It happened the last Saturday of January; my phones were ringing off the hook; same thing last Saturday; Sunday's are quieter. But the bottom line is we are going to have a good spring, there is pent up demand and potential home buyers want to become buyers.

Real estate headlines:

*The good news is that a home price bottom is expected by year-end, according to one of the nation’s most respected economists. The bad news, at least for current homeowners, is that prices are set to fall another 11 percent before stabilizing.  Since their peak in 2006, home prices have fallen about 25 percent, per a Moody’s Economy.com report issued today, but the end may be near. Read the rest here:
 
*Former home lending giant Countrywide has settled with Colorado borrowers who fell victim to the company’s loose lending practices, according to Colorado Attorney General John Suthers.  The Calabasas, CA-based lender will provide roughly $6 million to eligible borrowers, including $500,000 to support the state’s foreclosure hotline. Read the rest here:


*The ten states experiencing the most mortgage fraud in the final quarter of 2008 were:

1. California with $1,095,840,000
2. New York with $374,334,000
3. Florida with $344,634,286
4. Minnesota with $208,300,000
5. Nevada with $101,200,000
6. Virginia with $77,213,822
7. Texas with $70,000,000
8. Colorado with $50,800,000
9. Ohio with $41,469,500
10. Pennsylvania with $40,800,000 
Read the rest here: Unfortunately, I am not surprised that California leads the pack.