San Antonio Ranks High On Best Cities For Jobs In 2008
January 31, 2008
The Lone Star State shines brilliantly in a list of the best places to work in the U.S. when some economists peer into their crystal balls for 2008.Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio all rank high on the latest forecast data from
“While the economy is cooling, Texas continues to generate more jobs than the national average,” said Krista Piferrer, deputy press secretary to Gov. Rick Perry. “Unemployment is low in Texas, thanks in large part to a favorable business climate that encourages businesses to expand or relocate to our state.”
Texas Foreclosure Rate Down Even With Skyrocketing U.S. Trend
January 30, 2008
IRVINE, Calif. – Jan. 29, 2008 – RealtyTrac® (realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released year-end data from its 2007 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows a total of 2,203,295 foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 1,285,873 properties nationwide during the year, up 75 percent from 2006. The report also shows that more than 1 percent of all U.S. households were in some stage of foreclosure during the year, up from 0.58 percent in 2006.
High Percentage Entering Foreclosure With Negative Equity
January 29, 2008
| County/State | Percent entering foreclosure with negative equity: |
| Wayne County, Mich. | 38.6% |
| Clark County, Nev. | 22.9% |
| Maricopa County, Ariz. | 15.9% |
| Riverside County, Calif. | 18.7% |
| Los Angeles County, Calif. | 10% |
| Cook County, Ill. | 12.8% |
| Broward County, Fla. | 17.79% |
| Sacramento County, Calif. | 26.7% |
| Miami-Dade County, Fla. | 11.6% |
| San Bernardino County, Calif. | 18% |
| San Diego County, Calif. | 16% |
| Macomb County, Mich. | 37.9% |
| San Joaquin County, Calif. | 31.5% |
| Lee County, Mich. | 36.5% |
5 Biggest U.S. Mortgage Lenders
January 28, 2008
DALLAS — (Jan. 28, 2008) Among the five biggest U.S. mortgage lenders last year, three saw their originations fall from the previous year, according to a preliminary analysis of earnings data by http://www.MortgageDaily.com.
Countrywide Financial Corp. maintained its standing as the No. 1 residential lender, with a reported $408.2 billion in residential production during 2007. But the mortgage behemoth saw a decline from 2006, when it reported $462.5 billion in volume.
A pending merger between California-based Countrywide and North Carolina-based Bank of America Corp. will create a company that is likely to originate in the neighborhood of between $425 billion and $475 billion a year — far more than any competitor.
First American CoreLogic Releases November 2007 LoanPerformance House Price Index
January 26, 2008
First American CoreLogic, a member of The First American Corporation (NYSE:FAF) family of companies and a leader in residential mortgage data and analytics for the mortgage industry and Wall Street, today announced the release of its November 2007 LoanPerformance Home Price Index (HPI).
The LoanPerformance HPI provides a comprehensive set of monthly home price indices and median sales prices covering 7,462 ZIP codes, 956 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSA) and 662 counties located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The indices, which are the most comprehensive available in the industry, are reported to clients five weeks after each full month ends. (For a state-by-state map, visit www.loanperformance.com/assets/images/pr0108_image_lg_ch.jpg).
Nehemiah Corporation of America Reaches $1 Billion Milestone In Private DownPayment Assistance Gifts
January 25, 2008
Sacramento, CA – January 24, 2008
Nehemiah Corporation of America, the oldest and largest provider of private downpayment assistance in the United States, today announced that the non-profit has provided more than $1 billion in mortgage downpayment assistance through The Nehemiah Program®. Initiated in 1997, The Nehemiah Program® has helped over 250,000 minority and low to moderate income families become homeowners to date. The Program reported substantial growth in 2007 as banks and mortgage lenders abandoned risky products once promoted to low and moderate income families and returned to the stability and affordability of mortgage products offered in conjunction with FHA loan insurance.
SWBC Mortgage Expands
January 24, 2008
SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 22, 2008) – Southwest Business Corporation’s (SWBC) Mortgage division is pleased to announce that it has acquired the assets of 15 branches from another Texas based mortgage lender.
Along with the branch asset acquisition, the company acquired an additional 114 employees. “The new group both supports and strengthens our existing talent pool which complements our future growth strategy nicely,” said Susan Stewart, President and CEO of SWBC Mortgage. “The goal of this acquisition is to combine our strengths and talents to create one of the most successful and efficient mortgage operations in the state. With the expanded footprint provided by the acquisition, we are projecting our loan origination volume to double over the next 18 months.”
Texas Residential Median Price YTD 2007
January 22, 2008
Texas Residential MLS Activity
Median Price
| MLS Area | Nov 2007 |
Oct 2007 |
Nov 2006 |
Nov 07- Nov 06 % Chg |
Year-to-Date | |
| 2007 | % Chg Year Ago |
|||||
| Abilene | 103,700 | 112,700 | 99,400 | 4 | 102,900 | 3 |
| Amarillo | 114,800 | 116,100 | 114,200 | 1 | 117,600 | 2 |
| Arlington | 134,900 | 129,100 | 133,100 | 1 | 130,900 | 0 |
| Austin | 185,900 | 181,900 | 172,200 | 8 | 184,000 | 7 |
| Bay Area | 153,000 | 149,700 | 141,700 | 8 | 153,600 | 6 |
| Beaumont | 119,100 | 112,400 | 122,500 | -3 | 126,400 | 9 |
| Brazoria County | 119,200 | 118,000 | 108,000 | 10 | 120,700 | 6 |
| Brownsville | 118,800 | 90,000 | 118,300 | 0 | 116,300 | 10 |
San Antonio Job Growth Up 2 Percent Over The Last Year
January 21, 2008
San Antonio area employers added 2,000 new jobs to the local economy in the month of December, according to figures released Friday by Alamo WorkSource.
Local employers also added 16,600 jobs over the last 12 months. This represents a 0.2 percent increase for the month and a 2 percent increase over the last year.
Alamo WorkSource officials attribute the December job growth figures to robust hiring by area retailers during the holiday season and a separate surge in the financial activities, manufacturing, and leisure and hospitality industries.
7 Tips to Make Sure the Price is Right
January 20, 2008
It’s tough being the seller in a buyer’s market. But your clients can improve their odds with the right research. And you can be the knight in shining armor who provides it.
In many cases, making a smart deal and getting the best price comes down to studying your market and being an educated seller.
“You’ve got to know more than you would have if you’d sold a year ago,” says William Poorvu, professor emeritus at Harvard Business School and author of the upcoming book “Creating and Growing Real Estate Wealth.” “If you want to protect yourself, you have to become knowledgeable.”
