patrick.net

1. Realize your Potential
But remember your potential is extremely low, because if you are inspired by a list of simplistic platitudes, you are extremely stupid.

2. Dont Look Back
After all, your past mistakes make you feel bad and history is for losers.

3. Dare to Dream Big
Greed is good. It is the 'Merican way. And the biggest dream is to make money on other people's foolishness! You want to be a Patriot, don't you? Don't make me call Sarah Palin!

4. A Powerful Business Plan
It all starts and ends with, "I am going to sell lots of real estate!"

5. Dont Give Up
After all, quitters never win and winners never quit! Giving up is statisticially shown to be the main reason people quit something!

6. Have an Unstoppable Attitude
Reality is no object. There is always someone dumb enough to believe your cliche lines, no matter how dumb those lines (or you personally) are! Never stop repeating them!

7. Stop Complaining
As Warren Buffet will tell you, happy talk is the only way to success ...

SF ace says

So yeah, I think Layayette is special. It’s a place I wouldn’t mind living in myself.

Clearly the $900K median is indicative of that. The property I listed above:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Lafayette/3440-Solana-Ct-94549/home/1349926

has a tax assessment of $100K (!), less than my mom's place in Fresno. If they didn't do any equity borrowing, this owner has a VERY strong pricing power. This looks rentable for $50K per year, a 5.5% return at the current list price.

Not much downside bargaining left for that property, not until the Soylent Green future comes. But even so, the fortress areas will retain value, since safety of one's person, offspring, and property has an IMMENSE potential price premium. I chose to pay an extra $200/mo to live in a mini-fortress, just to reduce the chance of somebody f----ing with my car at night.

SF ace says

Interest rate movement is a function of the underlying fundamentals of the economy

TURNING and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

schmitz_kris says

How do I quote correctly?

Select the text you want to quote and then click the "quote" link.

What we will most likely see is another small price swell for California for the next few months, but the state tax credit is almost tapped out (if not so already), so I predict prices will start to go down later in the year, as they did the last couple of months. On the other hand, it's possible prices won't go up at all, even with the state tax credit. We'll see.

Rigged--

Let me start by saying I have no idea if prices will rise or fall in CA in the near future. But you're wrong about the adjusted vs. unadjusted discussion. Look at Boston in your graph--there is no way you can tell me that there isn't a seasonal effect. Shiller is saying since we can't be sure about the magnitude of the effect, it's best not to try to adjust for it. He's not saying that there isn't a seasonal effect. BUT, I'm sure he'd agree that you can't use a 1Q drop in sales to justify that housing prices are falling. Again--look at Boston 2002 - 2005.

And when someone starts their post with "it's quite possible", I think it's pretty well understood that whatever follows is not a fact. No need to point that out.

Just thinking as someone who knows a little about markets, and considering the graph above.

On the way up, everyone who felt they didn't want to miss out bought in if they could, while many others borrowed against their new found wealth.

On the way down, buyers came out of the woods to jump on deals (relative deals that is, hey 50% off what somebody paid for it 3 years ago). More buyers jumped in with incentives from the federal and or state government.

Here is my question. With stagnant economic employment numbers and low inflation, who is going to provide the "demand" side, that is the bids for the next leg up in real estate prices ?

The euro is down, so it won't be Europeans.

Perhaps it will come from those of us who are still waiting for lower prices. No, that doesn't make any sense, we are waiting for lower prices.

Hmmmm.....

I'm not saying prices have to go down from here, but it's pretty hard to imagine a scenario where they go up any time soon. Everyone who would be "long" real estate, already is.

That just leaves sellers.

marcus says

Here is my question. With stagnant economic employment numbers and low inflation, who is going to provide the “demand” side, that is the bids for the next leg up in real estate prices ?

Well, I agree that if employment stays stagnant, then it will be difficult for housing to go up, but I think that's far from a given. Also--you kind of answered your own question earlier in the post:

marcus says

On the way down, buyers came out of the woods to jump on deals (relative deals that is, hey 50% off what somebody paid for it 3 years ago).

Unless you think we ran out of those buyers, I guess...

Also look at the national Case/Shiller index. It seems very clear to me that what's going on currently is not just a seasonal variation. Does anyone disagree?

California real estate is back to 2003 levels, nearly double what it was priced a decade earlier.

I think that whether we are at or near a bottom in Real Estate is dependent on where the economy goes from here ( rocket science, right ? ).

If things get progressively better with the economy and there is no depression, then maybe housing kind of bottoms out for a couple years and then goes up.

If on the other hand this turns in to a full blown depression ( or protracted worsening great recession ), then all bets are off.

marcus says

California real estate is back to 2003 levels, nearly double what it was priced a decade earlier.

2003 in the Bay Area is still very much ubber bubble ! We doubled from 1998 to 2000 and then went up much more higher by 2003. So yes we will have what some call DEPRESSION! But actually it will feel more like 1996-1997. Sorry to disappoint you, you wont be in a soup line.

He was always referencing NAR stats and projections instead. Now that Las Vegas is UNDENIABLY in the craphole, I’d like to know whatever happened to this douchebag so I can rub his fraudulent forecasts in his face. It ANGERS me to think of all the people he might have potentially MISLEAD into buying at great financial loss to themselves. Particularly the financially unsavvy elderly people who may have been victimized. I sure didnt see any Bank point a gun to buyers heads forcing them to buy, and certainly Congress is too busy chasing evil bankers to even consider going after the NAR and their Realtor elves who have been pumping misinformation.

schmitz_kris says

Are you going to admit you victimized countless people by telling them real estate was going to continue to fall

There is no reason why today you cannot go out and make an offer, its about knowing what your buying and a realistic price. Seller wants $500K you offer $300K and back up why they are wrong.

Nomograph says

I purchased two properties in coastal San Diego following the crash

please clarify as there is a bit of a difference between IB and Del Mar. Side note, SD will always be skewed due to military housing allowance of around 2k per month - in case anyone was wondering how SD people can foot the 5k mortgage payment plus cars & kids on 140k combined salary...

UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

You must mean “UP …in FLAMES”.
Wow, I haven’t seen these levels of denial since approx. January of ‘45 when Adolf Hitler told his people that they were still on the brink of winning the war. I bet you keep a copy of the NAR Bible under your pillow to ward off evil spirits. And REALITY.

Yea - invoking Hitler will win you friends. Why are you here, if all you want to do is be inflammatory while lacking substance?

robertoaribas says

after the crash… a bit presumptuous!!! No wonder nomorethinking… doesn’t like my data! He’s very likely to watch values plummet!!!

good one. When you resort to name calling, that usually means the facts aren't supporting your case...

UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

So according to YOUR logic, when Goldman Sachs -for example- put together a portfolio of WORTHLESS mortgage derivatives which was MEANT to fail, yet at the same time RECOMMENDED that same portfolio to unwary investors as being AAA rated, NO FRAUDULENT FORECAST was committed. Funny, the SEC seems to disagree with you on that.

A recommendation isn't a forecast. UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

And when the U.S. government does it “thinking for me” by providing me with DOCTORED OFFICIAL stats for everything from GDP, to CPI and unemployment numberr, it’s actually NOT fraud either, it’s MY fault for not doing my own “due dilligence”.

I'd suggest wearing a tinfoil hat. The practice in your article wouldn't even affect the mainstream unemployment number at all. It would actually make it worse because these people would be filing for unemployment each time they were laid off, so the new filings number that everyone looks at would be worse. As to GDP or CPI, keep reading your shadowstats, if it makes you feel better...

UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

tatupu70 says

UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

So according to YOUR logic, when Goldman Sachs -for example- put together a portfolio of WORTHLESS mortgage derivatives which was MEANT to fail, yet at the same time RECOMMENDED that same portfolio to unwary investors as being AAA rated, NO FRAUDULENT FORECAST was committed. Funny, the SEC seems to disagree with you on that.

A recommendation isn’t a forecast. UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

Noun 1. financial forecast - a forecast of the expected financial position and the results of operations and cash flows based on expected conditions forecast, prognosis - a prediction about how something (as the weather) will develop

thank you for illustrating what I was saying.

Woah, people! O.K., his post was over-the-top, I will grant. But spare the histrionics about him mentioning Hitler. He said it's like the time when Hitler said Germany was winning the war when they were not. That was the extent of the analogy. He didn't say anyone WAS Hitler, or that they did any of the other things that Hitler was infamous for.

---------------------------------------------------------------
The fallacy of the Extended Analogy often occurs when some suggested general rule is being argued over. The fallacy is to assume that mentioning two different situations, in an argument about a general rule, constitutes a claim that those situations are analogous to each other.

Every time an analogy is used it is used to state that A is similar to B in a particular way. It does not (necessarily) insinuate that they are alike in any other way. However, often opponents will attempt to attribute your use of the analogy to extend it to something not analogous as proof of your lack of logic.
Examples

Here's real example from an online debate about anti-cryptography legislation:
"I believe it is always wrong to oppose the law by breaking it."
"Such a position is odious: it implies that you would not have supported Martin Luther King."
"Are you saying that cryptography legislation is as important as the struggle for Black liberation? How dare you!"

This is a "real estate bubble" forum. Shouldn't everyone say "yep. It is overvalued" instead "I just bought 2 investment houses"? The internet message board trolls are everywhere. Thus you will be a fool to believe everything you read here.

So I've save $200k for a down payment on a home. That buys a $1 mil house- not much in SF or Marin. While I've been looking (6 months) house prices have fallen. Not sure what the OP is looking at, but I'm looking at homes on my "favorites" list where the prices keep getting reduced. Usually, de-listed and then reduced.

I'm waiting and renting a nice house for 3k/month. Once a house that went for $1.4 goes for 800k, I'll buy. Right now those houses are at about 950.

UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

Try NOT to use NAR or government numbers, it’ll only make you look MORE stupid.

Bap33 says

We are all on the same page here

No, we're not. OTS is back. Or his brother.

UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

Try NOT to use NAR or government numbers, it’ll only make you look MORE stupid.

You do realize that all the articles you posted are commenting on government numbers, right? New home sales, existing home sales, etc. are put out by the commerce dept. which last I checked was part of the Federal Government. But it's OK to trust the numbers when they say what you want them to say, huh?

UnitedSocialistStatesofAmerica says

What you REALLY meant by your comment is that you want posters like me sidelined into a separate forum so that we don’t disturb your misconceptions of the FACTS.

Once again, I must reiterate that your style is boorish and you're late to the party. Your feined indignance is tedious, in that it appears that all you wish to do is attack anyone who disagrees with you. Just because you believe that repeatedly calling people stupid is a method of conversation, it doesn't make it so. You're hard to take, is all. Tone it down and say something without accusations and attacks, and perhaps you'll be taken seriously and responded to accordingly.

robertoaribas says

USSA: don’t confuse them with facts, they have their minds made up already! Even after prices resume the very likely downward trek, they will post long tortured explanations why:
1. their state is different.
2. Their state is dropping? well, their city is different.
3. Their city is dropping? well, not their part of the city, that part is different.
4. Well, their are some cheaper homes in their part of the city, but only ugly foreclosures, their home is not dropping, its going up!

Really? Wow, we must really be uneducated, unlike you. Thank godess you're here to save us all, 'cause you're so smart.

We must be reading different boards, because many, many people have posted that property values have dropped and the only question is whether they'll continue to do so, or whether the worst is over. Some feel one way, others the opposite.

USSR - why are you yelling at me? I thought you wanted to slip me the tongue.

Roberto -
We don't live in the Arizona area, which was devastated by the RE market and continues to lose ground. There are many areas that didn't have huge jumps in property values, and haven't experienced the losses that surround you.

There are other places in the country besides the big cities, you know...

At no point was I referring that you should be segregated from others in terms of conversation. But regardless if you venting, I was actually thinking about myself. I vent alot and am just trying to think of a solution to protect others from me. But sounds like you are saying you're like me.

thomas.wong1986 says

Thanks for pointing out that the phantom multiple bids charades are still practiced by REA. We wont be at any bottom until these REA practices are eliminated and made illegal.

Should we make it illegal for the car salesman to say that he has another interested party in the car you're looking at? How about the guy selling on craigslist saying that he has someone coming at 6pm to look at it?

tatupu70 says

Should we make it illegal for the car salesman to say that he has another interested party in the car you’re looking at? How about the guy selling on craigslist saying that he has someone coming at 6pm to look at it?

Lucky for the car buyer, you will never hear that from car salesman. Its first come first served.

I think it could be time to sell then for a swing trade...no ?

thomas.wong1986 says

Lucky for the car buyer, you will never hear that from car salesman. Its first come first served.

Not sure what you mean about first come, first served. I guess if you offer full sticker price, then he might be obligated to sell to you--I'm not sure about the rules on that. But if you are offering less than sticker, then the car dealer can always say that he has another customer interested and decline your offer. You can either raise your offer or walk away--just like you can with a house.

Makes sense that China and others would use gold and other hard assets to hedge their currency risk (especially dollar risk).

We are in such uncharted territory. The "crash course" that Patrick posted for today is pretty interesting, although I have yet to watch it in its entirety.

Nomograph says

They are well-located, relatively inexpensive, easy to rent, and a 3/2 SFH cosmetic fixer can be found in the high 3’s to low 4’s.

ok, thx. 2k per month is a reasonable rent price for clairemont 3/2. ok, maybe 2250... still, for purchase price of 400k, how does 2k per month in rent income equate unless you paid cash or substantial down payment? i'm seeing a loss or at least a razor-thin margin if holding an average mortgage. If paid up in full, is it true that "income" will not appear until the rent payments exceed what your initial investment was, plus any follow-on costs? maybe it's true that in X number of years you will be making profit, but right now, aren't you in the hole for a great deal of money? are you at all concerned that if a price adjustment occurs in the next year, that rent will decrease or that renters will simply buy another property for the same, or less, monthly payment? worst case, if you were to sell the property under those conditions, that you would take a significant loss?

also, i truly don't care what any of you do with your money - i'm just interested in the theory/strategy behind the moves. i would REALLY like to know about the risk mitigations...

landtof If 100% cash paid. 24k in annual rent vs. 400K house is about 6% yield. Less property tax, insurance and maintenance, the net yield is closer to 4%. Then there is the benefit of cash flow through tax deferral of depreciation and ability to pretax expense. An equilvalent investment may need to return 6% to be comparable from a cash flow perspective. With an average mortgage, it depends on interest rate. A 320K mortgage @4.625%, interest, tax and insurance is around 1800, with tax benefits, ITI may be as low as 1400. that's a 7200 return on 80000 investment, A ROI of 9%. Leverage increase margins. It really depends on a lot of other factors including tax bracket, AGI, and other passive income. If paid in full. Income will be net rent less interest, tax, insurance and deduction, direct expense and the non cash expense like depreciation. With investment properties, you do want to account for a margin of safety but rents are pretty stable. For the most part, the best yields are also the worst place so I don't overweigh yields. When I read financial statements of a REIT, I start with cash flow, balance sheet than income/loss. Cash flow in rental property is the key metric. Most renters are renters because majority of them are check to check and are really stuck. If they can get a loan, they will surely buy in this environment. The big drawback is housing is not very liquid currently. It is hard to undo a transaction. That is essentially why most people put down as little as possible to secure the best rates. If you invest for cash flow, the capital will take care of itself. As rob points out there are risks involved and that is why it is not a good idea to go "all in", but there are plenty of rewards as well.

SF ace says

If 100% cash paid. 24k in annual rent vs. 400K house is about 6% yield. Less property tax, insurance and maintenance, the net yield is closer to 4%. Then there is the benefit of cash flow through tax deferral of depreciation and ability to pretax expense. An equilvalent investment may need to return 6% to be comparable from a cash flow perspective. With an average mortgage, it depends on interest rate. A 320K mortgage @4.625%, interest, tax and insurance is around 1800, with tax benefits, ITI may be as low as 1400. that’s a 7200 return on 80000 investment, A ROI of 9%. Leverage increase margins. It really depends on a lot of other factors including tax bracket, AGI, and other passive income.

you're basing almost every positive on tax benefits. need to investigate further. at face value, the perspective doesn't entice on it's own (without the tax code loopholes), and still appears to leave little room for error, like a major price adjustment. SF ace says violently disagree that renters of 3/2 homes in decent neighborhoods are stuck.

Most renters are renters because majority of them are check to check and are really stuck

More mice taking the bait. Tax credits and false consumer confidence. We will see how the story holds up next month.

I always like to see three data points before I call a trend.

I agree---there will be a few months of weak housing numbers. The government $8K certainly pulled ahead some demand. The question is really--what will happen 6 months from now?

I think the answer to that depends on what other government actions are put in place to prop the market up further. Without additional incentives or delaying tactics the trend should be clear.