What’s the biggest payment you make every month? If you’re a renter, it’s probably your rent.  But did you know that you can pay your rent on time, every time, for years, and it may never show up in your credit history? It’s pretty frustrating, especially if you’d like to buy a home someday and you’re trying to build your credit. The good thing is that’s changing right now. Here’s what you need to know and why it could open a door you thought was closed. The Problem for Would-Be Buyers You’re not the only one frustrated. According to Zillow, nearly a third of applicants (32.88%) get denied a mortgage due to insufficient credit history – not missed payments or too much debt. Just not enough credit history for a lender to say “yes.” It’s the most common hurdle would-be buyers have. As Zillow explains: “Nearly one-third of mortgage applicants are denied a loan because of insufficient credit history,

This proposition is up on the ballot for November, and is an opportunity for help with a low 3% down payment to buy a new home up to $1.5 million dollars -- see Secretary of State website https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/37/index.htm.Proposition 37 does not take money from the State, the $25 billion in bonds are paid back by the mortgage payments of buyers who purchase their homes - - this is not funded otherwise by taxpayers. And unlike other types of buyer assistance programs, there are really no qualifications for this program other than standard mortgage qualification approval, it must be owner occupied, and the purchase must be a NEW home not more than $1.5 million.  And, there is no PMI!The buyer must be a California resident and otherwise qualify for the mortgage.  Another benefit from this proposition is that it can stimulate the building of more homes, and give more people the opportunity to buy.See https://voteyeson37.com/press-release-yes-on-prop-37-campa

In July 2026 there were 136 single family homes listed as sold in the CRMLS, all over Long Beach at an extensive price range from $526,000 to $5,000,000 closing prices.  This post is not otherwise meant to be a comprehensive study, but just to point out some examples of what is going on with some sales transactions as examples of what a seller may experience. Tudor style in Belmont HeightsAn example of a home closing well under original asking price is in the 90814 zip code - Original asking price at $935,000, final closing price at $837,250, with $3400 in costs to repairs from seller to the all cash buyer. The buyer paid their own broker compensation fee.Another example is a 90803 property where seller came down  $101,000 to pay both repair costs and the buyer's broker compensation fee, property sold (per CRMLS) at $3,400,000.At the lower end of selling prices, in 90807 a home sold with no concessions for compensation fees or repairs at the reduced price from $569,000 t

Calif Sales and Price Report 6-2026Southern California had a 10.8 percent year-over-year increase in home sales.Southern California had a 2.3 percent year-over-year gain in median home price.Housing inventory statewide declined from 3.8 months last year to 3.1 months in June, 2026 . Looking ahead, housing supply is likely to remain constrained in the months ahead.The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 6.49 percent in June, down from 6.82 percent in June 2025, according to California Association of Realtor's calculations based on Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage survey data.  Calif Regional Sales and Price Activity 6-2026The Central Coast and Far North areas of California had largest year-over-year median price increase and largest increases in sales volume for single family houses.Per C.A.R.: "Existing, single-family home sales totaled 279,880 in June on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, up 4.1 percent from May and 6.0 percent from June 2025