1. Unbelievable. Did you know that some 14 percent of all Americans have more than 10 credit cards? This according to a recent study conducted by Experian Consumer Direct, a leading provider of online direct-to-consumer credit reports, scores and monitoring products. When will all of this crash the economy?
2. Phew! Mortgage rates eased back down as the month draws to a close. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.22 percent for the week ending Feb. 22, down from the previous week when it averaged 6.3 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.26 percent. Hip hip hooray! Lock in this low rate today!
3. Multiple what? We are seeing moderate activity throughout most areas of the East Bay. This past week alone I have seen multiple offers on homes, including one in Oakland and one in El Cerrito. In Berkeley, more units have gone pending in the past week than we have seen in the past few months.
4. Bubbles are for baths. The media still hasn’t determined whether or not there is a bubble- they are at war with themselves.
5. JetBlue- who? sent out personal emails, went on local talk shows, and even posted a video on YouTube apologizing for their “miscommunication” flaws following the recent irreverent weather conditions on the East Coast. Gee, thanks.
6. More goo. www.gootube.net, an online real estate video portal, complete with the google mapping system, is released.
7. Go orange! The American Institute of Architects’ 150th anniversary celebration included our very own Golden Gate Bridge as one of the top 150 architectural gems.
8. Senator Hillary Clinton officially announced her candidacy for president and took the stage in presidential real estate politics. Sen. Clinton will co-sponsor a bill which will bar banks from real estate brokerages. Woah, Nelly! Could someone in politics actually be in favor of Realtors and consumer concerns?
9. Unzip the zillows. Zillow. com is under scrutiny once-again. There is a new phrase attached to Zillow- “unzillowable.” If something is unzillowable, it is unable to be valued by the popular website zillow.com. Items which determine value include noise, traffic, views, paint, and the neighbor’s dog. Wouldn’t it therefore be plausible to say that no property can obtain an accurate “zestimate” from Zillow?
And finally, #10. It isn’t real estate related, but it is definately noteworthy.
10. Gavin Newsom…need I say more?