Exciting Speaker Shares Insight

Carole Rodoni, President of Bamboo Consulting

An amazing opportunity came to the Frank Murphy Team and the Santa Cruz Keller Williams Office yesterday. We were able to hear the ever energetic Carol Rodini shower us with information about the economy, GDP, oil, loans, real estate values and how they all meet in today’s world.  

Carol is a force to be reckoned with not only here in the Bay Area but also within the world of Real Estate and Economics. She is a fast talking, no nonsense woman who has an incredible gift in sharing her knowledge and experience with those around her. Carol is the former President of Fox and Carskadon Real Estate, Chief Operating Officer of Cornish and Carey Real Estate, and President of Alain Pinel Realtors.  She is a renowned speaker who has written for The Wall Street Journal and The San Francisco Examiner and is currently the president of her own consulting company -- Bamboo Consulting.  

“There is a revolution happening in real estate!” says Carol. The younger generation is now buying and selling. This new market is more about cash sales and investments.  

  

Carol left us with some great new stats and information that helps us look back at 2012 so we can look forward to 2013. 

Bay Area Statistics for 2012: Real Estate and Economics

•  California Association of Realtors (CAR) projects the median home prices will be up 5.7 % in California in 2013. That follows a double digit increase in 2012

•   Median price at $186,000 is up 7.6% from 1 year ago, which is the biggest increase since 2006.

• A Nov. 7, 2012 The Wall Street Journal article states that Americans are now selling homes faster- 1.15 million in 2011 compared to 650, 000 the last 4 years.

• CAR finds that 33 % of all homes sold for cash in 2012 vs. 9 % in 2001

• 23% of home purchases in 2012 were as second homes 

• First  time buyers were 34.2 % of the market in 2011 and 39%  in 2012 

• The number of foreclosures is down- we were over 50% in mid 2000’s and are now at about 28%

• The Chronicle with Bloomberg shows that while cities such as New York, San Diego, Philadelphia and Minneapolis are down in real estate performance as much as .54% to 1 %, the city of San Francisco is up 1.19 %.

•  Projection for unemployment was down to 10.2 % in September  2012 per California State employment Development Department

• Not great but better than 10.6 % in August and 11.7% in September of 2011
•  SF Bay Area projection by Bay Area Council Economic Institute see jobs here up 7 % in 2013 and 2014

Nationally as of October 2012

• Real Estate Sales were up 2.1%

•   Prices were up 11% to $187,000

•  Cash sales were 33% of the market

• Investors were 20% of the market

•  Foreclosures and short sales were 12% of the market

•  Interest Rates on 39 yr fixed were 3.54% - 1 year ago they were 4.31%

•  U.S. Oil Production averaged 6.5 million barrels daily in September 2012, highest level in nearly 15 years. The International Energy Agency said the US could overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world’s largest oil producer by 2020.

Myths and Facts about the new Taxation on Investment Income

·        FACT: Beginning January 1, 2013, a new 3.8% tax on some investment income will take effect. This new tax will affect SOME real estate transactions.

·        MYTH: This is a new federal transfer tax

·        FACT: This is not a transfer tax, any more than is any capital gains tax, but rather an increased investment income tax percentage for individuals’ income above certain thresholds.

·        MYTH: This new tax applies to ALL income generated from ALL real estate sales.

·        FACT: When the legislation becomes effective in 2013 then, ONLY for those to individuals with an adjusted gross income( AGI) above $200,000 and couples filing joint return with more than $250,000 AGI, it will impose a 3.8% tax on income from interest, dividends, rental income, and capital gains (less capital losses) including capital gains from real estate sales, stocks, bonds, and other securities

·        REMEMBER: The tax will have no effect on any individual who has an AGI of $200,000 or less, or to any couple filing a joint return with an AGI of $250,000 or less.