By CALmatters | PUBLISHED: March 13, 2018 at 12:56 pm | UPDATED: March 13, 2018 at 1:07 pm By Matt Levin, CALmatters Scott and Erica Rothenberg thought the years of scrimping and saving had finally paid off. The three-bedroom house outside of Elk Grove—an upper-middle-class suburb of Sacramento—checked all of the boxes: quiet neighborhood, quality school district, ample space to start a family. But the couple knew competition for the house—like most houses in desirable California neighborhoods—would be cut-throat. Their agent warned they’d be bidding against not only a glut of young Sacramento-area families vying for a starter home, but also wealthier Bay Area residents fleeing astronomical prices. Even wealthy foreign investors from China, sensing an opportunity to park their cash and make steady returns, were getting in on the action. “I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ In Elk Grove?,’” said Scott. “It’s really … [Read more...] about Are foreign investors driving up real estate in your Southern California neighborhood?
Investors buying up houses
5 Epic Fights All Couples Are Bound to Have When Trying to Buy a House
Few things test new love like buying a house together. Here are some arguments you two lovebirds are bound to have—and how to resolve them. Stephanie Booth, provided by Published 1:30 pm, Wednesday, February 14, 2018 Photo: HDesert/iStock; Realtor.com Image 1of/1 CaptionClose Image 1 of 1 Photo: HDesert/iStock; Realtor.com 5 Epic Fights All Couples Are Bound to Have When Trying to Buy a House 1 / 1 Back to Gallery First comes love, then comes marriage, next comes ... escrow, closing costs, and school district squabbles? Few things (aside from bachelor parties) test new love quite like buying a house together. Which makes sense: With real estate, there's an awful lot on the line. As such, “small tensions and challenges tend to become inflated, difficult obstacles,” … [Read more...] about 5 Epic Fights All Couples Are Bound to Have When Trying to Buy a House
Small-Time Real Estate Investors Team Up for Big-Time Profits
These days, many small real estate investors are working with partners. It makes it easier to buy more expensive properties and spreads the risks. Kathleen Lynn, provided by Published 5:00 am, Tuesday, February 13, 2018 Photo: Ittipon2002/iStock Image 1of/1 CaptionClose Image 1 of 1 Photo: Ittipon2002/iStock Small-Time Real Estate Investors Team Up for Big-Time Profits 1 / 1 Back to Gallery Real estate investor Maureen Wiener usually goes it alone when buying, renovating, and reselling homes in northern New Jersey. “It’s about control," says Wiener, of Franklin Lakes, NJ, who has flipped close to a dozen single-family homes in affluent Bergen County. Wiener, who's in her 50s, says she likes to be the one to choose design elements such as the appliances and the granite countertops. "It's … [Read more...] about Small-Time Real Estate Investors Team Up for Big-Time Profits
Hope to Buy a House Together Someday? Pop These 5 Questions Now
If you and your partner are dreaming of buying a home together one day, you'd better ask these five questions now to see where you stand. Audrey Ference, provided by Published 5:30 am, Wednesday, February 7, 2018 Photo: Stockbyte/Getty Images Image 1of/1 CaptionClose Image 1 of 1 Photo: Stockbyte/Getty Images Hope to Buy a House Together Someday? Pop These 5 Questions Now 1 / 1 Back to Gallery Love may be blind, but if you and your significant other hope to buy a home together someday, it's important to go in with your eyes open. That can mean you'll need to pop some questions about money—right now. "Couples often go house shopping first before they even think about the mortgage," said Chris Lewis of Angel Oak Home Loans. "But that's like getting married before your first … [Read more...] about Hope to Buy a House Together Someday? Pop These 5 Questions Now
Bitcoin is booming in Miami. But can you buy a house with it?
They gathered in downtown Miami — an estimated 4,350 Bitcoin believers — to trade pitches for apps and start-ups. They discussed and debated trends in cryptocurrency. They speculated about the volatility of Bitcoin, which shot up in value from $900 to $19,000 over the course of 2017 and is currently hovering around the $10,000 mark. But despite the national stir created last fall when a $544,500 Edgewater condo was listed for sale in “Bitcoin only,” none of the panels or presentations at Miami’s sixth annual North American Bitcoin Conference focused on real estate. Although Bitcoin is the oldest and best-known of the nearly 1,500 kinds of cryptocurrencies currently available, real estate developers, brokers and analysts are cool on its use in an industry that is literally defined by physical assets. In other words, if you’re hunting for a home, don’t worry that you’ll get outbid by a buyer offering cryptocurrency. At least not yet. … [Read more...] about Bitcoin is booming in Miami. But can you buy a house with it?