Emergency and Disaster Preparedness of U.S. Households

How's your preparedness for a disaster?  Here's are the readiness stats for U.S. households:

Emergency and Disaster Preparedness of U.S. Households | Eye On Housing:

Cost, Confidence and Convenience: Survey Reveals Americans’ Attitudes on the Smart Home | RISMedia

Wish your home had some of the futuristic features like the Jetson's place? Here's what a survey done for Lowe's found out we really want:

Cost, Confidence and Convenience: Survey Reveals Americans’ Attitudes on the Smart Home | RISMedia:

I'd take the automatic food preparer myself! -David

Market Insider: How Long Will this Housing Shortage Last?

How. Long

Market Insider: How Long Will this Housing Shortage Last? | RISMedia's POWER BROKER:

'via Blog this'

First-Time Buyers Losing Interest in Short Sales

Short sales are certainly an important component of South Bay real estate sales these days, but not what I would call a dominant force.  In fact, inventories of all types of homes are remarkably low already - - more like November and December levels.

Still first-time buyers unaware of the delays often involved have been pursuing short sale homes in hopes of getting a bargain.  According to RISMedia, though, they're Losing Interest in Short Sales.

In many cases, the best idea is to look for the best deal, whether it's a short sale or not!  Short sales aren't for the feint of heart, as blogged here before, and may be best suited to investors or others not in need of a home right away. - David

Money May be Tight, But Homeowners Still Investing in Great Outdoors | RISMedia

Money May be Tight, But Homeowners Still Investing in the Great Outdoors.  Have a look at how people are personalizing their yards and gardens, from landscaping to firepits to abors to water features. - David

Many Stay at Home for Free as Banks Defer Evictions | RISMedia

Deferred evictions mean some owners who are underwater or severely behind on their payments continue to occupy their homes without being ousted.  This is much more of a problem in areas more troubled than the South Bay, but we've seen it happen here too. 

But some short sales in the area display this same behavior - - somehow, the offers that come in never seem to get approved.  In some cases, the short sale is just a sham, giving the homeowner the opportunity to tell their lender that the home is listed for sale when in fact they have no intention of moving out!

The meaning of all this is

Only 22% of Home Buyers are Happy with Their Agent – RISMedia

The latest inside story on real estate agents:

Report: Only 22% of Home Buyers are Happy with Their Agent – What That Means to You and How to Get Past It - RISMedia

This is an article intended for real estate agents, but I think it sheds a useful light on the dissatisfaction many have felt with their Realtors during the market crash. Perhaps you'll get some insights on what to look for in selecting a capable, experienced, hard-working Realtor. I'm always available for a discussion of this topic as well. - D. White

The Fed's Withdrawl from Morgage Purchases - A Conversation

As the Fed prepares to curtail its purchases of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac loans on March 31, the obvious pressures on rates will be upward.  How much?  Perhaps mortgage rates will rise 1%, to a level of 6%, says one expert in this RISMedia conversation. - David

Help for Homeowners update

Latest on the Help for Homeowners loan modification assistance program. - David