JustQuotes: HOPE(less)
Les Christie reports: In the five months since it has been in effect, HOPE has helped exactly one homeowner to avoid foreclosure. This despite Congress having made $300 billion available…
Three Cheers Quotes For Bank Of America’s New Jumbo Loan Program
“Bank of America, the country’s largest mortgage lender, is rolling out a large program to finance loans between about $730,000 and $1.5 million, with fixed 30-year rates starting in the…
A Tighter Fannie…For Condo Mortgages
“ stopped guaranteeing mortgages in condo buildings where fewer than 70% of the units have been sold, up from 51%. In addition, the company won’t back loans for sales in…
JustQuotes: The Martyrdom Of 1268 Lombard In the Making?
“The demolition of an 1861 building on Russian Hill is an example of what San Francisco officials say is a serious problem: Hundreds of owners are letting residential properties deteriorate…
Landlord Foreclosure Concerns: Not Just For Residential These Days
“With downtown commercial property values down 30 percent from their highs in the summer of 2007, highly leveraged owners who bought at the peak are up against huge debt payments…
The “Resourceful” Demolition Of A Historic Resource? (1268 Lombard)
From the Chronicle with regard to the pending demolition of 1268 Lombard: “Over preservationists’ protests, city officials are poised to approve demolition of one of San Francisco’s oldest buildings –…
The Good News: Contractors Are Actually Calling Their Clients Back…
“About 25 percent of the San Francisco region’s approximately 16,000 building trades workers are out of work, compared with nearly full employment last year, said Michael Theriault, secretary and treasurer…
JustQuotes: Now About That Ferrari Index For San Francisco…
“Conventional wisdom has it that premium manufacturers do better in a downturn because people with more money can weather the storm,” said Michael Tyndall, an automotive specialist with Nomura in…
JustQuotes: Profiting From (Their Own) Poor Underwriting Skills
“Stanford L. Kurland, Countrywide’s former president, and his team have been buying up delinquent home mortgages that the government took over from other failed banks, sometimes for pennies on the…
Breaking Free Of The “San Francisco” Design Mold Mould
“San Francisco’s architecture in the past has been defined by bay windows and Victorian woodwork. These days, the best work shares an attention to detail and an ability to triumph…