East Bay Area Real Estate

30 percent of homes of East Bay Homes had been on the market more than 90 days in September
More than 30 percent of homes listed for sale in Contra Costa and Solano counties had been on the market more than 90 days in September, according to a survey of multiple-listing service information compiled by Movoto LLC. - East Bay Business Times.

When real estate prices are ready to rebound
…”except for those folks who must move, there aren’t many buyers. Even the tire kickers are staying aay in droves. The reason, of course, is that people are afraid to pull the trigger at the time when prices are dropping. Who wants to pay $250,000 for a house today when it might be worth, say, $240,000 next week? Or $230,000 the week after that?”

So how do you know when prices have bottomed out? When is the precise moment when prices top falling and start rising? Read the full article “Clues about when real estate prices are ready to rebound” Lew Sichelman, Special to The Chronicle

More homeowners trying to pay down debt

“there is a shifting perception about what owning a house means,.. for the last five years, it was about buying a home and then turning around as quickly as possible and using it as a piggy bank. Now, people who are buying houses have more traditional goals, such as paying off their loans.”

Read the full article “After mortgage meltdown, more homeowners trying to pay down debt” , Marni Leff Kottle, Special to The Chronicle