Insight Highlights The home price-to-income ratio has increased substantially since 2000, depressing homeownership. The ratio has grown more for young adults than the overall population, and even more so for young adults living in metro areas. Around 700,000 young adults did not buy a home between 2000 and 2016 because of increases in inflation-adjusted homeRead more
Headwinds and societal shifts, such as declining marriage and fertility rates, have depressed homeownership levels among young adults. However, according to new research from Freddie Mac, the biggest barrier slowing young prospective buyers has been housing costs rising faster than incomes. Freddie Mac’s June Insight examined economic and demographic trends from 2000 to 2016 toRead more
In the move TO CUT ENERGY use in homes by more than 50%, the California Energy Commission adopted building standards to require solar photovoltaic systems starting in 2020. California, a leader in environmental regulatory efforts will be the first in the country to require solar, reducing the greenhouse emissions by an amount equivalent to 115,000Read more
With the wire fraud epidemic our industry is currently facing, it is more important than ever to be sure the e-mails we are sending and receiving are encrypted and secure. Our system allows us to do this with the maximum amount of safety. Introducing Two-Factor Authentication for smartmail/smartportal Our system adds an extra layer ofRead more
Title Operation Performance Our title business began 2018 with strong momentum, as we generated first quarter adjusted pre-tax title earnings of $186 million. This represented an $11 million growth over the first quarter of 2017. Adjusted pre-tax title margin for the first quarter of 2018 was 11.7%, which was a 60 basis point increase overRead more
Enabling access to affordable and sustainable homeownership has long been a goal of U.S. housing policy and is central to Fannie Mae’s mission. A critical part of achieving this mission is to support programs and lenders that extend homeownership sustainably, that is, providing mortgages to lower income households who are able to maintain their mortgageRead more
June events are here and there is a lot happening in Orange County this month! The Newport Beach Jazz Festival is at the Hyatt Regency on June 1, and Laguna Beach Pride begins on June 1st. The Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding is hosting it’s annual gala called “Shea Night Fever” in Laguna Beach onRead more
What is Tax Basis? The term “basis” is the cost of a property for tax purposes. When a property is initially purchased, its basis is the price paid for the property plus acquisition costs; often this is referred to as the “purchase money basis”. Over the time the property is owned, the basis of theRead more
Enabling access to affordable and sustainable homeownership has long been a goal of U.S. housing policy and is central to Fannie Mae’s mission. A critical part of achieving this mission is to support programs and lenders that extend homeownership sustainably that is, providing mortgages to lower income households who are able to maintain their mortgageRead more
This month’s Consumer Focus covers many helpful topics designed to help save you time and money, including: how to make savings and investing a priority, the importance of setting money aside for emergencies, talks about bad habits that could be potentially ‘leading to the poorhouse,’ and how to travel on a budget! It also includesRead more