CNNMoney
According to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, 75.9 percent of all new and existing homes sold during the fourth quarter 2011 could have been comfortably purchased by families earning the national median income of $64,200.
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http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/15/real_estate/housing_affordability/index.htm?hpt=hp_t3
Calif. median home price: December 2011: $285,920 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. highest median home price by region/county December 2011: Marin: $693,880 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. lowest median home price by region/county December 2011: Madera: $106,000 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. Pending Home Sales Index: December 2011: 91.6, an increase from the revised 82.5 recorded in December 2010
Calif. Traditional Housing Affordability Index: Third quarter 2011: 52 percent (Source: C.A.R.)
Mortgage rates: Week ending 1/19/2012 30-yr. fixed: 3.88% fees/points: 0.8% 15-yr. fixed: 3.17 fees/points: 0.8% 1-yr. adjustable: 2.74% Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)
CNNMoney
In an effort to help stabilize housing prices and unload some of the foreclosures that are flooding low-income communities, the Federal Housing Administration extended a waiver of its anti-flipping regulations through 2012.
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http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/29/real_estate/FHA_flipping_waiver/index.htm?iid=HP_LN
Yahoo! Real Estate
Despite historic problems plaguing the U.S. housing market, a new Yahoo! Real Estate survey indicates that owning a home is still a major part of the American dream.
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http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/yahoo-study-american-dream-homes-turn-green.html
Foreclosure activity in California was relatively unchanged in October compared with September, following a dramatic increase in August and a subsequent decline in September, according to a report by ForeclosureRadar.
California foreclosure investors gained traction with 9.9 percent more properties sold to third parties in October, representing a record 28.8 percent of all foreclosure sales. A year ago just 16.9 percent of foreclosures were purchased by third parties.
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