People are talking about Alejandro Lazo’s article on bulk housing purchases that ran this weekend in the LA Times. Passions can get ignited over this subject. But regardless of how one feels about institutional investors buying up large swaths of homes, usually in “distressed” areas, the piece serves as valuable insight into one of the key market forces that are directly driving a widespread lack of inventory and upward pressure on prices.

And to anyone who feels that it’s a good time be a seller (true) and bad time to be a buyer (false), we invite you to contact Tracy Do Real Estate. There are always options out there, so call, text or email. Let’s talk about a housing solution that works for you.

To receive new listings by email, or to schedule a viewing click here!

Today on HousingWire.com: “January national home prices, including distressed sales, rose 9.7% year-over-year.” Reporter Megan Hopkins adds, “With housing still 20% undervalued relative to incomes and 5% undervalued relative to rents, Capital Economics says affordability is also very favorable, with the typical household bringing in double the income necessary to service the interest and repay the capital of the typical mortgage.”

To receive new listings by email, or to schedule a viewing click here!

E. Scott Reckard reports in today’s LA Times: “Mortgage rates eased a bit early this week, Freddie Mac said, with 30-year fixed loans available for solid borrowers at an average 3.51%, down from 3.56% last week.”

To receive new listings by email, or to schedule a viewing click here!

From LA Times business and real estate reporter Alejandro Lazo: “Sales of newly built homes spiked nearly 16% in January, another indication of strong momentum in housing.” For the full story, click here.

As reported today by Irina Vinnitskaya in the Arch Daily, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) have announced a research collaboration that focuses on improving the health of urban communities. “Seventy-percent of the world’s population is anticipated to be living in urban environments by 2050. The health challenges associated with urban environments… can be addressed through thoughtful planning and careful design that reconsiders the way cities have been designed in the past as new challenges arise.”

To receive new listings by email, or to schedule a viewing click here!

Today on Forbes.com, Megan Brennan reports on what has become a seller’s market: “Inventory has contracted to its lowest level since December 1999… The number of available homes… fell 4.9% from December and is 25.3% lower than a year ago… At the current sales pace, supply will be exhausted in just over four months… In a normal market, a healthy supply level is about six months.”

Ready to sell your home? It’s a great time to do it. Contact Tracy Do Real Estate, a proven expert and leader in home sales with a long track record and lots of happy clients.

To receive new listings by email, or to schedule a viewing click here!

From KPCC’s morning radio show “Take Two”… “It was a buyer’s market: low prices, low interest rates, desperate sellers. But talk with just about anyone wandering around open houses each Sunday and you’ll hear a different refrain: What happened?! Prices here jumped more than 23 percent last month… and foreclosure filings dropped a stunning 77 percent… All of a sudden finding a house to buy isn’t so easy. Chris Thornberg, an economist and founding partner of Beacon Economics, is here to explain.” (Click link for story and 7 minute radio clip).

To receive new listings by email, or to schedule a viewing click here!