The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Real Estate News

Analyst: Foreclosure's shrinking shadow over housing

By JONATHAN LANSNER — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:36:00 -0700

Veteran Southern California real estate analyst G.U. Krueger adds his commentary on the housing market to this blog in a spot we call "Thursday Morning Quarterback." Here's his latest installment. … There was a time, when the "shadow" of the...

3rd week of record low mortgage rates

By JONATHAN LANSNER — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:50:00 -0700

What's happening with mortgage rates? We've asked Jeff Lazerson, of Mortgage Grader in Laguna Niguel, to give us his weekly take … So, Jeff … RATE NEWS SUMMARY: From Freddie Mac's weekly survey, for a third week in a row, the average 30-year...

World's tallest tower set to open

By JEFF COLLINS — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:27:00 -0700

Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, "Really?" World's Tallest Tower to Let Tokyo Railway Replace Commuters With Shoppers — Bloomberg Luxury Homes Spur Bidding Wars in Los Angeles as High-End Market Rebounds —...

Where are SoCal homebuying’s hot spots?

By JONATHAN LANSNER — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:09:00 -0700

DataQuick figures show Southern California's median home-sale price rose year-over-year in April for the first time in 16 months as sales rose 5.1 percent vs. 2011. CLICK HERE FOR COUNTY-BY-COUNTY RANKINGS Median price paid was $290,000, up 3.6...

Tour Arts and Crafts style home in Laguna

By KELLI HART KEHLER — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:54:00 -0700

There's a unique aesthetic of homes found throughout the art-inspired city of Laguna Beach. Many homes in the beach city flaunt a charming, sometimes whimsical look that is embodied through the Arts and Crafts style, whether they be bungalows or...

Lake Forest's largest housing project OK'd

By ERIKA I. RITCHIE — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:23:00 -0700

LAKE FOREST – Grading is expected to start on what will become the city's largest residential development as early as September. Model homes in the first seven communities planned for the Shea Baker Ranch project might be toured by prospective...

O.C.'s April home sales hit 6-year high

By JONATHAN LANSNER — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:42:00 -0700

DataQuick’s homebuying report for last month found the fastest April home-selling pace since 2006. Overall, house shoppers bought 2,920 residences last month, up 17.5% in a year. Median selling price was $420,000 — down 2.3% in a year. Last time...

Homebuilder optimism hits 5-year high, index shows

By JONATHAN LANSNER — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:01:00 -0700

One measure of homebuilder psyche — the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index — shows developers in the West a tad nervous this month as nationally it's the best climate in 5 years. Meanwhile, housing starts...

Seacrest paying $49M for DeGeneres pad

By JEFF COLLINS — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, “Really?” Ryan Seacrest Buys Ellen DeGeneres’ Estate for $49 Million — TMZ Degeneres takes a 1958 BevHills home — L.A. Times Ryan Seacrest buys Ellen Degeneres’ $49...

Industrialist bids $18.5 million for Newport estate

By JEFF COLLINS — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:30:00 -0700

A wealthy Japanese newspaper publisher and industrialist made the winning bid of $18.5 million to buy a bankrupt Newport Coast estate once priced as high as $87 million, court records show. According to court files, Toshiaki Ogasawara, 81, publisher...