average rate was 3.35%:

    3.66% for the year. Rates are supposed to reflect the degree of risk

    inherent within a specific market place. Not so here, due to

    intervention from government and the Fed. The Federal funds rate

    (the rate at which banks borrow money from the Federal Reserve

    which is also adjusted by them) has been lowered to be at or close tozero, making it possible for the banks to give loans at and even below

    3% all through 2012.

    http://www.mybudget360.com/relentless-punishment-of-the-american-saver-fed-policy-saving-

    rates-americans/

    It is kept low to generate growth in the markets and motivate

    businesses to borrow money to expand, hire, and diversify. Thisbusiness growth expands sales, generates taxes, pay checks, and

    expands the economy. It seems to have mostly benefited home

    buyers by creating low monthly payments: the lower the rate, the

    lower the payment, regardless of the price.

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    This has caused affordability to go to all time highs nationally in 2012

    and made the possibility of home ownership accessible to most anyone

    with good credit and stable employment.

    Incidentally the Fed says they expect to keep the rate down into 2014.

    INVENTORY: The other side of the equation is lack of inventory.

    Inventory is a direct result of supply and demand economics and it has

    been driven to historical lows by the restriction of supply and the

    increasing demand.

    Supply-

    The primary factors currently affecting supply are (1) the lack of REO

    properties for sale and (2) the lack of Short Sales, (3) InstitutionalInvestors entering the market and (4) the rise of Bulk Sales.

    REO Inventory (homes for sale by banks) has dramatically declined

    through 2012, and it is likely to continue to decrease. The reason?

    Banks dont want to own or sell property. The five largest lenders

    were hit with a judgment from the robosigning scandal for 25 Billion

    dollars, so they are more than hesitant to foreclose and cautious with

    the process. They also see the market rising and realize that if they

    put foreclosures off they will make back some of their losses.

    Foreclosures are also in decline in California due to the Homeowners

    Bill of Rights which states that if the owner is negotiating with the

    bank to modify their loan or trying to do a short sale the bank must

    stop any foreclosure process. This too will limit foreclosure notices

    and sales in CA.

    Short Sales are also dropping for several reasons. HARP, the

    governments refinance program for underwater homeowners, made

    changes to their criteria in 2012 making it possible for a larger number

    of homeowner with negative equity to be able to take advantage of the

    low interest rates and refinance. They came in droves. Also, lenders

    are now actively pursuing loan modifications to help delinquent

    borrowers get back on track. In addition, the type of homeowners

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    currently having trouble making payments are very different from

    those in 2008. While those in 2008 probably should never have been

    given a loan in the first place, owners in trouble in 2012 have

    weathered 4 years of a down economy and frequently just need a littlehelp to get back on their feet. This makes loan modifications and work

    outs an efficient way to limit losses for the banks. Also as prices rise

    fewer owners are underwater and more can sell at a profit without

    short sale.

    Institutional Investors are one of the biggest shifts occurring in real

    estate this year. It heralds the entrance of Wall Street into the

    residential market. Hedge funds, trusts, corporations, pension funds &

    private investors are all jumping in. Perhaps the most well know

    entrant into residential real estate is Blackstone (NYSE:BX) whichpurchased some 17,000 homes during 2012 with an estimated 2.2

    Billion dollars. These investors have dominated foreclosure auctions

    and are providing stiff competition to homebuyers in under $200,000

    neighborhoods. They pay all cash and dont mind overpaying to get a

    property.

    The intention of these large investors is to buy, fix and hold as a long

    term investment where they can get regular cash flow and eventually

    sell for a sizable profit.

    Bulk Sales unfortunately have become part of the landscape as

    Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD are testing out the method to rid

    themselves of nonperforming loans and undesirable inventory. HUD

    plans to sell up to 40,000 delinquent loans over the next year; a

    process they began in 2012.

    Fannie Mae made a bulk sale of some 3 Billion dollars in homes in

    2012. These homes are also intended to be rentals and part of the

    agreement stipulates they must hold them for a minimum term sonone will be coming to the market as flips.

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    Demand-

    The primary factors affecting demand are (1) New household

    formation, (2) Boomerang buyers, (3) Bottom bouncers, and (4)

    Investors.

    New Household Formation. Across the U.S. household creation has

    declined since 2006. Young people are postponing marriage and

    staying at home after graduation. That is expected to change in 2013

    where it is estimated that more than one million new households will

    be created. When this occurs they will be looking for a place to live.

    Boomerang Buyers are home buyers who previously owned and lost

    their houses to foreclosure or short sale between 2007 and 2010. The

    process to resurrect their credit takes a minimum of three years (five

    years for foreclosure) so many will be coming back into the market in

    2013. These are buyers who have already owned and are committed

    to home ownership and the benefits it provides.

    Bottom Bouncers are buyers who have waited for the bottom to

    arrive and now that the market is rebounding are trying to get in as

    fast as possible. They try to time the market and are afraid of getting

    left behind.

    Investors, like the bottom bouncers, they see the benefits of the

    rising prices, positive cash flow, and low interest rates and are buying

    all they can. They frequently buy all cash, so they are tough

    competitors in the market place.

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    http://www.doctorhousi

    In addition to all of the

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    MARKET UPDATE:

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    2011. In January 201

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    2006.

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    July - D

    Page 14

    gbubble.com/all-cash-real-estate-buying-trend-all-cash

    2012-2013-cash-trend/

    se there are the regular buyers movin

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    renzy fueling price inflation.

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    will drive the U.S. economic recovery

    se contributing factors will reverse in

    prices and sales can be expected.

    s the U.S. hit $176,000 in 2012, up 6

    the median sold price in CA hit $337

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    to an all time high in 2012 across the

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    3/13/2013

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    affordability hit 48% in Q4-2012, down 1 point from Q3-12 and 7

    points from 55% in Q4-11.

    In December 2012 NAR (National Association of Realtors) showed price

    increases in 135 of 152 metro areas that it tracks. Dataquick showed

    price increases in 201 of 361 metro areas it tracks.

    According to CAR (California Association of Realtors) the median home

    price for California in December 2012 was $366,930; 28.3% higher

    than the $285,920 in December of 2011. That median price is up 50%

    from the 2009 bottom of $245,000.

    In Sacramento County the median price rose to $195,000 in

    December, up 21% from the median price in Dec. 2011. The average

    sold price for Sacramento County for Dec. 2012 was $224,752; up

    21% from the year before.

    COUNTY Average Sold Price % Change

    Dec-11 Dec-12

    Sacramento $186,329 $224,752 20.62%

    Placer $298,550 $338,571 13.41%

    El Dorado $306,305 $336,308 9.80%

    Yolo $268,652 $312,310 16.25%

    Since the market turned downward in September 2005 it declined 59%

    in median price for single family homes (SFR) with the lowest point

    being $160,000 in January 2012. Since that point the market rose

    22% through December and is showing strong signs of potential

    growth.

    In California 36.4% of sales in December were distressed sales (short

    sales or REO). In Sacramento County that was 51.4%, down from63% at the end of 2011. Across the State short sales make up an

    average of 25% of sales. In Sacramento County it is 40.7%. REOs

    (foreclosed bank owned sales) made up 11% of sales in CA, and

    10.7% in Sacramento County.

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    The chart below describes the variation of sold price by Seller Type in

    the five county regions for the month of Dec. 2012.

    SELLER TYPE Average Sold Price by County (Dec. 2012)

    Placer SacramentoEl

    Dorado Yolo San Joaquin

    Total Sold $338,571 $224,752 $336,308 $312,310 $204,235

    Conventional $389,187 $260,410 $366,419 $343,451 $224,778

    Foreclosure $241,008 $181,443 $229,199 $255,931 $161,250

    Short Sale $295,004 $193,456 $320,244 $278,403 $199,610

    In Sacramento County inventory of homes available for sale dropped

    68% from 3,073 (January 1, 2012) to 989 units on January 1, 2013.

    That is a 40% drop even from the 1,644 units available on July 1,

    2012. The inventory declined 81% over two years from January 1,

    2011 (5,148 units) to January 1, 2013.

    In December 2012 the number of months of inventory of unsold

    homes in Sacramento County is 24 days, just over 3 weeks (.85

    months). In December 2011 months of inventory was 2.1 months. In

    December homes sold for an average of 1% above the original asking

    price with the biggest shift being REOs which sold for an average of

    5% over list price.

    COUNTY

    Decline in

    Inventory Available for Sale

    January 1, 2012 January 1, 2013 % Change

    Sacramento 3,073 989 -67.8%

    Placer 943 472 -49.9%

    El Dorado 680 428 -37%

    Yolo 336 132 -63.7%

    Inventory continues to remain extremely low, especially distressed

    inventory which has declined substantially during the year.

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    Affordability, on the other hand, is still very high with the affordability

    index in Q4-2012 for Sacramento County dropped slightly to 71% (23

    points higher than the state). In California affordability dropped 7

    percentage points to 48% from Q4-11 to Q4-12, meaning that 48% ofworkers can afford the median priced home within the state.

    Economists believe that housing will be a primary driver in the 2013

    economy and is expected to contribute more than one million jobs to

    U.S. employment this year.

    Growth in housing construction also raises the manufacturing

    industries that support housing, as well as real estate sales, lending,

    insurance and other industries directly related to housing. The rest of

    the economy will also experience the ripple effect.

    http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/all-cash-real-estate-buying-trend-all-cash-

    buying-record-2012-2013-cash-trend/

    Across America there were approximately 367,000 new homes sold in

    2012, up 20% from 2011s all time historical low of 305,000 sales.

    New homes also accounted for 8% of all home sales in 2012. 2013 is

    expected to rise as much as 23% as sales, starts, prices, permits and

    builder confidence all increase with demand.

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    The boons to new construction are historically low interest rates,

    housing affordability and rising household formation. The detractors

    are tight lending conditions, inaccurate appraisals, rising material costs

    and lack of buildable lots.

    Growth will initially be constricted by government fees which have not

    reduced much since they rose with the last building cycle. Lack of

    redevelopment funds will also postpone building in Sacramentos

    downtown region. Another issue that will arise with increased demand

    is the availability of buildable lots.

    THE ECONOMY:

    U.S. economists predict a continued recovery in 2013 and expect

    housing to lead the economic turnaround. Unemployment is expected

    to go down, home purchases up, and interest rates to stay the same.

    The economy is expected to see a 2.2 2.4% increase in 2013, and

    the housing market is expected to be an overall contributor. U.S.

    growth in 2012 was 2.2% so 2013 will be another recovery year.

    The Fed funds rate is expected to remain low, not only for the housing

    mortgage market, but to stimulate business borrowing and loans, and

    generate internal growth within the economy. Another benefit of

    keeping rates low is the U.S. will be to reduce the payment amount on

    Federal debt being sold annually to cover the deficit.

    All indicators are that the housing market is recovering and December

    showed signs of growth in 201 metro areas across the nation. Prices

    are rising and the number of home owners under water is decreasing.

    Despite this positivity there are certain difficulties ahead. Major

    concerns include the Fiscal Cliff, Federal spending cuts, renewed

    talks on the debt ceiling, E.U. debt crisis, increased government

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    regulation, and continued high unemployment all still need to be

    resolved.

    One major issue for the future is the increasing federal debt. Even

    with massive proposed spending cuts the U.S. annual spending still far

    exceeds income, and the balance must be made up by selling bonds-

    debt obligations. The current short term solution is QE3 (Quantitative

    Easing 3) where the Federal Reserve simply buys up all the excess

    bonds no one else is willing to purchase with an open checkbook and

    unlimited (literally) amount of funds.

    Up to January 2013 the Fed has purchased $3,000,000,000,000 (3

    Trillion) dollars in U.S. bonds and continues to purchase at the rate of

    $85,000,000,000 (85 Billion) dollars per month. That is spending theU.S. government is doing monthly not covered by taxes or other

    buyers of debt. The current government deficit (as of this writing) is

    estimated to be around $16,400,000,000,000 (16.4 Trillion) dollars;

    and we thought California had a big problem with a $12 Billion deficit.

    On a happier note the Debt Relief Act was extended to the end of

    2013, but it is not likely to be renewed beyond this year because the

    real estate market is in a recovery cycle. This act says that the IRS

    will not count (it forgives) the amount a seller could have been forced

    to show as income as a result of a lender losing money on a short sale.

    When a lender loses money at sale they send the borrower a 1099 and

    it shows on the borrowers taxes as a gain in income for the year. The

    Act also restored the tax deduction for Mortgage Insurance Premiums

    which will directly benefit owners with FHA loans.

    BANKING & LENDING:

    The big news in banking is the 11.6 Billion dollar settlement Bank of

    America made with Fannie Mae for restitution for the bad loans sold

    since 2004. The settlement allows for 1.3 Billion as compensation to

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    reimburse for servicing issues and 10.3 Billion for repurchases of

    defaulted loans and to cover losses from unpaid interest that accrued

    on delinquent loans over that time.

    It is estimated that the five largest lenders (Wells Fargo, Bank of

    America, Citibank, Chase, and Ally financial Inc.) have lost upwards of

    84 Billion dollars since 2007 in foreclosures, legal costs and loan

    buybacks. Bank of America has paid the lions share 50 Billion

    largely due to its purchase of Countrywide and their toxic loan

    portfolio.

    Here is the 2012 income for the 4 largest banks in the U.S. Some

    doing well, others not so well.

    BANK Bank Income for 2012

    Quarter 4 Annual

    Wells Fargo 5.1 B 18.9 B

    Chase 5.7 B 24.4 B

    Bank of America .732 B 4.2 B

    Citibank 1.2 B 7.5 B

    2012 saw a historic high in lending activity with 8.6 million loans

    originated. That is a 34% increase over 2011. Much of this is due tohistorically low rates, a recovering real estate market, and the

    government raising the limits on the HARP refinance program allowing

    borrowers to refinance even if they owe more than 125% of the value

    of their home. This allows underwater borrowers to refinance their

    home at current low rates.

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    http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/negative-equity-home-owners-2013-negative-equity-

    california-reo/

    Some of the biggest changes being made are to loan requirements inthe form of QM (Qualified Mortgage) and QRM (Qualified Residential

    Mortgage) rules which will raise the lending requirements for new loan

    originations. Reviews of recently created mortgages shows some 60%

    of loans would not qualify under these new regulations.

    Some of the requirements are that payments may not exceed 43% of

    income. Also there are no loans available for low documentation and

    no documentation borrowers which will hurt small business owners and

    the self employed. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA & VA loans,

    however, are exempt from these lending rules so there is not expected

    to have much effect on lending until there is an alternative to the

    government supported secondary market.

    In 2012 government backed mortgages accounted for 84% of all

    mortgages completed.

    http://www.thetruthaboutmortgage.com/mortgage-origination-volume-up-34-

    percent-in-2012/

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    FHA is still struggling with a 9.6% delinquency rate (over 730,000 of

    its more than 7,000,000 loans) and because their reserves are far

    below the mandated 2% they are raising rates on the required PMI

    (Private Mortgage Insurance) on April 1, this year. They are alsokeeping the PMI on all new FHA loans for the life of the loan rather

    than knocking it off after the loan drops below 80% of the value of

    home.

    DISTRESSED PROPERTIES:

    Distressed sales are decreasing all over the U.S. The number ofseriously delinquent loans is declining as well as the number of

    foreclosures.

    In 2012 there were 1.84 million foreclosure filings, down 3% from

    2011 and 36% from 2010. In 2012 there were 767,000 foreclosures

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    completed, a 4.6% decline from the 804,000 foreclosures in 2011 and

    almost 25% less than the 1,000,000 completed in 2010. It is estimate

    that 4.1 million properties have been foreclosed on since the crisis

    began.

    http://www.housingwire.com/fastnews/2012/12/12/seriously-delinquent-mortgages-fall-12

    Inventory of REO properties for sale in Sacramento County hascontinued to decline. At the start of 2013 it was 155 units: down

    22.5% from the end of Q2-2012 (200 units on July 1), and down 77%

    from Jan.1, 2012s 669 units available. The average marketing time in

    December, 2012 for REOs was 29 days, down from 42 days in

    December 2011.

    Filings: In Sacramento the number of filings of NOD (Notices of

    Default) fell 31% and NOT (Notice of Trustee Sale) filings fell 57%

    from December 2011 to December 2012. The number of properties

    that went back to the bank fell 61% from Dec. 2011 with 205

    properties going to the bank in Dec. 2012. The number of days to

    foreclosure in Sacramento County dropped 20% to 252 days and the

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    number of days it took for the banks to sell increased to 247 days on

    average.

    California NOD filings fell 33% and NOT filings fell 52% from December

    to December. The number of properties that went back to the bank

    fell 56% during the same period to 3,544 in Dec. 2012.

    Inventory: Pre-foreclosure inventory (NOD - Notice of Default) in

    Sacramento County went down 38% from 5,359 in Dec. 2011 to 3,340

    in Dec. 2012. NOT (Notice of Trustee Sale) inventory went down 33%

    for the same period to 2,702 units, and the number of bank owned

    inventory (REOs) is down 41% to 2,731 units (Dec. 12), from 4,665

    units in December 2011.

    California inventory of NODs is also down 35% to 59,208 (Dec. 2012)

    from 91,000 (Dec. 2011). NOT inventory is down 29% year over year

    to 59,987 units, and the number of bank owned inventory (REOs) is

    down 36.4% to 59,781 in Dec. units from 94,000 units in December

    2011.

    http://www.thetruthaboutmortgage.com/mortgage-origination-

    volume-up-34-percent-in-2012/

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    COUNTY STATISTICS:

    Sacramento County

    The year started (January 1, 2012) with 3,073 listings and ended with

    989 listing on the market on Jan. 1, 2013. That is a drop of 68% for

    the year. REO (foreclosure) inventory is down 77% since Jan. 1, 2012

    and Active Short Sales are down 88% over the same period.Conventional sales inventory is down 44% over the same period.

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    Pending: pending sales are down 20.5% from Jan. 1, 2012 to Jan. 1,

    2013: from 2,113 to 1,680 homes. Pending foreclosure sales are

    down 60.5% and pending short sales are down 46% for the same

    period. Pending conventional sales are up 46% to 1,019 pendinghomes.

    AVERAGE SOLD PRICE

    by SELLER TYPE Dec. - 2012 Dec. - 2011

    Total Sold 1,490 $224752 1,675 $186,329

    REO 159 $181,443 567 $144,141

    Conventional 725 $260,410 616 $223,053

    Short Sale 606 $193,456 492 $188,969

    Sold: sales numbers for SFR (Single Family Residence) for December

    2012 were 1,490 units sold in Sacramento County. Foreclosures

    accounted for 14% of properties on the market in December, and 11%

    of sales. Short sales accounted for 13% of all Active inventory, and

    41% of sales. Conventional sales accounted for the rest (73%) of

    Active inventory and 49% of sales. That is up from 37% of sales in

    December of 2011.

    Placer County

    The year started (January 1, 2012) with 943 listings and ended with

    472 homes for sale on Jan. 1, 2013. That is a drop of 50%. REO

    (foreclosure) inventory is down 73.5% since Jan. 1, 2012 and Active

    Short Sales are down 87% over the same period. Conventional sales

    inventory is down 26% over the same period.

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    Pending: pending sales are down just 10% from Jan. 1, 2012 to Jan.1, 2013: from 503 to 454 homes. Pending foreclosure sales are down

    56% and pending short sales are down 56% for the same period.

    Pending conventional sales are up 90% to 302 pending homes.

    AVERAGE SOLD

    PRICE by SELLERTYPE Dec. - 2012 Dec. - 2011

    Total Sold 459 $338,571 425 $298,550

    REO 57 $241,008 74 $251,205

    Conventional 245 $389,187 202 $341,600Short Sale 157 $295,004 149 $263,700

    Sold: sales numbers for SFR (Single Family Residence) for December

    2012 were 459 units sold. Foreclosures accounted for 8% of

    properties on the market in December, and 12% of sales. Short sales

    accounted for 8% of all Active inventory, and 34% of sales.

    Conventional sales accounted for the rest (84%) of Active inventory

    and 53% of sales. That is up from 17.4% of sales in December of

    2011.

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    El Dorado County

    The year started (January 1, 2012) with 680 listings and ended with

    428 homes for sale on Jan. 1, 2013. That is a drop of 37%. REO

    (foreclosure) inventory is down 61% since Jan. 1, 2012 and Active

    Short Sales are down 78% over the same period. Conventional sales

    inventory is down 16% over the same period.

    Pending: pending sales are down 21% from Jan. 1, 2012 to Jan. 1,

    2013: from 259 to 204 homes. Pending foreclosure sales are down

    60.4% and pending short sales are down 55.4% for the same period.

    Pending conventional sales are up 45% to 135 pending homes.

    AVERAGE SOLD PRICE

    by SELLER TYPE Dec. - 2012 Dec. - 2011

    Total Sold 186 $336,308 226 $306,305

    REO 25 $229,199 62 $187,530

    Conventional 114 $366,419 93 $353,511

    Short Sale 47 $320,244 71 $348,190

    Sold: sales numbers for SFR (Single Family Residence) for December

    2012 were 186 units sold. Foreclosures accounted for 12.3% ofproperties on the market in December, and 13.4% of sales. Short

    sales accounted for 10.3% of all Active inventory, and 25% of sales.

    Conventional sales accounted for the rest (84%) of Active inventory

    and 61.3% of sales. That is up from 41% of sales in December of

    2011.

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    Yolo County

    The year started (January 1, 2012) with 336 listings and ended with

    132 homes for sale on Jan. 1, 2013. That is a drop of 61%. REO

    (foreclosure) inventory is down 82% since Jan. 1, 2012 and ActiveShort Sales are down 76.5% over the same period. Conventional

    sales inventory is down 45% over the same period.

    Pending: pending sales are down just 6% from Jan. 1, 2012 to Jan.

    1, 2013: from 157 to 148 homes. Pending foreclosure sales are down

    56% and pending short sales are down 35% for the same period.

    Pending conventional sales are up 78% to 91 pending homes.

    AVERAGE SOLD PRICE

    by SELLER TYPE Dec. - 2012 Dec. - 2011

    Total Sold 118 $312,310 145 $268,652

    REO 13 $255,931 47 $185,676

    Conventional 66 $343,451 52 $373,858

    Short Sale 39 $278,403 46 $234,503

    Sold: sales numbers for SFR (Single Family Residence) for December

    2012 were 118 units sold. Foreclosures accounted for 11% ofproperties on the market in December, and 14% of sales. Short sales

    accounted for 10% of all Active inventory, and 25% of sales.

    Conventional sales accounted for the rest (79%) of Active inventory

    and 56% of sales. That is up from 35% of sales in December of 2011.

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    San Joaquin County

    The year started (January 1, 2012) with 636 listings for sale on Jan. 1,

    2013. REOs (foreclosure) are 17% of available inventory on Jan. 1,

    2013 and Active Short Sales are 17.5% of active listings.Conventional sales inventory is 65.5% of total.

    Pending: pending sales are 844 units at the end of the year on Jan. 1,

    2013. Pending foreclosure sales are 24% of pending properties.

    Pending short sales are 24%, and pending conventional sales are up

    52% of pending homes.

    AVERAGE SOLD PRICEby SELLER TYPE Dec. - 2012

    Total Sold 725 $204,235

    REO 135 $161,250

    Conventional 339 $224,778

    Short Sale 251 $199,610

    Sold: sales numbers for SFR (Single Family Residence) for December

    2012 were 459 units sold. Foreclosures accounted for 18.6% of allsold properties. Short sales accounted for 35% of all sales.

    Conventional sales accounted for the rest 46.8%.

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    HISTORICAL PRICE GRAPHS:

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    PLACER COUNTY:

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    SACRAMENTO COUNTY:

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    RESOURCES:

    ABREVIATIONS

    CAR = California Association of Realtors

    HAFA = Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative

    HAMP = Home Affordable Mortgage Program

    MLS = Multiple Listing Service

    NAR = National Association of Realtors

    NOD = Notice of Default

    NOT = Notice of Trustee Sale

    REO = Real Estate Owned by a bank, or foreclosure

    SAR = Sacramento Association of Realtors

    WRE = Wright Real Estate

    ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

    MetrolistMLS.com - to search for properties. www.metrolistmls.com

    NorthState Building Industry Association (BIA) www.northstatebia.org

    Rental Housing Association (RHA) www.rha.org

    Sacramento Association of Realtors (SAR) www.sacrealtor.org

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    Serving Sacramento since 2000.

    Check out our BLOG and additional STATISTICS on the web at:

    www.WrightRealEstate.US

    For FREE Information and Consulting Services contact us:

    Office: 916.726.8308 [email protected]