Wed.Dec 06, 2023

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The mortgage market just had its strongest week in months

Housing Wire

Falling mortgage rates last week brought increased demand. Total home loan applications increased 2.8% for the week ending Dec. 1 compared to the previous week , according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.17% last week. Slower inflation and the confidence financial markets have that we are nearing the end of the Fed ’s hiking cycle has brought mortgage rates to the lowest level since August.

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Squeezed from all sides, buyer’s agents remain resilient

Real Estate News

Buyer’s agents in 2023 were at the center of questions about compensation — and their value. But those who have made it through are confident of their worth.

Agents 286
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DataDigest: Mortgage rates aren’t causing delinquencies. Disasters are

Housing Wire

In September 2022, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.1%, according to Freddie Mac data. Fast-forward one year, and the rate averaged 7.2%, an expensive difference for many homebuyers (rates have since started to drop ). But compare mortgage delinquencies over the same period: 2.8% in September 2022, 2.8% in September 2023, according to CoreLogic data.

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Florida commissions lawsuit targets largest state association

Real Estate News

The Florida Association of Realtors and 16 brokerages are named in the seventh major antitrust case filed by home sellers since the Sitzer/Burnett verdict.

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Unlock The Blueprint: How To Construct A Better Payment Workflow

Speaker: Timothy Allsopp

Payment challenges often lead to delayed projects, financial bottlenecks, and strained relationships. With construction projects becoming more complex, outdated processes are no longer sustainable. By refining financial workflow, companies can improve cash flow, reduce error, and foster trust between stakeholders. Discover practical strategies for redesigning payment systems to overcome workflow challenges while creating a smoother, more reliable process for contractors and subcontractors alike.

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LoanPASS integrates with proptech company, Uplist

Housing Wire

Miami-based fintech provider LoanPASS integrated Uplist ’s suite of home-shopping tools into its pricing engine, the company announced in November. The partnership will boost loan officers ’ capacity to deliver personalized, efficient and tech-powered solutions directly to their clients and agents. The addition of some of Uplist’s tools such as SmartView, Quick Quotes or SmartBuyers will allow lenders to enhance the homebuying experience.

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Copycat commission lawsuits filed in Florida, Pennsylvania

Housing Wire

More home sellers on the East Coast are getting in on the commission lawsuit action. Plaintiffs in Florida and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits on Monday, accusing real estate industry players of allegedly colluding to artificially inflate real estate agent commissions. Both lawsuits are seeking class-action status. Similar to the other commission lawsuits, the latest two take aim at the National Association of Realtors’ Participation Rule, which requires the listing broker to make a blanket offer of

Realty 459
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Tech Bytes: News from Cloze, RentSpree, iGo, Addressable

Real Estate News

Cloze and Realscout team up; Stellar MLS partners with RentSpree; InspectionGo promotes COO to president; Addressable shuts down.

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Condo originations ‘streamlined’ through project advisor tool: Freddie Mac

Housing Wire

Government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Freddie Mac on Wednesday announced further enhancements to its Condo Project Advisor tool that are designed to “streamline” such loan originations and to offer lenders “greater security” through a new designation, according to an announcement. “This designation, known as ‘project certified’ status for Project Assessment Requests (PAR), confirms that condo properties meet certain project review and general eligibility requirements for financing,” Freddie Mac

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How low can they go? Mortgage rates back under 7% this week

Inman

Mortgage rates keep falling after Powell tries to deflate expectations for the spring rate, as three new reports released this week suggest the economy is, in fact, losing steam.

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Need Curated Pre-foreclosure Lists to Generate New Real Estate Leads? Trellis Has the Data!

Trellis is a state trial court research and analytics platform that provides Real Estate Professionals (Buyers, Foreclosure, Loan Modification, etc.) with LEADS on Pre-Foreclosures, Lis Pendes, Distressed Assets and more — to help uncover **new** opportunities and grow their business. The process is quick and easy — and all in real time. Trellis will supply you with a link to the relevant dockets, a Leads sheet and access to its UI where applicable.

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Fathom Realty to raise agent fees in 2024 to boost earnings

Housing Wire

Flat-fee real estate brokerage Fathom Realty will hike its agent fees in 2024 to bolster the company’s revenue by more than $3 million next year. The brokerage will implement two main changes to its fee structure, effective on Jan. 1. First, there will be an increase of $100, from $600 to 700, in agents’ annual fee, which is charged on an agent’s first transaction every year.

Realty 448
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Commission suits hit Realtors, brokerages in Florida, Pennsylvania

Inman

In separate lawsuits, homesellers allege the defendants — including Florida Realtors and West Penn MLS — conspired to enforce rules that inflated commissions on the sale of their homes.

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10 best real estate software solutions for agents in 2024

Housing Wire

Vetted by HousingWire | Our editors independently review the products we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. As we edge towards 2024, the real estate landscape buzzes with both opportunities and uncertainties. With home prices expected to hold steady and even grow in many markets, real estate agents face a unique market shaped by shifting demographics, evolving buyer expectations and lingering economic uncertainties.

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Barbara Corcoran’s ‘golden rule’ of real estate investing

Inman

On a recent podcast, the Corcoran Group founder shared her strategy for success in real estate investment that she says has helped earn her a net worth of $100 million.

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CBC Mortgage Agency offers temporary rate buydowns on FHA loans

Housing Wire

CBC Mortgage Agency – a federally chartered housing finance agency – will offer two temporary rate buydown features for its down payment assistance (DPA) program for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. The agency is the first to provide either a 2-1 rate buydown or a 1-0 rate buydown on a DPA program. “The addition of a 2-1 and a 1-0 buydown feature is CBC Mortgage Agency’s continued response to the ongoing effect of the higher interest rates,” said Cari Zwick, CBC Mortgage Agency’s nati

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EBV Best Practices?

George Dell

The developers of EBV (Evidence Based Valuation©) have concluded that best practices are dependent on the needs of the client for reliability and useability of the results. The need of the client is the predicted value (estimate). The goal of a valuation is trueness (accuracy) of the prediction or opinion. The test of any valuation is […] The post EBV Best Practices?

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CHLA voices support for attorney opinion letters to FHFA

Housing Wire

The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) submitted a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) expressing its support for the use of attorney opinion letters (AOLs) on Wednesday. In the letter addressed to FHFA Director Sandra Thompson , the CHLA says that it supports the use of AOLs in lieu of title insurance , “in conjunction with Enterprise mortgage loans, subject to reasonable standards.

Insurance 435
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NAR opens application window for REACH tech accelerator

Inman

The National Association of Realtors' for-profit venture capital arm, Second Century Ventures, runs the program. Applications are due by Jan. 31.

Realtors 187
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Crisis management in real estate: 8 tips for handling difficult situations

Housing Wire

Real estate transactions are rarely stress-free. A home purchase or sale might be the most significant financial commitment a person makes in their lifetime, and many sales are layered with complicated feelings. When you combine money and emotions, you’re bound to face some challenges. When the inevitable occurs, here are eight crisis management tips for handling difficult situations. 1.

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How are you preparing your real estate business for 2024? Pulse

Inman

We know you're busy with holiday celebrations, but take a few minutes to let us know how you're planning ahead for the new year.

Business 187
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Pennymac to issue $650M in unsecured debt

Housing Wire

Pennymac Financial Services is the latest mortgage company to issue debt in a challenging housing market. The California-based company announced on Wednesday it intends to offer a $650 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due in 2029. “Proceeds from the offering will be used to repay a portion of the Company’s secured term notes due 2025 and for other general corporate purposes,” Pennymac said in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Investing 435
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ChatGPT and Python: This dynamic duo will redefine your marketing

Inman

Author and trainer Bernice Ross writes that the addition of Python to the already-robust marketing capabilities of ChatGPT creates a winning combination for your 2024 content planning.

Marketing 183
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4 Common Misconceptions Hindering Your First Commercial Real Estate Investment

The Robert Weiler Company

Are you toying with the idea of getting involved in the commercial real estate investment world? Have you been performing Google searches on commercial properties or commercial real estate investment ideas, only to find reasons not to move forward? Placing a large sum of money into a commercial property may be daunting, but your friends at The Robert Weiler Company are here to debunk a few misconceptions you may have read.

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FNF still mum on whether it was target of ransomware attack

Inman

CEO Mike Nolan says FNF has resumed normal operations, and that customer disruption from the cybersecurity incident was "relatively brief" and included the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

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State-Level GDP in the Second Quarter of 2023

Eyes on Housing

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 44 states and the District of Columbia in the second quarter of 2023. Economic activity contracted in six states. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the percent change in real GDP increased ranged from 8.7 percent in Wyoming to -1.9 percent in Vermont. Nationwide, growth in real GDP, measured on a.

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Manifest success: Unleash the power of intention setting

Inman

Coaches Emily Bossert and Melanie Klein offer tips for living a life by design when you think ahead and set your intentions for personal and professional success in 2024.

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The Fed Will Cut Rates Six Times in 2024 Says Top Firm—What Will This Mean For Housing?

BiggerPockets

A top firm spoke out last week, saying that all indicators pointed towards the Fed lowering rates at least six times in 2024. Is this possible?

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Not-yet-developed Dubai penthouse sells for $136M

Inman

The sale of the Como Residences penthouse, located on the exclusive Palm Jumeirah archipelago, is the priciest ever to close in Dubai. The penthouse is expected to be complete in late 2027.

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GDI is Showing a Weak Economy—Are We Measuring Things Right?

BiggerPockets

There have been a lot of interesting threads in the economic space lately. The biggest stories have surrounded attempts to predict what the Federal Reserve will do in 2024.

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My lunch with legendary investor Charlie Munger, and what I learned

Inman

Charlie Munger, legendary philanthropist and business partner to Warren Buffett, died Nov. 28 at the age of 99. Inman founder Brad Inman recalls a consequential meal with the venerable investor.

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Multifamily Opportunity, Middle-Class Wins, and Mortgage Rate Relief Arrives

BiggerPockets

Mortgage rates continue to fall as home buyer demand rises across the nation.

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KW Command’s AI update will now generate ad campaigns for users

Inman

Keller Williams has released a number of updates to Command, its flagship enterprise software solution. Primary among them is a ChatGPT-integrated artificial intelligence-based ad campaign builder.

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Two-Story Foyer Trend Sees a Slight Increase in 2022

Eyes on Housing

Information obtained from the US Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) and tabulated by NAHB, shows the share of new homes with a two-story foyer slightly increased in 2022. The increase was particularly notable in West South Central and New England. However, most new single-family homes were built without a two-story foyer nationally and regionally.