Research Briefs

Large Affordable Apartments In Demand

Submitted by lusk-admin on Tue, 07/10/2012 - 16:56

California Real Estate Journal

California Should Follow Texas' Lead For Financing Transportation Infrastructure

Submitted by lusk-admin on Tue, 07/10/2012 - 16:56

Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Studies at the Reason Public Policy Institute, addresses the need for California to look at alternative financing vehicles for transportation projects.

USC Lusk Center for Real Estate Pinpoints Factors Determining Minority Homeownership

Submitted by lusk-admin on Tue, 07/10/2012 - 16:56

Crime and housing affordability can determine if households transition from renters to owners

Los Angeles -- Where a minority family chooses to live heavily influences their decision to rent or own, according to the results of a study at the University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate (www.usc.edu/lusk) that examined pathways to minority homeownership.

USC Lusk Center Expert Says No Bubbles About to Burst, but Homebuyers Should Pay Attention to Risks of Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

Submitted by lusk-admin on Tue, 07/10/2012 - 16:56

Los Angeles – Adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are not a concern now, but they could cause problems for Southern California homeowners in three to seven years as these loans convert from fixed to adjustable rates, according to Raphael Bostic, Ph.D., of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.

“If interest rates increase, some buyers may not be able to afford higher payments and may have to sell their homes,” said Bostic, a former Fed economist who specializes in tracking the home mortgage market.