San Diego Arts & Entertainment, 2/21 -2/25

Tuesday, Feb. 21

The Cradit Union ---- Early week ballroom swing; 6 to 9 p.m.; Ocean House at Carlsbad Village, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad; $10; oceanhousecarlsbad.com or 760-729-4131.

Lux Boreal: "Lamb" ----  The Tijuana-based contemporary dance company presents its latest work by Australian choreographer Phillip Adams incorporating film and spoken word, biblical and modern references; 7:30 p.m.; Arts 111, Cal State San Marcos, 3333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos; free; for mature audiences only; www.csusm.edu/al or 760-750-8889.

Surfer Blood ---- Florida fuzz-pop band bleeds hooks; 8 p.m.; Porter's Pub, UC San Diego, 105 Eucalyptus Grove Lane, La Jolla; $12-$16; porterspub.com .

Gomez ---- English rock band touring on "Whatever's on Your Mind." Hey Rosetta! opens; 8 p.m.; Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; $25-$27; bellyup.com or 858-481-4040.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Pianist Gorden Cheng ---- Works by Bach, Mozart and Chopin; noon to 12:45 p.m.; Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Ave., Encinitas; www.sdcl.org or 760-753-7376.

TEMARE exhibition ---- Artists Terry Anderson and Marlene Levitt, who exhibit as TEMARE, hold a reception for their latest abstract paintings; 6 to 8 p.m.; Cafe Lily, 4045 Midland Road, Poway; 858-673-7791.

Iced Earth and Sympony X ---- Warbringer fills out the metal-heavy bill; 7 p.m.; House of Blues San Diego, 1055 Fifth Ave. San Diego; $25-$27 hob.com/sandiego or 619-299-2583.

"June Moon" ---- UC San Diego Theatre and Dance presents George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner's classic romantic comedy about a struggling Tin Pan Alley songwriter whose dreams for success keeps him from recognizing his true love; preview: 7 p.m.; regular run starts at 8 p.m. Friday (also 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday); Mandell Weiss Forum Theatre, UCSD, La Jolla; $20, general; $15, seniors and preview performance; $8, students; theatre.ucsd.edu or 858-534-4574.

Jackie Evancho with San Diego Symphony ---- Eleven-year-old singer from "American's Got Talent" performs with symphony; 7:30 p.m.; Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., San Diego; $55-$250; sandiegosymphony.org or 619-235-0804.

Jon Anderson of Yes --- Evening of acoustic music; 7:30 p.m.; Anthology, 1337 India St., San Diego; $18-$69; anthologysd.com or 619-595-0300.

Bobby McFerrin ---- The 10-time Grammy winner's most recent album is 2010's "VOCAbuLarieS"; 7:30 p.m.; Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., San Diego; $26-$80; sandiegotheatres.org or 619-570-1100.

Cloud Gate 2 ---- The second company of this Taiwanese dance company blends traditional Asian gesture, martial arts-inspired leaps and modern dance vocabulary; 8 p.m.; Mandeville Auditorium, Mandeville Lane, UC San Diego, La Jolla; $25-$40; artpower.ucsd.edu or 858-534-8497.

Hip-hop at Belly Up ---- BoomBox, Ill-Esha & ChrisB; 8:30 p.m.; Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; $18-$69; bellyup.com or 858-481-4040.

Anya Marina ---- She's back! Nena Anderson and the Mules, and Little White Teeth also on the bill; 8:30 p.m.; the Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., San Diego; $15; casbahmusic.com or 619-232-4355.

Thursday, Feb. 23

"Cruise the Arts" art walk ---- Open house and demonstrations at Oceanside Art Gallery; 5 to 8 p.m.; Carlsbad Village Faire, Suite 103, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad; 760-845-9017.

Scars on 45 ---- English indie-rock band; 7:30 p.m.; Anthology, 1337 India St., San Diego; $10-$23; anthologysd.com or 619-595-0300.

"Seussical the Musical Jr." ---- STAR Repertory Theatre's Kids Theatre Academy presents a youth-cast production of this musical based on the stories and characters of Dr. Seuss; 8 p.m. (also 8 p.m. Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; noon and 5 p.m. Feb. 26); California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd; $15; starrepertorytheatre.com or 800-988-4253.

Ra Ra Riot ---- The Submarines and Papa fill out the bill; 9 p.m.; Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; $18; bellyup.com or 858-481-8140.

Friday, Feb. 24

Wabisabi Green ---- Artist Jolee Pink introduces her gallery dedicated to her modern, eco-friendly home decor with a public open house; 4 to 7 p.m.; 161 Melrose Ave., Encinitas; wabisabigreen.com.

San Diego Jazz Party  ---- The annual jazz party will feature 21 hours of mainstream jazz in Del Mar. Artists are: Dan Barrett and John Allred, trombone; Ed Polcer, cornet; Jon-Erik Kellso, trumpet; Harry Allen, Houston Person and Antti Sarpila, reeds; John Sheridan, Rosanno Sportiello and Jason Wanner, piano; John Cocuzzi, vibraphone and piano; Richard Simon and Nicki Parrott, string bass; Butch Miles and Eddie Metz Jr., drums; Chuck Redd, drums and vibraphone; Eddie Erickson and Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar; Rebecca Kilgore, Eddie Erickson, Nicki Parrott and John Cocuzzi, vocals; 4:30 to 6 p.m. (reception) and 7:30 to 11 p.m.; (also 10:30 a.m. to noon (jazz brunch), 1 to 5 and 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday; 9:30 to 11 a.m. (solo piano concert) and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 26; 15575 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar; $220, festival pass; $120, Saturday (includes jazz brunch); $65, Friday or Feb. 26; wwwsdjp.org, dcooper4@hotmail.com or 858-453-0846.

"Adult Puppet Theatre" ---- Animal Cracker Conspiracy Puppet Co. and Friends present live puppetry performances for mature audiences; 7 to 11 p.m.; Museum of Photographic Arts, Balboa Park, 1649 El Prado, San Diego; $10 (ages 21 and up only); animalcrackerconspiracy.com .

"Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr." ---- Carlsbad Community Theatre presents a youth-cast production of this musical based by the 1970s educational television spots; 7 p.m. (also 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Feb. 26); Carlsbad Village Theatre, 2822 State St., Carlsbad; $12-$15; carlsbadcommunitytheatre.com or 760-931-8709.

Arturo Sandoval ---- Jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer; 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; Anthology, 1337 India St., San Diego; $10-$49; anthologysd.com or 619-595-0300.

Mainly Mozart: Pianist John Lill ---- Program features Beethoven's Piano Sonata in E-flat "Sonata quasi una Fantasia," Schumann's "Carnival Jest From Vienna" and Brahms' Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel; 7:30 p.m. (wine reception at 6:30 p.m. and Q&A at 8:45 p.m.); the Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, La Jolla; $55; also a program of Beethoven's Sonata in C minor "Pathetique," Brahms' "Two Rhapsodies" and Schumann's "Carnaval"; 2 p.m. Feb. 26; St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 6628 Santa Isabel St., Carlsbad; $25; also 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 (wine reception at 5:30 p.m.); The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, 5951 Linea del Cielo, Rancho Santa Fe; $75 (includes wine reception); www.mainlymozart.com or 619-239-0100.

"God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse" ---- Ira Aldridge Repertory Players and Educational Community Complex presents Calvin Manson's stage adaptation of James Weldon Johnson's 1927 book of poems featuring seven actors, 17 dancers, a 25-member gospel choir and an eight-piece band; 8 p.m. (also 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Feb. 26); runs through March 11; Educational Community Complex, 4343 Oceanview Blvd., San Diego; $25; iarpplayers.org or 619-283-4574.

"The Real Inspector Hound" ---- Palomar College presents Tom Stoppard's comedy spoof of the '30s and '40s murder mystery films set in a spooky mansion on a stormy island; 8 p.m. (also 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Feb. 26); runs through March 4; Performance Lab (Room D-10), Palomar College, 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos; $12, general; $10, seniors; $8, students; 760-744-1150, ext. 2453.

Roger Hodgson of Supertramp ---- 8 p.m. (also Saturday); Pechanga Theater, Pechanga Resort & Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula; $45-$70; pechanga.com/entertainment or 877-711-2946.

Tommy Castro Band ---- Swing'n Kings open for blues-rock band; 9 p.m.; Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; $27; bellyup.com or 858-481-8140.

Saturday, Feb. 25

"Isaac Julien: Ten Thousand Waves" ---- Exhibition runs through Dec. 1; regular hours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown, 1001 and 1100 Kettner Blvd., San Diego; $10, adults 26 and over; $5, seniors; free, active-duty military and immediate families, and 25 and under; 858-454-3541 or mcasd.org.

"Street" ---- Diane Mandle holds a reading of her original screenplay about two interracial bag ladies who are best friends trying to help each other get off the streets; 7 p.m.; Ezia HP, 2052 Corte del Nogales, Suite 160, Carlsbad; free but reservation required; 619-994-8151.

Browne Sisters and George Cavanaugh ---- Folk; 7:30 p.m.; San Dieguito United Methodist Church, 170 Calle Magdalena, Encinitas; $18; sdfolkheritage.org or 858-566-4040.

Richard Elliot ---- Local saxophonist's concert, live auction and VIP reception benefits L.R. Green Educational Foundation; 8 p.m.; California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido; $35-$50 ($70-$85, concert and VIP reception, which follows concert); artcenter.org or 800-988-4253.

Mat Kearney ---- Brings his four Adult Top 40 hits (and the rest) to the House of Blues San Diego; 8 p.m.; 1055 Fifth Ave., San Diego; $20-$40; hob.com/sandiego or 619-299-2583.

"Masters of the Guitar": Andy McKee, Antoine DuFour and Stephen Bennett ---- Acoustic/fingerstyle guitarists; 8 p.m.; Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road, Poway; powayarts.org or 858-748-0505.

courtesy of:  http://www.nctimes.com/

Posted via email from RealtorPeg

Tips When Considering Buying an Investment/Rental Property

Lower home prices and mortgage rates are causing many people to consider taking the real estate investment plunge. But as with any big financial investment, what may be a good strategy for some, may be harmful for others.

Something to keep in mind: If you are planning on trading cash in lower risk CDs or bonds for real estate, you are trading into a dramatically higher risk asset. However, if if you do decide to jump into the investment property game, you should make sure to vet the property investments you plan to acquire to better increase the chances that the real estate you buy will increase your net wealth, not decrease it.

This is, of course, assuming you already understand the most important item in investing: making sure the property you are buying is cash-flow positive based on conservative estimates, and provides you a fair rate of return on your investment. Read more about estimating cash-flow on properties here.

What other items and issues does a buyer need to review when buying an investment property?

Home Inspection

Most people know to always have a home inspection done when they are buying property. While a competent home inspector will note all the items working or not, the inspector is not pricing out the costs to get all those items repaired, nor other items like painting, flooring, etc. that you might plan to have done. It’s your job to put together a list of all the work and get with your contractor to price them out. Put that number into your financial analysis and note that properties in poor condition rarely sell at a large enough discount to compensate for all rehabilitation work that needs to be done!

Title Abstract and Insurance

When you buy property, a title policy protects you in case there is a title problem, like the seller’s ex-fiancée was a part owner in the property but didn’t sign off on the sale. In this case, it is the title insurer’s problem and they will cover costs to defend you and settle any dispute, up to the policy maximum limit, unless the title issue was “Excluded” from the title policy.

The Schedule of Exclusions will note issues the title insurance policy will not cover, like recorded easements. It is vital to review the information there as well as in the title abstract. If there is a title issue that was “excluded” from coverage, it is your problem, not theirs.

Survey, Plats, Legal Description

Your land, lot, or condominium — plus parking spaces and storage — will also have a defined legal description of what you own. There may be a county plat showing it and/or you might want to have a survey done of the lot lines. Either way, you should walk the property and compare when you physically see to what is on the plat/survey to make sure you are comfortable that no neighbors’ fences, driveways, etc. are encroaching on your lot. If it is a condominium, make sure you review the recorded rights to your interior space, patios, parking spaces, storage, etc.

Homeowners Association

If you are buying a property in a common interest development like a condo or town home, you are not only buying your individual unit, you are buying into the larger entity. Thus, you are responsible for your share of the cost to pay for those, via HOA fees. There are many many risks related to HOAs, a few range from unfunded reserves for repairs and replacements to litigation and water issues. You can do analysis to better reduce your risk of buying into an HOA that is in a disastrous state, but you have to do the hard work of doing the proper due diligence.

Financing

You also need to make sure you are getting a fair deal on your mortgage financing. Just getting one bid from one lender is not good enough. Shop around to get pricing from at least two lenders and carefully compare those mortgage bids to determine which one gives you the best fees versus interest rate deal. It’s not easy to do as the Good Faith Estimate forms are quite complicated, but that’s no excuse for not doing the proper analysis.

Insurance

Lastly, do you have the proper type and amount of insurance coverage in place? Make sure to sit down with your insurance agent and determine what you need to be adequately covered. Look into umbrella policies as well as earthquake, interior condominium HO-6 policies and any other coverage you need. Pick your real estate agent‘s brain so you have the proper coverage for your risks.

A real estate investment, whether rental property or a home, is the largest, most complicated, and riskiest purchase you will ever make. Experienced investors know how to better reduce their exposure with the proper due diligence; you need to make sure you know how to do the proper steps too!

It’s your money, and your retirement, at risk. You don’t want to find out, after disaster strikes, that you could have reviewed, analyzed, researched and done the hard work upfront to have protected yourself and avoided that issue from ever happening in the first place.

courtesy of:  http://www.forbes.com

Posted via email from RealtorPeg

January Home Prices Up In 40 San Diego Zip Codes

Forty of 92 San Diego County ZIP codes in DataQuick's monthly housing report show increases in median price for January.

Related: Home sales up 5% in Jan., prices flat

That finding covers sales of all home types, including single-family resales, condo resales and new homes.

Is your neighborhood on this list?

Note: I only included neighborhoods that recorded five or more sales.

San Diego County, Jan. 2012

Rank	Neighborhood	ZIP code	Sold '11	Sold '12	Med '11	Med '12	Pct Change
1	College	92115	35	40	$171,000	$285,000	66.7%
2	Escondido S	92025	34	30	$215,500	$327,500	52.0%
3	Morena	92110	15	18	$260,000	$373,750	43.8%
4	El Cajon	92021	39	32	$193,000	$260,000	34.7%
5	El Cajon	92020	37	30	$200,000	$254,500	27.3%
6	Logan Heights	92113	21	16	$145,000	$183,500	26.6%
7	Tierrasanta	92124	13	13	$375,000	$474,000	26.4%
8	Rancho Santa Fe	92067	4	12	$1,927,750	$2,412,500	25.1%
9	Golden Hill	92102	17	17	$180,500	$223,000	23.5%
10	Del Mar	92014	8	18	$1,197,000	$1,470,000	22.8%
11	Cardiff	92007	8	7	$502,500	$607,500	20.9%
12	Point Loma	92106	7	10	$440,000	$526,000	19.5%
13	Chula Vista NE	91914	22	29	$427,500	$510,000	19.3%
14	Lakeside	92040	29	35	$255,000	$298,500	17.1%
15	Mission Beach/P.B.	92109	26	29	$402,000	$460,000	14.4%
16	Chula Vista S	91911	64	41	$222,500	$250,000	12.4%
17	Escondido W	92029	14	15	$414,500	$465,000	12.2%
18	Lemon Grove	91945	19	12	$225,000	$252,000	12.0%
19	Nestor	92154	47	47	$228,000	$255,000	11.8%
20	San Carlos	92119	18	26	$307,500	$342,500	11.4%
21	Paradise Hills	92139	25	31	$195,000	$216,750	11.2%
22	Ocean Beach	92107	12	14	$412,500	$457,000	10.8%
23	El Cajon	92019	35	36	$259,000	$285,000	10.0%
24	Kensington/Normal Heights	92116	25	20	$255,000	$280,000	9.8%
25	Allied Gardens/Del Cerro	92120	19	30	$332,500	$361,000	8.6%
26	Carlsbad SW	92011	19	22	$663,000	$715,000	7.8%
27	Escondido E	92027	38	44	$242,500	$258,500	6.6%
28	Chula Vista SE	91915	48	51	$320,000	$341,000	6.6%
29	Spring Valley	91977	37	51	$214,500	$228,000	6.3%
30	Oceanside N	92057	49	54	$250,000	$265,000	6.0%
31	Chula Vista N	91910	41	45	$250,000	$265,000	6.0%
32	Poway	92064	34	45	$430,000	$448,750	4.4%
33	Scripps Ranch	92131	34	24	$572,500	$592,500	3.5%
34	Santee	92071	47	34	$253,750	$262,250	3.3%
35	Solana Beach	92075	9	19	$775,000	$800,000	3.2%
36	Serra Mesa	92123	14	18	$302,500	$310,000	2.5%
37	Oceanside S	92054	18	28	$316,250	$321,250	1.6%
38	Jamul	91935	5	5	$425,000	$430,000	1.2%
39	Mission Valley	92108	34	24	$180,000	$181,250	0.7%
40	Encinitas	92024	33	33	$543,000	$543,500	0.1%

Source: DataQuick

courtesy of:  Lily Leung at http://web.utsandiego.com 

Posted via email from RealtorPeg

Annual Spring Home/Garden Show, Del Mar Fairgrounds Mar 2 - 4, 2012

Now in its 27th year, the Spring Home/Garden Show returns to Del Mar Fairgrounds for a three-day extravaganza of inspiring displays and home-product sales booths, real gardens, hands-on demonstrations, educational seminars, and face-to-face consultations with top experts—all with the convenience of one-stop shopping for everything pertaining to home and garden, inside and outside.

Produced by Westward Expos, the event takes place March 2-4.

The Show focuses on San Diego-area experts, services, products, and businesses. Visitors find everything they need to save time and money improving, refreshing, or remodeling their home and outdoor surroundings—from the latest in appliances to garden lighting, from fencing to security systems, from baths to sunrooms.

In addition to a huge main hall where hundreds of exhibitors showcase the newest products and hottest trends, all at special low show prices, the show offers several unique home and garden features (included in admission) that provide extraordinary added value. These truly set the Spring Home/Garden Show apart from all imitators.

• Tour “The Garden Masters,” the largest and best collection of display gardens created expressly for any weekend expo. Enjoy 20 theatrically lit gardens created specifically for this year’s Show by professional landscape architects, designers, and contractors. Emphasizing a “Water Smart” theme, the gardens will illustrate how to create strikingly attractive gardens, while at the same time conserving precious water resources.

• “Ask The Experts” allows attendees to consult face-to-face with experts and chapter representatives of professional organizations and even building department representatives.  All consultations are complimentary in the “Ask the Experts” area.

• Visit the “All About Gardens” areas for free garden-related seminars throughout the weekend (five hours total each day) and gain priceless knowledge from top San Diego garden experts, including authors Debra Lee Baldwin, Pat Welsh, and Nan Sterman. Topics like “How to Have A Beautiful, Water Smart Yard” include instruction on designing with succulents, creating sustainable landscapes, clearing the yard of thirsty plants, the latest efficient water delivery hardware, information and visuals on recommended plant materials, and a docent-led walking tour of an impressive display garden containing many of the suggested plant materials.

• In “The Garden Marketplace” select from hundreds of varieties of plants on sale direct from San Diego-area garden and plant societies, clubs, and other local growers—who also enjoy giving planting tips and advice.

Bargains? The Spring Home/Garden Show is a home and garden shopper’s paradise. Special pricing is a big attraction for any homeowner looking for deep one-time-only savings. The Marketplace is also an ideal opportunity to easily arrange for multiple bids on any home project, be it shutters, doors, windows, skylights, or hundreds of other essentials. Save TIME and money!

Show hours are:  Friday, March 2, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, March 3, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, March 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $8.00; children under 12 are free. Seniors: only $1 on Friday. After 3 pm daily, all tickets $6.00. Discount tickets on the show’s website are $6.00. For more information visit: www.springhomegardenshow.com.

courtesy of:  http://www.delmartimes.net

 

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Old Globe's 2012 Summer Shakespeare Workshops for Pre K-12

Auditions for The Old Globe's 2012 Summer Shakespeare Intensive for San Diego County high school students will be held on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11 on the Globe campus. The four-week program is a unique opportunity for high school actors and actresses to refine their skills as performers in a professional setting. The Intensive will take place on Saturday, July 14, Sunday, July 15 and on weekdays from July 16 through August 13. The program will culminate with a performance in the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre on Monday, August 13. The program cost is $650 with a limited number of need-based scholarships available. Auditions are by appointment only. For more information, please visit www.TheOldGlobe.org/SummerIntensive or email GlobeLearning@TheOldGlobe.org.

Students in the Summer Shakespeare Intensive study classical theater technique, voice, movement and stage combat led by theater professionals while rehearsing for two productions of Shakespeare's plays. Throughout the Intensive, the students have the unique opportunity to study Shakespeare and see the productions of the Globe's Shakespeare Festival, which runs concurrently with the program. Festival company members lend the students insights into the art of performing Shakespeare that the students then apply to their own performances of the Bard's work.

Registration begins on March 1 for the Middle School Summer Conservatory, a three-week program of intense acting study with professional teaching staff and actors from the Shakespeare Festival's repertory company. Students will explore scene study, stage combat, theatre games, improvisation, movement and specialty workshops. The Conservatory will take place on weekdays, July 9 - 27. The program cost is $600 ($550 for subscribers) and does not require an audition, though a passion for theatre and acting is important. For more information or to register for the Conservatory, email GlobeLearning@TheOldGlobe.org.

Registration is also now open for the March 10, 17, 24 and 31 sessions of Theatre Tots, a highly imaginative introduction to the magic of theater for children ages 4 - 7. Theatre Tots students are divided into groups featuring age-appropriate activities and introduced to the elements of story, voice, movement and imagination through an interactive read-aloud story time. Parents return for the last 15 minutes of class to watch them perform a short presentation of the story of the day. For more information or to sign up for one or more Theatre Tots sessions, email GlobeLearning@TheOldGlobe.org.

Theatre Tots sessions for 4 and 5 year olds are different on each date, and children can attend one or more classes throughout the month. Each of these sessions costs $20 per class, with a 10% discount for enrollment in three or more classes.

Theatre Tots classes for 6 and 7 year olds take place over the course of four weeks and are continuous as students work each week on a final presentation at the end of the month. The cost for these sessions is $100 for a set of four classes.

courtesy of:  http://www.scoopsandiego.com/

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Mortgage Rates Hold At Record Lows

Mortgage rates are holding at record-low levels, with 30-year fixed-rate loans unchanged at an average 3.9 percent for the week ending Feb. 16, according to the latest numbers from Freddie Mac    Freddie Mac Latest from The Business Journals Mortgage rates hold at record lowMortgage rates hold at record lowMortgage rates stay steady at record lows Follow this company .

The 30-year loan rate has been less than 4 percent for the past 11 weeks and less than 5 percent for the past 52 weeks.

A 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.2 percent this week, unchanged from the previous week. A year ago at this time, 15-year fixed-rate loans averaged 4.3 percent.

A one-year adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 2.8 percent this week, virtually unchanged from the previous week. At this time last year, a one-year ARM averaged 3.4 percent.

"Fixed mortgage rates were unchanged this week amid mixed confidence measures," says Frank Nothaft, chief economist for Freddie Mac (OTC:FMCC). "Small-business confidence ticked up slightly in January, representing a fourth consecutive month gain, according to the National Federation of Independent Business index. However, the Reuters/University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment fell in February by more than the market consensus forecast, breaking a five-month trend. In the meantime, homebuilder confidence rose in February to the highest reading since May 2007, based on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index."

Ongoing low mortgage rates have been a factor in boosting the housing market.

courtesy of:  http://www.bizjournals.com

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Germans, Italians, Swedes Eye San Diego Real Estate

San Diego was the 14th most searched U.S. city among European house hunters, based on global web traffic on real estate website Trulia.com.

Topping the list in order was Los Angeles, New York and Miami.

What prompted Trulia to compile the rankings? The theory that the European debt crisis has driven people in areas such as Greece, Italy and Spain to scope out homes in the U.S. According to the company's data, there appeared to be a 17.8 percent spike in interest among the Greeks, when comparing the first quarter of 2011 to the last quarter. Italy's interest in American homes increased 7.2 percent during the same timeframe.

The real estate website also broke down which European Union countries were interested in which U.S. cities. For instance, Trulia determined that the Germans, Italians and Swedes were among the most interested in San Diego, based on the percentage of the site's global traffic from each nation.

Click here to see Trulia's graphic.

The U.S. could see an influx of international homebuyers if one piece of legislation is passed.

Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Mike Lee (R-UT) want to expedite the visa process for foreign investors on one condition: They must spend $500,000 on property. The proposal is meant to "remove bureaucratic red tape that stifles travel and investment in the U.S.," according to Lee's office in a media statement.

courtesy of:  http://www.utsandiego.com/

Posted via email from RealtorPeg

More People Moving Into CA Than Moving Out

For the first time in 11 years, the four major moving companies that release data agree: More families are moving to California than are leaving it.

For a decade, high housing prices made it hard for people to stay in the state, even if they wanted to. But falling house prices and increased hiring are enticing former Californians to come home, moving company officials said.

"I think the people realize that when we move back to California, we're never going to have interest rates or (house) prices this low," said Linda Oakley, owner of Atlas Transfer and Storage Co. in Poway, affiliated with Allied Van Lines. "We want to live in California, where it's warm and sunny and happy."

Indeed, 2,926 more families moved into California than moved out of it, the third-highest figure of any state or Washington, D.C., according to the combined data of Atlas Van Lines Inc., United Van Lines LLC and Allied Van Lines Inc. For years, California had seen more households moving out than in. In 2007, Atlas' data indicated that trend had reversed, but it didn't turn around in Allied's data until 2011.

U-Haul International Inc., which doesn't provide the same type of data, said it helped move 5.6 percent more people into California than out of it, according to spokeswoman Ashleigh Wagner.

courtesy of:  http://www.nctimes.com/blogsnew/business

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