Cast of "Honey Boo Boo" Tops List of Worst Neighbors in 2012; Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton Named Most Desirable Celebrity Neighbors for 2013

Most Americans Do Not Want a Celebrity Neighbor, According to 6th Annual Zillow Celebrity Neighbor Survey

SEATTLE, Dec. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. adults would most like to be neighbors with country music power couple Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton in 2013, according to the sixth annual Zillow® Celebrity Neighbor Survey[i]. The cast of the reality TV show "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" was among the least desirable neighbors of 2012.

Meanwhile, 45 percent of surveyed adults said they would not want to live next to any celebrities listed in the poll, up slightly from 42 percent last year. The annual Zillow survey asks U.S. adults which celebrities they would most like to be their neighbor, and with whom they wouldn't want to share a fence.

Most Desirable Neighbors for 2013
In the coming year, 10 percent of adults surveyed would like to be neighbors with country couple Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton . The couple's popularity was significantly higher among females (13 percent) compared with males (7 percent).

Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift tied for second place, each receiving 9 percent of the vote. Young adults surveyed (ages 18-34) preferred to live next to Swift (12 percent) rather than Witherspoon (7 percent). However, married respondents slightly preferred to share a fence with Witherspoon (10 percent) over the young pop star (8 percent).

With 8 percent of the vote, talk show host Jon Stewart was voted the third most desirable neighbor for 2013, grabbing a significantly higher male vote (10 percent) than female vote (6 percent).

Worst Neighbors for 2012

The cast of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" topped the list of worst neighbors for the year. More than 1 in 5 (21 percent) surveyed Americans found the cast of the reality show, which follows Georgia-based child beauty pageant contestant Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson and her family, to be the most undesirable neighbors of 2012.

Eighteen percent of respondents found couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West to be the worst neighbors, while 12 percent would least like to be neighbors with Donald Trump . Both "Kimye" and Trump ranked higher on the worst neighbors list by large margins compared to competitors Lance Armstrong (2 percent) and Clint Eastwood (2 percent).

"This year we noticed a trend on the worst-neighbor side; for three years in a row now, the casts of reality television shows have dominated the top of our worst celebrity neighbor list. Not surprisingly, celebrities with full-time camera crews, in addition to paparazzi, aren't America's top choices to live next door," said Zillow Chief Marketing Officer Amy Bohutinsky ." But it isn't just reality television stars that are getting the neighbor boot. Most people don't want to live next to any celebrity, regardless of why they are famous. In fact, more people voiced their desire not to have a celebrity neighbor in 2013 than in any of the past years we've run this poll."

Desirable Neighbors for 2013		Worst Neighbors of 2012
Name		Name
Miranda Lambert & Blake Shelton	10%	"Honey Boo Boo" cast	21% [ii]
Reese Witherspoon	9%	Kim Kardashian & Kanye West	18%
Taylor Swift	9%	Donald Trump	12%
Jon Stewart	8%	Lance Armstrong	2%
Beyoncé & Jay-Z	4%	Clint Eastwood	2%
Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel	4%	Taylor Swift	1%
Kristen Stewart (and perhaps Robert Pattinson)	2%	Kristen Stewart (and perhaps Robert Pattinson)	1%
Justin Bieber	2%	Other	2%
Other	8%	None of the above	20%
None of the above	45%

Hmmm.... Thinking I'd fall in the "none of the above."

Bankrate: Mortgage Rates Pull Back

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Following last week's jump, mortgage rates pulled back this week, with the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate sliding to 3.59 percent according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.34 discount and origination points.

To see mortgage rates in your area, go to http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/.

The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 2.87 percent and the larger jumbo 30-year mortgage held at 4.07 percent. Adjustable rate mortgages were mixed, with the popular 5-year ARM inching lower to 2.77 percent, while the 3-year and 7-year ARMs were a touch higher, both to 2.95 percent.

Mortgage rates pulled back this week as worries re-emerged about the approaching fiscal cliff. The prospects for an economic slowdown – or outright recession – should the U.S. go over the fiscal cliff for any length of time helps drive demand for the safety and security of U.S. government bonds. Mortgage rates are closely related to yields on long-term government bonds.

The last time mortgage rates were above 5 percent was Apr. 2011. At the time, the average 30-year fixed rate was 5.07 percent, meaning a $200,000 loan would have carried a monthly payment of $1,082.22. With the average rate now 3.59 percent, the monthly payment for the same size loan would be $908.17, a difference of $174 per month for anyone refinancing now.

SURVEY RESULTS

• 30-year fixed: 3.59% -- down from 3.62% last week (avg. points: 0.34)
• 15-year fixed: 2.87% -- down from 2.89% last week (avg. points: 0.24)
• 5/1 ARM: 2.77% -- down from 2.78% last week (avg. points: 0.32)

Bankrate's national weekly mortgage survey is conducted each Wednesday from data provided by the top 10 banks and thrifts in the top 10 markets.

For a full analysis of this week's move in mortgage rates, go to http://www.bankrate.com/.

The survey is complemented by Bankrate's weekly Rate Trend Index, in which a panel of mortgage experts predicts which way the rates are headed over the next seven days. The overwhelming majority of respondents, 86 percent, see mortgage rates remaining more or less unchanged over the coming week. Just 14 percent forecast a decline, and no one expects further increases over the next seven days.

For the full mortgage Rate Trend Index, go to http://www.bankrate.com/RTI
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Economists Expect 2012 Housing Momentum To Carry Into 2013

Panel of 105 Forecasters Predicts Where Case-Shiller Index Will Stand in Five Years; Majority Say Potential Changes to Mortgage Interest Deduction Will Negatively Affect High-End Home Values


SEATTLE, Dec. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A nationwide panel of more than 100 professional forecasters expects home prices to rise 3.1 percent in 2013 after finishing 2012 up more than 4.6 percent, reflecting growing optimism in the housing market, according to the December 2012 Zillow® Home Price Expectations Survey.

The survey of 105 economists, real estate experts and investment and market strategists was sponsored by leading real estate information marketplace Zillow, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z) and conducted by Pulsenomics LLC. It is based on the projected path of the S&P/Case-Shiller® U.S. National Home Price Index during the coming five years.

Survey respondents said they expect home prices to increase in full-year 2012 by 4.6 percent, up from their more modest forecast of 2.3 percent in the September 2012survey. Respondents also indicated they expect home prices to rise 3.1 percent in 2013, up from an expectation of 2.4 percent in September, and by more than 3 percent annually through 2017.

"An organic recovery in the housing market really took hold in the latter half of 2012, and this improvement is echoed in some of the most optimistic price projections we've seen in years from this group," said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries . "Record levels of affordability and an improving overall economic picture have really helped buoy the market and have us well positioned for continued growth, albeit slightly slower, in 2013 and beyond."

The most optimistici quartile of panelists predicts a 6.3 percent increase in 2012, on average, while the most pessimisticii predicts an average increase of 3 percent. For 2013, price change projections range from 4.9 percent among the most optimistic quartile to 0.8 percent among the most pessimistic, on average.

Mortgage Interest Deduction Would Negatively Impact High-End Home Prices

Changes to the mortgage interest deduction (MID) may be a key element of a fiscal cliff "grand bargain," so the panel was asked to gauge how certain proposed MID changes would impact home prices in both the near and long term.

The survey examined three scenarios: Reducing the maximum MID-eligible mortgage amount to $500,000 and eliminating the allowance for second homes; capping all itemized deductions, including the MID, at $25,000 per year; and eliminating the MID over a multi-year period.

There was only one instance in which a majority of respondents indicated prices would not be negatively affected – 55 percent of respondents said the first scenario outlined above would have little to no near-term impact on overall home prices. Eliminating the MID entirely over a period of several years was expected to have the biggest negative impact on high-end home prices over the long-term, with 70 percent of respondents saying they expected such prices to fall moderately or significantly under such a scenario.

"If adopted, any measure to limit or repeal the MID will result in distinct price impacts over time and by market segment, and our survey data are consistent with this view," said Pulsenomics Founder Terry Loebs . "For example, in the event that the maximum MID-eligible mortgage amount is reduced from $1 million to $500,000 and the deduction allowance for second homes is eliminated – an ingredient of the Simpson-Bowles proposal – the majority of respondents expect high-end home prices to fall while U.S. home prices overall experience little or no price impact."

Additional details regarding this portion of the survey are available at www.pulsenomics.com.

This is the 15th edition of the Home Price Expectations Survey. It was conducted from Nov. 30, 2012 through Dec. 12, 2012 by Pulsenomics LLC on behalf of Zillow, Inc.

For full survey results and graphics, please visit Zillow Real Estate Research at www.zillow.com/blog/research, or www.pulsenomics.com.
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Sustained Recovery in Home Prices According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices

NEW YORK, Dec. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Data through October 2012, released today by S&P Dow Jones Indices for its S&P/Case-Shiller[1] Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, showed home prices rose 4.3% in the 12 months ending in October in the 20-City Composite, out-distancing analysts' forecasts. Anticipated seasonal weakness appeared as twelve of the 20 cities and both Composites posted monthly declines in home prices in October.

The 10- and 20-City Composites recorded respective annual returns of +3.4% and +4.3% in October 2012 – larger than the +2.1% and +3.0% annual rates posted forSeptember 2012. In nineteen of the 20 cities, annual returns in October were higher than September.  Chicago and New York were the only two cities with negative annual returns in October. Phoenix home prices rose for the 13th month in a row. San Diego was second best with nine consecutive monthly gains.

In October 2012, the 10- and 20-City Composites recorded respective annual increases of 3.4% and 4.3%, and monthly declines of 0.1% each.

"The October monthly numbers were weaker than September as 12 cities saw prices drop compared to seven the month before," says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. "The five which turned down in October but not in September, were Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Minneapolis and Seattle. Among all 20 cities, Chicago was the weakest with prices dropping 1.5%, followed by Boston where prices fell 1.4%. Las Vegas saw the strongest one-month gain with prices up 2.8%.  

"Annual rates of change in home prices are a better indicator of the performance of the housing market than the month-over-month changes because home prices tend to be lower in fall and winter than in spring and summer. Both the 10- and 20-City Composites and 19 of 20 cities recorded higher annual returns in October 2012 than in September. The impact of the seasons can also be seen in the seasonally adjusted data where only three cities declined month-to-month.  The 10-City Composite annual rate of +3.4% in October was lower than the 20-City Composite annual figure of +4.3% because the two weaker cities – Chicago and New York – have higher weights in the 10-City Composite.

"Looking over this report, and considering other data on housing starts and sales, it is clear that the housing recovery is gathering strength. Higher year-over-year price gains plus strong performances in the southwest and California, regions that suffered during the housing bust, confirm that housing is now contributing to the economy.  Last week's final revision to third quarter GDP growth showed that housing represented 10% of the growth while accounting for less than 3% of GDP.

"One indication of the rebound is the gains from the bottom.  The largest rebound is 24.2% in Detroit even though prices there are still about 20% lower than 12 years ago. San Francisco and Phoenix have also rebounded from recent lows by 22.5% and 22.1% with prices comfortably higher than 12 years ago.  The smallest recoveries are seen in Boston and New York, two cities in the northeast which suffered smaller losses in the housing bust than the Sunbelt or California."

As of October 2012, average home prices across the United States are back to their autumn 2003 levels for both the 10-City and 20-City Composites. Measured from their June/July 2006 peaks, the decline for both Composites is approximately 30% through October 2012 and approximately 35% from the June/July 2006 peak values to their recent lows in early 2012. The October 2012 levels for both Composites are about 8.4 to 9% above their early 2012 lows.

In October 2012, 12 MSAs and both Composites posted negative month-over-month returns. Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego and San Francisco were the only seven cities that recorded positive monthly returns.  Denver remained flat.

After 22 consecutive months, the Las Vegas index, at 100.14, finally recovered to a level above its January 2000 figure. Atlanta and Detroit remain the only two cities with average home prices below their January 2000 levels.

More than 25 years of history for these data series are available, and can be accessed in full by going to www.homeprice.standardandpoors.com. Additional content on the housing market may also be found on S&P Dow Jones Indices' housing blog: www.housingviews.com.

[1] Case-Shiller® and Case-Shiller Indexes® are registered trademarks of Fiserv, Inc.

The table below summarizes the results for October 2012. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices are revised for the 24 prior months, based on the receipt of additional source data.

	October 2012	October/September	September/August
Metropolitan Area	Level	Change (%)	Change (%)	1-Year Change (%)
Atlanta	95.68	-0.4%	0.3%	4.9%
Boston	155.13	-1.4%	-0.6%	1.6%
Charlotte	115.67	-0.5%	-0.3%	4.1%
Chicago	114.90	-1.5%	-0.6%	-1.3%
Cleveland	101.50	-0.6%	-0.9%	1.8%
Dallas	120.71	-0.7%	0.2%	4.6%
Denver	134.03	0.0%	0.4%	6.9%
Detroit	80.07	0.3%	0.7%	10.0%
Las Vegas	100.14	2.8%	1.4%	8.4%
Los Angeles	175.85	0.6%	1.0%	6.2%
Miami	149.97	-0.2%	0.1%	8.5%
Minneapolis	124.96	-0.7%	1.0%	9.2%
New York	165.30	-0.4%	-0.3%	-1.2%
Phoenix	122.39	1.4%	1.1%	21.7%
Portland	142.44	0.9%	0.2%	5.2%
San Diego	162.10	1.3%	1.4%	6.0%
San Francisco	144.15	0.7%	0.5%	8.9%
Seattle	141.82	-0.2%	0.3%	5.7%
Tampa	134.08	-0.5%	-0.1%	5.9%
Washington	191.01	-0.5%	-0.3%	4.4%
Composite-10	158.77	-0.1%	0.2%	3.4%
Composite-20	146.08	-0.1%	0.2%	4.3%
Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices and Fiserv
Data through October 2012

Since its launch in early 2006, the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices have published, and the markets have followed and reported on, the non-seasonally adjusted data set used in the headline indices. For analytical purposes, S&P Dow Jones Indices publishes a seasonally adjusted data set covered in the headline indices, as well as for the 17 of 20 markets with tiered price indices and the five condo markets that are tracked.

A summary of the monthly changes using the seasonally adjusted (SA) and non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) data can be found in the table below.

	October/September Change (%)		September/August Change (%)
Metropolitan Area	NSA	SA	NSA	SA
Atlanta	-0.4%	1.4%	0.3%	1.7%
Boston	-1.4%	-0.3%	-0.6%	0.1%
Charlotte	-0.5%	0.3%	-0.3%	0.3%
Chicago	-1.5%	-0.7%	-0.6%	-1.2%
Cleveland	-0.6%	0.3%	-0.9%	0.6%
Dallas	-0.7%	0.3%	0.2%	0.9%
Denver	0.0%	0.5%	0.4%	1.0%
Detroit	0.3%	1.2%	0.7%	0.4%
Las Vegas	2.8%	2.4%	1.4%	1.2%
Los Angeles	0.6%	1.2%	1.0%	0.9%
Miami	-0.2%	0.4%	0.1%	0.3%
Minneapolis	-0.7%	0.3%	1.0%	0.8%
New York	-0.4%	-0.2%	-0.3%	0.2%
Phoenix	1.4%	1.3%	1.1%	1.3%
Portland	0.9%	0.9%	0.2%	0.7%
San Diego	1.3%	1.7%	1.4%	1.8%
San Francisco	0.7%	1.1%	0.5%	1.1%
Seattle	-0.2%	0.2%	0.3%	0.5%
Tampa	-0.5%	0.1%	-0.1%	-0.1%
Washington	-0.5%	0.4%	-0.3%	0.0%
Composite-10	-0.1%	0.6%	0.2%	0.3%
Composite-20	-0.1%	0.7%	0.2%	0.4%
Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices and Fiserv
Data through October 2012

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Welcome Winter!!!

Winter arrived this morning at 6:12 a.m., Eastern Standard Time. While some parts of the country already have a blanket of snow, others anxiously hope for a white Christmas. Still others have unhappy memories of recent winters and hope this one turns out to be milder. In the continental U.S., Rogers Pass, Montana holds the record low winter temperature at 70 below zero, followed by Peter's Sink, Utah, just one degree warmer. The absolute lowest temperature ever recorded in the United State was at Prospect Creek, Alaska, an unbelievable 80 degrees below. Making residential snow blowers is part of a home and garden equipment manufacturing business worth $8.2 billion a year.
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Holiday Cheer Spreads Throughout Disneyland and Disney California Adventure as The Happiest Place on Earth Gets Merrier Beginning Nov. 12

I got to go to Disney World during the holidays a few years back. It really is a magical place at a magical time of the year! 

The newly expanded Disney California Adventure Park gets a spectacular seasonal makeover, and such beloved holiday traditions as "A Christmas Fantasy" parade, fireworks and snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A. return to Disneyland Park as the Disneyland Resort just gets merrier for the holidays, now through Jan. 6, 2013.

Themed entertainment, sparkling decorations and tasty treats add magical warmth to the holiday fun at both parks. The Disneyland Resort hotels shimmer with holiday cheer and guests will enjoy a new ice rink for the holidays at Downtown Disney.

Holidays at Disney California Adventure Park

Celebrating their first Disneyland Resort holiday season, Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, the new lands of Disney California Adventure, will be decked out in unique and festive seasonal decor.

A whimsical "snowcar" (the Radiator Springs version of a snowman) will stand at the entrance to Cars Land, and each address along Route 66 – Flo's V-8 Cafe, Fillmore's, Cozy Cone Motel, Luigi's Casa della Tires and more – will feature holiday decor that reflects the personality of the "Cars" character who lives there.
A dazzling, 50-foot Christmas tree will adorn Carthay Circle along Buena Vista Street. The tree and surrounding buildings, inspired by Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney arrived in the 1920s, will be decorated with vintage-style ornaments

.
The classic department store Santa Claus comes to Buena Vista Street. Children of all ages may tell Santa what they want for Christmas by visiting him atElias & Co., the main department store along this thoroughfare, reminiscent of 1920s Los Angeles.  New wintertime fun rocks the night at "Mad T Party" as Alice and the Mad Hatter add their own brand of off-kilter holiday spirit to the nighttime celebration in Hollywood Land. 

 
The nightly "World of Color" water and effects spectacular on Paradise Bay welcomes special holiday guests Lanny and Wayne, elves from the television show "Prep & Landing." "A bug's land" transforms as Flik and his bug buddies spread giant Christmas lights and oversized ornaments throughout their realm.
The holiday scene along the Paradise Bay boardwalk includes a beautifully decorated Christmas tree and lampposts decked out with seasonal wreaths.

A Holiday edition of the street show, "Phineas and Ferb's Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party," includes festive decor, costumes and holiday tunes. The showinvites guests of all ages to "seize the day," dancing and singing on Paradise Pier with the Disney Channel's inventive animated boy geniuses.

Holidays at Disneyland Park

At Disneyland, holiday guests will find the traditional snowdrifts and icicles adorning Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle. After dark, a sensational holiday lighting and special-effects show carries the magic of the holidays from the castle all the way to the Christmas tree in Town Square. The 60-foot-tall Disneyland Christmas tree is specially designed to present a nightly holiday light show like no other with more than 62,000 energy-efficient LED lights.

The Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle presentation unfolds throughout the evening in three acts, each of them featuring a touch of winter snow on Main Street, U.S.A. The finale of the show includes the legendary "Believe … in Holiday Magic" fireworks show, which takes guests on a journey of sights and sounds of the season and ends with a touching rendition of "White Christmas," along with a climactic snowfall swirling down on Main Street, U.S.A., "it's a small world" Mall and New Orleans Square.

"A Christmas Fantasy" parade has become a holiday tradition in Disneyland. Guests enjoy watching as Disney characters celebrate the magic of the season, wrapping gifts, baking holiday treats and preparing for the arrival of Santa Claus, who shouts a jolly greeting to spectators along the parade route. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse even take to the ice for some skating fun.

"It's a small world" Holiday becomes a worldwide celebration of the season, boasting more than 300,000 glittering lights on its facade. Along with the children of many nations in their holiday attire, the attraction features a sparkling snowman dressed in a gold top hat, golden scarf and hundreds of twinkling lights for its finale. A frosty snowflake mobile twirls over his head, and his "Happy Holidays" sign is sculpted out of ice that changes color. 

Haunted Mansion Holiday presents a madcap celebration as the traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide. The ghoulish but well-meaning Jack Skellington from the film "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" has come to Haunted Mansion to transform it with his skewed vision of the holidays. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus greet Disneyland guests at Jingle Jangle Jamboree in Big Thunder Ranch, Frontierland. Kids and their families can chat with St. Nick, meet Disney characters, and enjoy games, music, crafts and seasonal entertainment. 

Disneyland will celebrate Three Kings Day, also known as Dia de los Reyes Magos, from Jan. 4-6, 2013, with special decor, food and entertainment that showcases this Latin American holiday tradition.

 
Guests may book guided "Holiday Time at Disneyland" tours that provide entry into "it's a small world" Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday along with reserved seating for the Disneyland "A Christmas Fantasy" parade, a view of the new holiday decor in Disney California Adventure, a keepsake remembrance and entertaining information about the history of Disneyland holiday traditions. For information and reservations guests may visit any Disneyland Resort Guest Relations location or call (714) 781-TOUR (781-8687).

Downtown Disney Ice Skating, Holiday Shopping, Resort Hotel Decor and Themed Menus 

For the first time during a Disneyland Resort holiday season, guests in the Downtown Disney district will be able to go skating on an outdoor "The Secret of the Wings" ice skating rink, located near ESPN Zone and AMC Theatres. Ice skates will be available for rental. The rink pays tribute to "The Secret of the Wings," the new Tinker Bell adventure released to DVD and Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertaiment.

Holiday shopping at Disneyland Resort offers an array of merchandise available exclusively at Resort theme parks and the Downtown Disney district. Along with ornaments, holiday-themed Mickey Mouse ears, jewelry and tasty holiday sweets, guests can discover a new line of Cars Land holiday-inspired merchandise that is sure to have you Dashing Through The Snow and Wishing others a Happy New Gear.

Disneyland Resort hotels join in the holiday festivities with twinkling lights and ornaments, special entertainment and holiday dining with themed menus. Expanded hours at both Disneyland Resort theme parks extend the family fun and offer more time for guests to enjoy all there is to see at do at Disneyland Resort. .

For more information about Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com/holidays. For ticket and hotel offers, visit www.disneyland.com/offers.

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