Blog Posts By Date: April 2020
Americans have been receiving their $1,200 Government-issued economic impact payment, intended to support those affected during the coronavirus pandemic. However, that introduction of money is attracting scammers, hackers, and con artists.
In Q1 of 2020 alone, consumers have collectively lost more than $13.4 million to such tricks, with a median loss of $558 per individual. Almost 1 out of 5 fraud reports included unauthorized messages or calls, including impostors claiming to be a government administration worker. Banking and Finance Experts anticipate that ratio to rise as the government continues depositing stimulus money. more...
The California Association of Realtors recently reported that California home sales fell from both the previous month and year in March as the coronavirus pandemic began to affect the housing market, and as the state’s stay-at-home order was put in place.
Finalized escrow sales of existing, single-family homes in California totaled a seasonally balanced annualized pace of 373,070 units in March, as per data gathered by C.A.R. from in excess of 90 neighborhood REALTOR affiliations and MLSs statewide. It is changed in accordance with seasonal factors that generally impact home sales. more...
Richmond City Council on Tuesday dismissed an emergency request that would suspend all rent and mortgage payments in Richmond for the span of the COVID-19 shelter-in-place precautions. Alternatively, the city councilmembers cast a vote for protections like the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors announced before Tuesday. The Board of Supervisors passed an emergency law applying to every one of the 19 cities and unincorporated regions, Supervisor John Gioia said in an update.
The law, as indicated by the Supervisor, restricts evictions for default for private and business occupants affected physically or economically by the COVID-19 pandemic; bans "no-fault" evictions "except to protect the health and safety of the owner or another tenant, or to allow the owner or their immediate family to move into the residential unit"; temporarily freezes rent increases, despite the fact that state law keeps the freeze from applying to single-family homes or living arrangements worked inside the most recent 15 years; gives residents affected by the pandemic a 120-day grace period to take care of rent, and cancels late charges for unpaid rent for affected occupants. These principles apply through May 31, except if reached out by the Board of Supervisors. Despite the County ordinance, which can be read in full here, a city can revise and include restrictions protecting renters if it chooses. more...
While risk is an individual choice, the real estate industry is adjusting to give access to home buying securely during the coronavirus pandemic. You would now be able to do numerous things at a safe social distance, or even remotely with regards to purchasing a home that you might not have considered doing previously.
Here are on the whole the courses face to face checkpoints to purchasing a home have changed to guard you during the coronavirus pandemic: more...
Cash vs. Mortgage Overview:
There's a lot to consider when contemplating purchasing a home outright versus financing it. Here are some of the major differences between using cash or a mortgage to buy a home:
KEY TAKEAWAYS more...
With millions of Americans facing financial burdens like student loans and high rents, saving up to make the traditional 20% down payment on a first home can be daunting. There’s good news for prospective homeowners: You don’t need to do it!
You can blame the difficult financial circumstances many young people find themselves in today. But misconceptions may be part of the problem too. Nearly half of renters said they believe they need at least a 20% down payment to buy a house, according to Bank of America’s 2018 Homebuyer Insights Report, although the government and most housing experts disagree. more...
Dear Friends & Fellow Citizens:
We are a group of individuals with resources and connections in Asia for Mask and PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) supplies. This campaign is to help fund the purchase of these vital supplies and deliver to those service providers in the most urgent need during this pandemic outbreak. We are ordering masks and PPE as we speak, and fundraising on the backend to help multiply our purchases by way of large quantity discounts.
We are contacting all hospitals and clinics in the hot spots initially to understand their situation for supplies and will prioritize based on the needs accordingly. more...
This week, several cities, the County of Alameda, and the State of California enacted moratoria on evictions for nonpayment of rent. Below you will find summaries of each ordinance relevant to your location:
State of California:
Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order banning the enforcement of eviction orders for renters affected by COVID-19 through May 31, 2020. The order prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for nonpayment of rent and prohibits enforcement of evictions by law enforcement or courts. It also requires tenants to declare in writing, no more than seven days after the rent comes due, that the tenant cannot pay all or part of their rent due to COVID-19. more...