Calif. median home price: January 2012: $268,280 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. highest median home price by region/county January 2012: Marin, $694,440 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. lowest median home price by region/county January 2012: Tehama, $110,000 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. Pending Home Sales Index: January 2012: 102.4, an increase from the revised 93.1 recorded in January 2011

Calif. Traditional Housing Affordability Index: Fourth quarter 2011: 55 percent (Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates: Week ending 2/23/2012 30-yr. fixed: 3.95% fees/points: 0.8% 15-yr. fixed: 3.19 fees/points: 0.8% 1-yr. adjustable: 2.73% Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)

San Diego Union-Tribune

Some borrowers are getting mixed and murky messages from their lenders on whether they qualify for benefits through a $25 billion mortgage settlement that may soon become official in 49 states.
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http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/feb/20/customers-get-mixed-signals-banks-25b-mortgage-dea/

Calif. median home price: January 2012: $268,280 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. highest median home price by region/county January 2012: Marin, $694,440 (Source: C.A.R.)
Calif. lowest median home price by region/county January 2012: Tehama, $110,000 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. Pending Home Sales Index: December 2011: 91.6, an increase from the revised 82.5 recorded in December 2010

Calif. Traditional Housing Affordability Index: Fourth quarter 2011: 55 percent (Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates: Week ending 2/16/2012 30-yr. fixed: 3.87% fees/points: 0.8% 15-yr. fixed: 3.16 fees/points: 0.8% 1-yr. adjustable: 2.84% Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)

The Los Angeles Times

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week will unveil a prototype for a new monthly mortgage statement for consumers designed to clearly show important information from their servicer.

Read the full story
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-mortgage-statement-20120213,0,5870776.story

The Consumer Protection Working Group, formed under President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), recently convened its first meeting to address consumer fraud, which can financially cripple households and can cause extensive losses to the economy.
The newly created group will work across federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and with state and local partners, to strengthen efforts to address consumer-related fraud, including schemes targeting vulnerable populations, such as the unemployed, those in need of payday loans, and those suffering from the burden of high credit card and other debt. The new working group will also focus on scams that exploit prospective students, active-duty military personnel and veterans.
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