PPIC Report Needs to be Passed Along

July 11, 2011

A report crossed our desk last week that needs to be passed along to as many people in the industry and policymakers as possible. "California Housing" was released last month by the Public Policy Institute of California as part of PPIC's ongoing Planning for a Better Future project. The four-page brief succinctly points out how critically important housing is for the state's economy and some of the things that should be done to help the industry rebound.

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Loan Limit Declines Discouraging Prospect for Recovering Housing Market

June 13, 2011
 
A drop in mortgage loan limits for the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration scheduled to occur on Oct. 1 will reduce housing demand and place downward pressure on home prices in major housing markets of the country, according to a new study from NAHB's Economics and Housing Policy Group. In an effort to keep loan limits at their current levels, NAHB is calling on Congress to support H.R. 1754, the Preserving Equal Access to Mortgage Finance Programs Act, a bipartisan measure sponsored by California Reps. Gary Miller and Brad Sherman.

Study Shows New Homes Use Less Water

New homes built to today's standards use far less water than homes built 20 years ago and will use even less water when the California Green Building Standards Code comes into effect in 2011, according to California Homebuilding Foundation study.

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