Tue.Feb 18, 2025

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California insurance commissioner rejects State Farm’s request for 22% rate increase

Housing Wire

On Friday, California insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara rejected State Farm s request for emergency rate increases , going against the recommendation of his staff experts. The request from State Farm involved insurance rate increases that would have gone into effect on May 1, 2025. The proposed increases were 22% for single-family homeowners, 15% for 15% for condominium owners and 38% for rental dwellings.

Insurance 356
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Home Seller Hot Spots 

Appraisal Buzz

A new study conducted by real estate advisors Calgaryhomes.ca has uncovered the U.S. cities where it is easiest to sell a home. The research examined listings in U.S. cities on Zillow between December 2023 and December 2024. The average number of listings per month was calculated across the year, as well as the average number of sales made. These were compared against each other to determine the percentage of listings sold and ranked according to easiest to hardest locations to sell.

Sellers 291
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What will it take to rekindle the senior housing market?

Housing Wire

The oldest baby boomers are poised to turn 80 years old this year, which could bring the market of dedicated senior housing from a place of oversupply to a shortage. This is according to a report published this week by the Wall Street Journal. The projected aging of the U.S. population shows that by 2030, the 80-plus population is expected to increase by 4 million people to a total of 18.8 million nationwide.

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Why I’m calling the housing market flat

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

Flat. That’s been a good way to describe prices, and today I want to show you why I’m saying that. And it’s not just me because the overwhelming feedback from real estate agents and homeowners is that prices have really leveled off. What words are you using to describe the market right now? Let’s talk […] The post Why Im calling the housing market flat first appeared on Sacramento Appraisal Blog.

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Leverage Trellis Court Data To Identify More Investment Opportunities

Finance teams find Trellis to be particularly effective in conducting comprehensive due diligence on both individuals and businesses. With our court data solution, financial experts can access critical litigation insights, making it an invaluable resource for informed decision-making in the financial sector.

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All-cash home purchases have become less popular, Redfin says

Housing Wire

Homebuyers can purchase properties in full with cash, eliminating the need for a mortgage application. But last year, only one-third of buyers purchased homes with cash, representing a three-year low point. In total, 700,445 homes in 2024 were purchased with cash, which is down from 760,914 in 2023. Real estate marketplace Redfin released a report on Tuesday that included county-level sale records for homes purchased between January 2014 and December 2024.

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Australia, New Zealand-based reverse pros share insights

Housing Wire

Reverse mortgage industry conferences are often seen as an effective way for professionals to meet up, discuss best practices from across their markets and assess the regulatory environment at entities like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and within the states. Occasionally, U.S.-based reverse professionals also get the opportunity to connect with practitioners in other parts of the world, which was the case at 2024s National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Annual Meeting a

Contracts 293
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Share of All-Cash Home Purchases Hits Three-Year Low

Appraisal Buzz

Redfin reports that just under one-third (32.6%) of U.S. home purchases were made in cash in 2024, down from 35.1% the year before, and the lowest share reported since 2021. Still, all-cash sales made up a bigger piece of the homebuying pie than before the pandemic, when the share ranged from 25% to 30%. For their findings, Redfin analyzed county-level home purchase records across 40 of the most populous U.S. metropolitan areas going back through 2014.

Buyers 248
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Gary Keller says agents must accept ‘easy deals’ are dead

Inman

At Keller Williams' annual Family Reunion, franchise co-founder Gary Keller said 2025 won't be any better than 2024 but agents can still thrive if they're willing to dig in and use market headwinds to their advantage.

Agents 167
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Rental Affordability Outpacing Buying (But Not Quite Everywhere)

Appraisal Buzz

However, according to the Realtor.com January Rent Report, in all major U.S. metros except Detroit and Pittsburgh, renting a median-priced unit is still more affordable for median wage earners than purchasing the median-priced for-sale listing, even though most metros have become more affordable for both buyers and renters in the past year. The impact of the steady decline in rental costs and the continued high mortgage rates is demonstrated by the six markets in January of last year where purch

Buyers 341
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The Constructor's Digital Transformation Playbook: Reducing Risk With Technology

Speaker: Dylan Secrest

Construction projects are high-stakes operations where even minor inefficiencies can lead to costly delays, safety concerns, and budget overruns. Managing risk in construction has always been a challenge, but as projects grow in complexity, traditional methods no longer cut it. Enter Digital Transformation - a game changer approach that replaces inefficiency with AI-powered analytics, real-time monitoring, and automated workflows to proactively manage risk.

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Living Vogue Real Estate moves 50-agent team to eXp Realty in Florida

Inman

Led by Mark Coppens and Matt Hickey, the Living Vogue team will join eXp Realty's luxury division in Sarasota, Florida, according to executives on Tuesday. The team inked $150 million in sales last year.

Realty 147
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Listing off the MLS cost sellers more than $1B, study finds

Real Estate News

The new analysis was done by Zillow, whose CEO said private listings come at the expense of the seller and are an attempt by some brokerages to double dip.

Sellers 318
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EXp CEO answers 10 questions on CCP, MLS and transparency

Inman

EXp Realty Chief Executive Officer Leo Pareja answers your burning questions on the future of the Clear Cooperation Policy, multiple listing services and serving homebuyers and sellers in 2025.

Realty 171
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Gary Keller: We’re in a ‘trough,’ but a reset may be coming

Real Estate News

In a keynote presentation, the KW co-founder and other leaders discussed what an uncertain economy means for real estate and what agents need to tell clients.

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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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Rocket Mortgage Unveils New Program That Provides Closing Cost Credits for Rent Payments

Appraisal Buzz

Rocket Mortgage has introduced RocketRentRewards, a new program that provides closing cost credits for renters. With a Rocket mortgage, homebuyers earn 10% back on the last 12 months of rental payments receiving up to $5,000 in lender credits toward closing costs. With the national average rent at $1,800, that translates to $2,160 applied toward a clients closing costs one of the biggest financial hurdles for first-time homebuyers.

Mortgage 195
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Will Final Offer help accelerate shift to private listings?

Real Estate News

The company said its acquisition of Private Collection will bring nearly 2,000 additional listings or $1 billion worth of inventory onto its platform.

Inventory 157
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MBA: Share of Mortgages in Forbearance Fell in January 

Appraisal Buzz

The rate of forbearance on mortgage loans fell to 0.40% in January, a decrease of 7 basis points compared with 0.47% in December, according to the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) monthly Loan Monitoring Survey. As of the end of January about 200,000 homeowners were in forbearance plans, the MBA estimates. The share of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in forbearance decreased 2 basis points to 0.17%.

Mortgage 195
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Builder Confidence Falls on Tariff and Housing Cost Concerns

Eyes on Housing

Builder sentiment fell sharply in February over concerns on tariffs, elevated mortgage rates and high housing costs. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes was 42 in February, down five points from January and the lowest level in five months, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market.

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Compass grows revenue and agent count, market share tops 5%

Inman

The company now has 17,752 principal agents. Founder and CEO Robert Reffkin said in a new earnings report that he believes his company will pull ahead in 2025.

Agents 102
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What Is a Drive-By Appraisal? Find Out If It’s Right for Your Home

Realtor

GETTY IMAGES A drive-by appraisal doesnt mean an appraiser just drives past your home and calls it a day. This method, also known as an exterior-only appraisal, gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional appraisals were harder to complete. Since then, it has become a practical and widely accepted option in the real estate industry.

Appraisal 101
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Mauricio Umansky expects ‘speedy recovery’ after Aspen ski accident

Inman

The CEO suffered a broken clavicle, which required 12 screws and a metal plate to repair, following a spill in Aspen Friday. Umansky thanked his supporters and medical staff on Instagram Sunday.

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Low Appraisal? What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

Appraisal Partners Blog

You’ve found your dream home (or a buyer for your property), the offer is accepted, and thenthe appraisal comes in lower than the agreed-upon price. This scenario, known as a “low appraisal” or “appraisal gap,” can derail a real estate transaction. This post will explain what happens when an appraisal comes in low and outline the options for both buyers and sellers.

Sellers 78
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CoStar Group posts 55th-straight quarter of revenue growth in Q4

Inman

Virginia-based portal CoStar Group grew its revenue 11 percent in Q4, to $709 million, executives said Tuesday. Traffic to Homes.com Network remained steady, with 110 million average monthly unique visitors.

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Ontario party leaders clash over housing crisis in first election debate

Mortgagebroker News

Ford under fire for missing homebuilding targets as affordability worsens

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Constellation Software launches new data services business

Inman

Constellation Data Labs will provide active property listings and public records to a broader range of industries including mortgage lenders, asset managers and insurers.

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Mortgage agent vs broker: Which career is best for you?

Mortgagebroker News

Curious about the difference between a mortgage agent vs. broker?

Agents 66
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CPA Shares Tax Tips to Lower Your 2024 (Yes, 2024) Taxes

BiggerPockets

2024 may be long gone, but its NOT too late to lower your taxes for the previous year.

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How to become a mortgage broker in Newfoundland

Mortgagebroker News

Curious about how to become a mortgage broker in Newfoundland?

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Civil lawsuits against Alexander brothers alleging assault pile up

Inman

On Tuesday, 11 new civil lawsuits were filed against the brothers under an extension of the New York City Gender-Motivated Violence Act. A majority of plaintiffs allege they had been drugged before being assaulted by the Alexanders.

Law 129
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BoC could hit pause on rate cuts as inflation jumps

Mortgagebroker News

Canada's overall consumer price index rose in January despite the GST break

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Home Builder Sentiment Plummeted in February Over Concerns on Tariffs  

Appraisal Buzz

Builder confidence in the housing market fell sharply in February over concerns on tariffs, elevated mortgage rates and high housing costs. As a result, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) fell to a score of 42, down five points from January. While builders hold out hope for pro-development policies, particularly for regulatory reform, policy uncertainty and cost factors created a reset for 2025 expectations in the most recent [index reading],

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"Keep showing up": Mary Putnam's no-nonsense mantra for mortgage industry success

Mortgagebroker News

"It really is just about a whole bunch of people who have worked very, very hard"