Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate

According to recent reports and forecasts by housing analysts, the three-year descent in home prices appears to be at an end. Eight cities, including San Francisco, showed price increases in May, up from four in April, and one in March, according to Standard and Poor’s/Case-Shiller Index. For the first time since early 2007, the index of 20 major cities was virtually flat, rather than down. · Earlier reports show that sales of existing homes nationwide rose last month for the third consecutive month, while sales of new homes increased in June by the largest percentage in eight years, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) and the U.S. Commerce Dept., respectively. · Although some skeptics believe the market is pausing before home prices decline further, the median price in California’s housing market appears to be stabilizing. June marked the fourth consecutive month of rising home prices and the second largest gain on record for the ...

New $8,000* Tax Credit For 2009, Congress has enacted an $8000 credit specifically to help first-time homebuyers. To qualify, you can earn no more than $75,000 as an individual or $150,000 as a married couple that files a joint tax return. If you do qualify, you will be able to deduct the full $8,000 from your federal tax liability. Or, if you owe less than $8,000, the government will subtract the amount you owe from $8,000 and send you a check for the difference. Only first-time homebuyers who purchase their principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009 are eligible. You will also be considered a first-time buyer if you have not had any ownership interest in such a home in the three years previous to the day of your 2009 purchase.` For detailed information about the tax credit, click on, First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit. For more information about the $8,000 tax credit, please email or call our office now. You will be put in touch with a local Weichert S...

MID-YEAR MARKET SUMMARY The California housing market showed more signs of emerging from the worst of the market downturn in June as the median price rose for the fourth straight month and sales registered significant year-to-year and year-to-date gains. At $274,740 in June, the median price rose to its highest level so far this year and stood 4.2 percent higher than the May revised median price of $263,600. The median remained well below levels of a year earlier, however, with a 26.4 percent decrease from the June 2008 median of $373,100. Year-to-year changes have been less severe in recent months and the June decrease was the smallest since February 2008. June sales dipped 6.0 percent from revised May sales of 546,750 homes to a June sales figure of 514,110 homes, but showed a 20.1 percent increase over prior year sales of 427,910 homes. This was the smallest percentage gain in a year, and smaller gains are expected through the rest of the year. Still, sales in the first...

LED ZEPAGAIN HITS THE STAGE SATURDAY AT CENTRAL PARK City’s Popular Concert Series Continues with Led Zeppelin Tribute Band The City of Santa Clarita’s 2009 Concerts in the Park series continues, July 18 with a performance by “Led Zepagain,” bringing the sounds of Led Zeppelin to life at the Central Park stage at 7 p.m. The Concerts in the Park Series is free to attend and will continue every Saturday evening at 7 p.m. through August 29. Hailed as “the greatest Led Zeppelin tribute band going,” Led Zepagain consistently sell out shows at some of California’s biggest clubs & casinos, including the House of Blues in Hollywood and Anaheim, The Galaxy Theater, The Coach House and Pechanga Casino. “Community members can get ready to rock and roll when Led Zepagain hits the stage this Saturday for the second performance of the 2009 Concerts in the Park series,” said Mayor Frank Ferry. “Whether you’re a long-time Led Zeppelin fan, o...

Valuable information for buyers and others changing homes. Many people move into new homes in the summer so they can be settled in time for the start of the new school year. If you are moving this summer, or will be moving in the future, take note of these time-saving tips from HGTV that will help take the stress out of your move: Your trash may be somebody else's treasure . Before you start packing, take time to go through your belongings and get rid of things you won't be likely to use in your new home or that just aren't worth the effort to move with you. Hold a garage sale or consider giving away your unwanted items using Freecycle . Remain organized with a packing system . Not only will you want all of your boxes to make it into the right part of your house, but there will also be certain boxes containing necessities that you'll want to open first. Use colors to differentiate which room boxes go to, and provide a color key to the movers. ...

OLD TOWN NEWHALL FARMERS’ MARKET DON'T MISS THE OLD TOWN NEWHALL CERTIFIED FARMERS’ MARKET Old Town Newhall is open and with it brings the Old Town Newhall Farmers’ Market! The market is open every Thursday from 3pm to 7pm. Don't miss this opportunity to spend your Thursday evenings strolling through this colorful, European-style, open air market. Join family and friends for live entertainment, share a quick meal and shop for healthy, wholesome produce and flowers grown in local fields from Oxnard to Temecula. * This California Certified Farmers’ Market is every Thursday from 3:00-7:00 p.m. * The Old Town Newhall Farmers’ Market is located on Market Street west west of Main Street. Ample parking is available. For more information please call 661-255-4318 or click here .

CalHFA offering 30-year, fixed rate first-time home buyer loans The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) recently announced it is offering Cal30, a fixed rate, 30-year loan with up to 95 percent financing. This new loan program is available for eligible first-time home buyers. In addition to the Cal30 program, CalHFA also offers the California Homebuyer’s Downpayment Assistance Program, which can provide loans of up to 3 percent of a home’s value to assist with down payments and closing costs; the School Facility Fee Down Payment Assistance Program, which provides conditional grants to buyers of newly constructed homes for down payments, closing costs, upgrades, or other costs associated with the first mortgage loan; and the Affordable Housing Partnership Program, a joint effort between CalHFA and more than 300 cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, housing authorities and nonprofit housing organizations to assist with down payments and closing costs. More info