Welcome to our series on helpful tips for PolicyMap. With over 4,000 indicators of data and many features, we hope our weekly tips can help users better utilize PolicyMap. For a complete training, please join a free online session here: Click Here

Did you know the Legend can show you key details about the data layer currently viewed, and also allow you to toggle between; available years, different variables, and (if you are a subscriber) create your own custom cut points.

Once a data layer is loaded, the legend allows you to toggle between any available years and change the variable (e.g. percentage change or number).

The legend will also show the value for ranges displayed on the map, and allow you to increase or decrease the number of ranges displayed. The source of the current data layer and the geography at which you see the data is shown here.

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A great way to research San Diego real estate markets!

PolicyMap is a fantastic resource which allows users to explore geographic information, visually via maps, charts and tables. The site collects real estate and mortgage information which can be drilled down to mortgage types – such as sub-prime lending and sub type such as “piggy back” loans, 100% loans known also as 80/20’s. Data vis available for 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Demographic information can be also be displayed giving users a rich visual map interlaid with data. Access to over 4,000 indicators, including educational information, crime stats, along with mortgage data, etc.The site can be searched by census tract, county, school districts, and address among others.

I spent some time on the site last night and found the information to be very revealing. It’s been apparent for quite a while now that parts of North County and the South bay have been hit hard by foreclosures and it’s interesting to see the underlying reasons displayed in all it’s glory.

Here is some of the results I reviewed:

North CountyHere is a link to the map itself for a more detailed look at the data for North County real estate and loan data
	Click images for larger images along with a legend and explanation of ‘piggy back” loans.
South BayHere is a link to the map itself for a more detailed look at the data for North County real estate and loan data

We have many tools at our disposal – if you have unanswered questions please feel free to get in touch with us - we are here to help and assist you in reaching your goals.

We also have a full San Diego MLS search available at www.sandiegorealestateagent.com with a free form text search for “foreclosures” or “short sales”.

Click here to read this article by Peter on October 28, 2008.

As an organization either applying to HUD for National Stabilization Program (NSP) grant dollars or interested in the program, you know that HUD expects grantees to consider several specific pieces of data in preparing plans and strategies for targeting funds. To make that work easier, we have mapped all that data and made it available for you on PolicyMap, the online data and mapping tool we created to aid public and social investors in understanding places and considering investment strategies. All public data and use of the tool for this purpose is free.

What can I do with the maps?

• Use the maps online to better understand which areas HUD considers most at risk for foreclosure or which areas would be eligible for funds based on their income.
• See if a particular address is in an eligible area by typing the address into the Search Location bar and putting the Income Eligible Status layer on the map.
• Create and save maps as either JPEG or PDF to pull them right into your HUD application.
• Access any of the other public data available for free in PolicyMap that you may want to consider as a part of your application. You may want to look at USPS Vacancy data under Neighborhood Conditions, or the HMDA subprime data under Mortgage Originations.
• If you need more information mapped about certain areas for your application like home sale prices (2000 through 2007Q4) or current demographic estimates at the block group or census tract level, you can subscribe for $200/month. Just visit our subscription page to learn more. Subscribing also gives you access to school performance data as well as a unique reporting function that allows you to generate profiles of a radius around an address or of custom regions you create.

How else can TRF help me with my application?

As you may know, PolicyMap is a service of The Reinvestment Fund, a non-profit CDFI based in Philadelphia.  In addition to providing agencies with data through PolicyMap, TRF is working with various state and county agencies around the country to determine where to target these limited resources to ensure the greatest likelihood of neighborhood stabilization. We realize that you have little time to develop a method for allocating these resources and while the funding seems significant, it is not when compared to the cost of working with abandoned/foreclosed properties.  If you would like to learn more about our analytic method and/or retain the services of TRF’s Policy Department please contact cathy.califano@trfund.com.

Once I receive my grant, how could PolicyMap benefit me going forward?

Going forward, you will need an inventory of foreclosure properties in your area to track progress in the implementation of your programs. As you collect data, the team at PolicyMap can load it to allow you to monitor progress over time. To learn more about how others already load data into PolicyMap, contact me at maggie.mccullough@trfund.com

We recognize that the turnaround time on these applications is tight.  To help you better understand how to use these maps, we’ve schedule a series of online training sessions just on this HUD NSP data.  Sessions will be held at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm EST starting tomorrow on Friday, October 24^th, Monday, October 27^th and Tuesday, October 28^th.  To sign up for a session, click here.  We hope that what we’ve provided thus far is of benefit to you as you prepare you application.

Maggie McCullough

Director of PolicyMap

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Here are seven cool websites to surf to find out more information on the area you would like to call home. 

Often as a Phoenix AZ Real estate agent, I take the home buying process for granted. However, many buyers are first-time home owners and have yet to experience the joy and the sometimes trials and tribulations of the complex process.

The home buying process starts with some personal consultation with significant others about personal wants, needs and financial condition and doesn’t end when they keys to your home are handed to you at the close of escrow.

There are some differences if your home is new construction versus a resale purchase. However, for the purpose of this Home buying list for dummies (my apologies for any copyright infringement), I will use a more general outline that applies to real estate for both purchases.

After you call a Wexzilla realtor (ok, I couldn’t help shameless self-promotion) ,  follow this step-by-step home buying checklist.

Answer these Questions to determine if home buying is right for you.

1. Will you be in your current job for at least 3-5 years?
2. Do you see any major family changes children are a large expense and selling a home through a divorce or separation is not an ideal scenario for best results.
3. Will a new mortgage test your financial limits? – there is no reason to work so hard to barely pay a mortgage on a home you cannot enjoy.
4. Do you have at least 6 months of emergency savings in case of unforeseen financial hardships?
5. Do you have 10% (20% is better) down payment?

If Yes to the above,  follow the tracking list below.

Determine your wants and needs: style of home, size, price, location

1. Get pre-approved for a mortgage, shop for rates, and get a fixed-rate mortgage
2. Consult a Realtor who can help you find and show you homes within your parameters
3. Go to PolicyMap.com to check out neighborhood demographics, schools, crime, zoning, etc…
4. Research homes on Zillow, Roost, Trulia, Move, Wexzilla and Coldwell Banker.com to name a few
5. Do a comparative Market Analysis of the subject home you fall in love with
6. Prepare an offer with the help of  your real estate agent based upon the CMA and your financial situation
7. Make sure the agent goes over the Phoenix AZ Real Estate purchase contract line by line so that you understand the contract, contingencies, important dates and buyer and seller responsibilities.
8. After your contract is accepted (the power of positive thinking),
9. Open escrow at a Title Company who will provide Title Insurance and a Title report
10. Read the Title report with you Real estate agent to make sure there are no liens or encumbrances

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Click Here to read the full article.
This article by James Wexler appeared on Wexzilla on October 20. 2008.

I can’t say I was surprised by a BusinessWeek/PolicyMap.com story that suggested Lubbock would cope much better than other cities during an economic downturn.

In fact, the city ranked 11th among 20 that would stand up well given a number of factors, including education and health care – which the report said add an extra buffer during a recession.

Are we in one? As many economists will lament, you usually find out you’re in recession after you’ve came out of the tunnel.

Lubbock strengths have been documented over and over again.

The report cited the city’s location in an energy center.

We may not produce any oil and gas, but Lubbock is the beneficiary of production that goes on in all directions around us.

People making it in the oil patch tend to spend that money here, whether they’re coming up from the Permian Basin for a Texas Tech game or driving over from eastern New Mexico for some weekend shopping.

In its selection of 20 bulletproof cities, the report cited a number of them where education played a prominent role.

It said while such institutions may not flourish during a downtown, they also don’t go out of business.

Lubbock is blessed to have the presence of Texas Tech, in itself an economic engine, along with Lubbock Christian University, Wayland Baptist University and South Plains College.

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Click Here to read the full article.
This article by Chris Van Wagenen appear on Lubbock Online on Sunday October 19, 2008.

The burst of the housing bubble has affected most (if not all) of us as we watch the values of our homes drop.  And, for those of us who took out two loans to pay for the purchase of our home just a couple of years ago, or who ended up with an interest rate that was higher than we would have liked, the problem has become not just one of wealth, but of economic survival.  So, how have homeowners in these swing spots fared compared to the rest of us? Though we don’t know how such personal financial strain may influence voting, these spots offer an interesting variety to review.

As context, mortgage data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) tells us that nationally more of us have been taking out high cost loans in he past few years to purchase or refinance our home.  In 2004, 14.56% of all home loans made were high-cost and likely made by a subprime lender.  By 2006, this number had doubled: 28% of all home loans made in 2006 were high-cost.  (Final 2007 HMDA was just released and will be up on PolicyMap in a couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see how much things changed during the last year.)

When it comes to these swing spots, all of these places – but for Fairfax – have higher rates of high-cost lending taking place than the nation.  It is particularly high in Youngstown, where 57.72% of loans made in 2006 were high-cost; and in Pueblo City where 40.62% were.  In all places, the percentage of these loans has been rising since 2004 – the greatest increase took place in Elko City where the rate more than doubled.

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Is the country in or headed for a deep recession?

If so, be happy you’re living in Lubbock.

A report published by Business Week ranked the Hub City among the 20 safest places to live in the U.S. during a major downturn where vast portions of the population are employed by government, health care, education, agriculture and legal services.

“I think it’s totally logical and accurate,” said Gary Lawrence, CEO for the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance who examined the report and wasn’t at all surprised by its findings.

Business Week compiled the data with the help of PolicyMap.com, which made use of extensive demographic information in determining which cities would stand up best over the course of a recession.

Of the 20 Metropolitan Statistical Areas selected, Lubbock ranked 11th based on what the authors described as “layers of protection” involving health care and education sectors as well as its locale inside an energy-producing center.

Corpus Christi was the only other Texas city ranked in the report.

Amarillo economist Karr Ingham, who publishes the monthly Lubbock Economic Index on behalf of Lubbock National Bank/LEDA, said the report’s premise has some roots.

“I’ve always wondered how Lubbock shows up in these reports,” he said, alluding to another report two weeks ago by bond rating company Moodys, which also cast Lubbock in a good light.

“Lubbock always seems to come out on the favorable end of these analyses,” said Ingham, who has followed the area’s economy for a dozen years.

“One thing we know about the Lubbock economy is when it’s put to the test, it just dusts itself off and continues to grow at modest, but steady pace,” he said.

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Click Here to read the full article.
This article by Chris Van Wagenen appear in the Lubbock Centennial on Friday October, 17, 2008.