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Riskiest Place to Buy a Home
Voice of San Diego ^ | 4/06/2006 | Will Carless

Posted on 04/06/2006 3:14:09 PM PDT by ex-Texan

The area's home prices have a 60-percent chance of dropping, one of many factors making San Diego the riskiest real estate market in the nation, according to a quarterly report put out by a California mortgage insurer.

The report, put out by the Bay Area insurance company PMI Group, is well-respected by experts, who said it usually gives an accurate picture of the state of the nation's 50 largest home-buying markets. However, they stressed that the report is merely the latest in a long line of analyses that point to something the industry already knows: The nation's housing market is cooling, and San Diego is ahead of the curve.

"You guys are leading the nation -- congratulations," remarked Chris Thornberg, a senior analyst at the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson Forecast.

Last year at this time, the quarterly report ranked the San Diego region as the fifth-riskiest market in the nation. That report put Boston as the riskiest.

The report bases its ratings for each individual market on three factors: How well the local economy is doing; how much and how quickly home prices are appreciating; and the affordability of housing in that market.

San Diego's took a hard knock because of the third criterion. The area's homes are among the least affordable in the nation, according to PMI's data, and that means the people who buy them are more likely to default on their mortgages despite the relatively strong local economy. Hence San Diego's high-risk rating.

The area is also suffering from a slowed price appreciation.

In the last few years, San Diego's risk factor has been tempered by consistent price increases. But those increases dropped dramatically from last quarter, compounding the poor score the area received in the report.

Gary London, president of The London Group Realty Advisors in San Diego, said the report adds to the "parade of statistical indicators" showing that the real estate market is slowing. However, he doesn't think that slowdown is going to affect most homeowners, but only people on the fringes of the market.

That means people who have bought in the last year and who need to sell this year, or people who have entered into mortgages that they simply cannot afford, London said. Those people should probably be concerned at the signals the market is giving off, he said.

Indeed, even if prices do drop, London said, that's only going to open the door to a lot of people who have been watching the market from the sidelines, unwilling to get into the action. If prices drop, even slightly, he said, there are a lot of people waiting to buy.

Stephanie Corns, a spokeswoman for PMI, said the purpose of the report is to better inform home buyers and sellers about the real estate market. She said that people looking to buy a home need to consider how risky an area is before buying there. That's especially important when a buyer is considering buying their home using a non-traditional loan such as an interest-only mortgage, she said.

"Some of the exotic (loan) products transfer a lot of the risks to the borrower, so you really need to gauge what amount of risk you are comfortable taking on. Are you comfortable having a lot of risk in your mortgage and a lot of risk in your market area?"

However, Corns stressed that PMI still considers buying a home to be a safe investment on the whole, even in risky markets like San Diego. She said the company's research has shown that real estate prices always increase in the long term, so buying a house is always a sensible long-term strategy.

Alan Gin, a professor of economics at the University of San Diego's Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate, said the report is certainly worth considering for home-buyers before they take out a mortgage, but he pointed out that the riskiness of a market is not likely to be the defining factor for a potential buyer.

"It gives you more information, but you probably shouldn't base your decision exclusively on this information," Gin said.

Topping out the top five riskiest markets in the nation were Santa Ana/Anaheim/Irvine; Boston; Nassau/Suffolk, New York; Riverside/San Bernardino; and Sacramento.


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To: Toddsterpatriot
Now virtually everybody is talking about the housing bubble. I was one of the first people to see it and I posted a comment about it on FR in 2003. I posted a few more comments in 2004. A few day ago, I posted a link to a news report about 66% of lenders saying there is a real estate bubble.

Suddenly, the realtor and mortgage brokers here on FR went ape crazy. I was even wrongfully accused of misrepresenting the contents of the report. I was vilified because the article referred to commercial lenders rather lenders specializing in residential real estate. That was a baseless allegation and was based upon a logical fallacy. The argument highlighted a distinction without any true significance.

Most commercial lenders have far more experience that residential lenders. All the commercial lenders I have dealt with over the years have college degrees. Many have MBA degrees. Most commercial lenders had years of residential lending experience before they were qualified to move up to the higher paying jobs. Most of the residential lenders I have met in the past 35 years are bank loan officers. In other words, a diligent teller who earned a promotion after taking a few certification courses.

And that was the sum and substance of that worthless attack leveled by Petronski and his realtor and/or mortgage broker groupies.

Say what you will. There is a housing bubble. Nearly everybody of importance in the lending business agrees. And the mere fact that a few of you attack me recklessly at every turn is not going to shut me up.

Only Six Months Until Housing Hell Happens

221 posted on 04/08/2006 4:06:50 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Matthew 7:1 through 6)
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To: ex-Texan
Suddenly, the realtor and mortgage brokers here on FR went ape crazy.

Like who?

I was vilified because the article referred to commercial lenders rather lenders specializing in residential real estate.

Why should we care what commercial lenders think?

All the commercial lenders I have dealt with over the years have college degrees. Many have MBA degrees.

Oh, then they must be right. LOL!!

Say what you will. There is a housing bubble.

So how far will prices drop? Will they drop to last years level?

And the mere fact that a few of you attack me recklessly at every turn is not going to shut me up.

Why don't you tell us again how grocery prices rose 30% in one month? That was funny!!

222 posted on 04/08/2006 4:25:17 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists so bad at math?)
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Comment #223 Removed by Moderator

To: thecoffeehouse
Apparenty, Federal Regulators do not agree with you:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1611708/posts

224 posted on 04/08/2006 4:35:39 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Matthew 7:1 through 6)
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To: ex-Texan; ErnBatavia

How much have housing prices gone up since you "saw" the bubble in hot markets in 2003? As I said, I expect a mild deflation myself - now - in hot markets. But I didn't see that in 2003. I saw that in 2005, as interest rates began their creep up combined with price levels. In fact I bought a house in the desert in California in 2003 (La Quinta), somewhat on an impulse. I liked the lot. I posted a pic of it in 2004 on this very site. It basically doubled in value since then. Did I expect that? No. Did I expect some appreciation? Yes. I thought housing prices in that market were somewhat undervalued, maybe by about 20%-25%. It turned out to be 50%, for some properties. And so it goes. Crude macro analyses just don't cut it. Really.


225 posted on 04/08/2006 5:05:40 PM PDT by Torie
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To: ex-Texan
Most commercial lenders have far more experience that residential lenders. All the commercial lenders I have dealt with over the years have college degrees. Many have MBA degrees Most of the residential lenders I have met in the past 35 years are bank loan officers. In other words, a diligent teller who earned a promotion after taking a few certification courses.
LOL!

All you need to have in California to be a loan officer, ANY loan officer, including commercial, is a Real Estate license...period....Yes that's right. The same person you despise selling houses at exorbitant burst the bubble prices can also do commercial loans under the same license in California.

Oh and what are the requirements for getting a Real Estate License to be a commercial loan officer?...Pass a test.

226 posted on 04/08/2006 5:25:01 PM PDT by lewislynn (Fairtax = lies, hope, wishful thinking, conjecture and lies. (no it's not a mistake)
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To: Torie
I remember seeing the pic of your home...IIRC, you're place is in a gated golf course community which has a different "interest level" than your run of the mill residential area (like the La Quinta cove, where I be!).

Your place will probably hold up to any bubble-burst a bit longer since this resort area will continue to be a magnet for well to do snowbirds and Canucks.

(Since we moved out here fulltime exactly four years ago, I'd guess our home has gone up - on paper - from the high 200's in 2002 to maybe 600 now.....but there are a ton of 'fersale' signs up this season!)

227 posted on 04/08/2006 5:26:30 PM PDT by ErnBatavia (Meep Meep)
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To: lewislynn

Oregon does not require any license to be a mortgage broker. You can be a convicted felon and still handle the paper work. I know a guy working as a mortgage broker for the past five years. He has a felony record in N.J. and works under a different name here. He tells an interesting tale about running from the mob back east. But the mob is active out here as well.


228 posted on 04/08/2006 6:00:12 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Matthew 7:1 through 6)
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To: Torie
I also think Portland is way over rated. Had a potential customer ask me if I took Visa for a set of cabinets.
She's in the middle of a flip and has run out of cash.

And I do hope the market stays high for a couple of more years ;^)
229 posted on 04/08/2006 6:04:48 PM PDT by investigateworld (Abortion stops a beating heart)
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To: investigateworld

Well, don't count on appreciation to bail you out of whatever credit you extended. :)


230 posted on 04/08/2006 6:06:47 PM PDT by Torie
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To: Torie
Aint'a gonna happen!

(With apologies to Miss Margaret Barnett for using the word ain't ... Lord knows you taught us better)
231 posted on 04/08/2006 6:14:49 PM PDT by investigateworld (Abortion stops a beating heart)
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To: Torie
Housing prices have nearly doubled here since 2003. On the coast, they went up about 60% last year alone. The realtors are urging everybody to ask top dollar and they have been doing that for about four years. The problem is local income. Wage earners do not have the earning power here than they do in most other states.

The flip side is obvious to me as well. Houses that were purchased last year on the coast may fall 50% overnight. There are only low wage jobs on the coast. The entire coast has signs warning of 'Dangerous Tsunami Waves.' There are rumors all time time about quakes off the coast. Many of those house have been built right on or very near the beach. One 6.5 and millions in real estate could be washed away.

232 posted on 04/08/2006 6:24:18 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Matthew 7:1 through 6)
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To: nosofar
Until rents equal mortgage payments a la 20% down 30 year fixed, it will be cheaper to rent. Why pay more, especially when home prices are falling off a precipice?

Things that make you go hmmmm. No repairs. No paint jobs. No termite damage to worry about. No roofs to repair at 10 grand. No expensive plumbing problems to finance. No cesspool problems to pay for, No heater breakdowns to pay for. No AC breakdowns to pay for. Nor Hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes to worry about.

Renting is a DREAM in this market. It's 50% cheaper, and without all the risks listed above. A no brainer in my book!

233 posted on 04/08/2006 6:44:45 PM PDT by Concentrate
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To: ex-Texan

My stuff in Tigard/Cedar Hills hasn't doubled. It has gone maybe 30%-40% since 2000. I guess I picked the wrong zip codes!


234 posted on 04/08/2006 6:51:47 PM PDT by Torie
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To: Torie

Good choices, close to jobs and still small town feeling.


235 posted on 04/08/2006 7:00:27 PM PDT by investigateworld (Abortion stops a beating heart)
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To: Concentrate

Well I finally go to the end of the thread and found a comment I can agree with. (yes that's a preposition at the end of my sentence) I did this in the 90s VA DC burbs. Rented a little tenant house until I bought a house I could afford in '98... and the value has tripled in the last 8 years. When I get ready to leave this area my only hope is that it holds the value.


236 posted on 04/08/2006 7:27:18 PM PDT by chalkfarmer
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To: ex-Texan; Petronski
I know a guy working as a mortgage broker for the past five years. He has a felony record in N.J. and works under a different name here.

You know a guy? Or are you talking about yourself?

237 posted on 04/08/2006 10:46:24 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists so bad at math?)
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To: Toddsterpatriot

Not me. I'm disabled and retired. My last reply to you ever Toddster.


238 posted on 04/09/2006 7:17:07 AM PDT by ex-Texan (Matthew 7:1 through 6)
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To: ex-Texan
Toddster is deeply saddened.
239 posted on 04/09/2006 12:22:16 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Why are protectionists so bad at math?)
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