There is no stopping California! Per RealEstate.com, 5 of out 10 cities for Best Value Appreciation for 2013 are in the Sunshine State.  The Bay Area is sitting pretty at 3rd place (San Francisco, Oakland & San Jose). I can personally attest the market is completely bonkers. Multiple offers, overbids, all cash, it's like it's 2007 all over again. The difference this time is that it's not based on "Liar Loans", subprime mortgages and zero downpayments! When people are putting down 20% to call cash, they ain't gonna just walk away! They got skin in the game. They stay to play! What do you think? 
 
 
They don't deserve such a beautiful building! Glad to see not only Philadelphia take a stand against the Scout's hateration, but celebs like Madonna, Carly Rae Jepsen & Train are putting them on blast! 
 
 
Andrew Ciastek of Re/Max Realty One Inc in Ontario distributed a property flyer  but on the back wrote a bunch anti-gay stuff! (Aside from being homophobic and ignorant, how is that going to sell a house?!). Towleroad has more here!
A RE/MAX Real Estate agent in the Toronto-area city of Mississauga is under fire for distributing sales brochures which included an article promoting "traditional families" as the best for the future of children, the Mississauga News reports:
 
 
The concept of installing a modern interior inside a traditional home, long seen in Europe, is becoming particularly popular in older U.S. cities. In San Francisco, architect Stephen Verner of Aleck Wilson Architects says most of his clients want contemporary interiors even in the oldest homes.
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The house was foreclosed upon in November and was being prepared for sale, said Brad German, a spokesman for Freddie Mac....Ritter, the police spokesman, said that the unidentified gunman started making demands related to the house after taking the firefighters hostage. "The power was turned off along with the cable and cell phone and so on, and he wanted all those things turned back on," said Ritter, adding that "apparently he was going through some financial issues."
 
 
Ginormous hole appears in the ground in Washington! 34 homes evacuated but one man has not left! Reporter asks him if he knew the place was prone to landslides when he bought it. He matter of factly responds "That's the price you pay for a marvelous view."  Buying homes on mountains, hills, cliffs gets you amazing vistas....but is it worth the risk? For some people, it apparently is! (What will his insurance say?!)
 
 
Augusta Chronicle reports Laney Supermarket got evicted by SunTrust Bank. Instead of donating the food to the needy, the marshall trucked it away to the dump...right in front of people who really need a hand! Tsk tsk! 
Officials said onlookers became angry when they learned they would not be allowed to take away food and other sundries that were piled outside the grocery as “abandoned property....“There are people with babies who need diapers out here,” she said.
 
 
I'm sure sellers are tickled pink! Meanwhile the buyers are getting outpriced! What in blue blazes is going on?! Movoto breaks it down for us 
 
 
Prices are up. Housing starts are up. Construction jobs are up. Home-builder stocks have been surging.

But if you're not interested in "charts" and "data" which say that the U.S. housing market is coming back, then this video is for you.

It was posted on Calculated Risk, and it shows a "frenzy" at an open house in California. You can just feel it. Americans love houses again.

In addition to the sheer volume of people coming into the house, the host of the video has fascinating commentary about owners of these houses getting tons of offers right away, with the final winning bid coming in WAY above listing prices.
 
 
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On the heels of International Women's day, a study by a Chicago non-profit was just released where they found gals are getting the  screwed when it comes to loans! 
Mortgage Discrimination Study Finds Women Received Fewer Approvals In Wake Of Crash :Chicago women who applied for a new home mortgage in 2010 were 24 percent less likely to obtain a loan than men, the study by the Woodstock Institute found. Lenders were 39 percent less likely to refinance a woman's existing mortgage, the study says.