Tue.Apr 09, 2024

article thumbnail

Gen X is already looking for housing appropriate for aging in place

Housing Wire

Baby boomers are exhibiting an overwhelming desire to age in place in their own homes, but their children β€” largely members of Generation X β€” are also making their desires felt by seeking out homes that can accommodate their needs as they get older, according to a recent report from the New York Times. Citing 2021 data from the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies that showed 88% of adults 65 and older are aging in place, many members of the following generation β€” primarily born b

Buyers 511
article thumbnail

Jason Perkins: Why Now is the Time to Spring Into Digital Marketing

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage lenders have been relying on CRM software to maintain their customer relationships and grow their businesses for decades. But it’s when the housing market stagnates and originations dry up that the software really pays off. With CRM software, mortgage lenders are able to use what they know about their borrowers to sell more products and win more business.

Marketing 397
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Rocket launches patented AI-driven tech platform

Housing Wire

Rocket Mortgage ’s bet on artificial intelligence (AI) has resulted in a patented platform called Rocket Logic, which can automatically process nearly 90% of data points extracted from documents in a month and reduce by 25% the number of times a professional interacts with a mortgage loan year over year, the company claims. The launch is part of the decision of its parent firm, Rocket Companies, to put AI at the center of its business strategy.

Clients 486
article thumbnail

Investors feeling optimistic, buying record share of homes

Real Estate News

A pair of new reports look at the role investors played in the housing market last year and offer insights into their current outlook and pain points.

Investors 321
article thumbnail

Opinion: Agencies are key to fixing housing affordability

Housing Wire

It’s an election year, and housing affordability appears to be a big concern for voters. So, it’s not surprising to see the administration and members of Congress announcing big-ticket legislative initiatives to boost homeownership β€” like a first-time homebuyer tax credit and the Neighborhood Investment Act to fix up older homes. The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) applauds these initiatives.

Sellers 476
article thumbnail

Buyers are adjusting to a higher-rate environment

Real Estate News

While consumers are feeling less enthusiastic about the direction of mortgage rates, they β€œappear to be moving past the hurdle of last year’s sharp jump.

Buyers 320

More Trending

article thumbnail

NAR president talks β€˜stability’ β€” and dollars and cents

Real Estate News

During a podcast, Kevin Sears said interim CEO Nykia Wright will remain through the end of the year, and shared the financial realities behind NAR’s settlement.

275
275
article thumbnail

Opinion: Is the time ripe for a third way to tap home equity?

Housing Wire

Homeownership is a bedrock for the American Dream, in no small part because it is also a durable, reliable long-term investment. The time-tested resiliency of home values highlights home equity’s importance to American households and its significance for residential real estate investors alike. Yet, this type of wealth β€” often an individual’s largest single asset β€” too frequently remains illiquid.

Investors 472
article thumbnail

Optimal Blue Promotes Rick Allen to Chief Operating Officer

Appraisal Buzz

Rick Allen has been promoted to chief operating officer (COO) at Optimal Blue , a provider a secondary marketing software. Allen most recently served as chief administrative officer. He has more than 35 years of experience in the housing industry. Prior to joining Optimal Blue in 2017 as vice president of business strategy, Allen built his decades of experience across both the lending and vendor sides of the housing industry.

article thumbnail

Opinion: Will AI usher in real estate’s β€œModel T” moment?

Housing Wire

It’s not often that we can draw a parallel between the automobile industry and the mortgage and real estate industries. And yet, our space may be on the verge of its own “Model T” moment. The Model T, you’ll recall, represented the first successful dive into mass production and assembly. Ford’s game-changing assembly-line approach turned the automotive industry (really, every industry) on its head.

HOA 471
article thumbnail

Mortgage Credit Availability Increased in March, Driven by Growth in Conventional Credit

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage credit availability increased 1.1% in March compared with April, rising to a score of 93.9 on the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI). However, the increase should be viewed in context: Mortgage credit is currently at historic lows. The index was benchmarked to 100 in March 2012. Mortgage credit availability for conventional loans increased 2.1%, while credit for government loans decreased by 0.1%.

Mortgage 195
article thumbnail

UWM offers legal support to brokers, accuses Rocket of β€˜connections’ with Hunterbrook report

Housing Wire

In a message to mortgage brokers, United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) defended itself from the Hunterbrook Media report that claims the lender orchestrated a scheme to steer loans. The wholesale lender said it’s offering legal support to partners in case they are sued and once again accused Rocket Mortgage of being behind the report, which the rival denies.

Legal 467
article thumbnail

Title data is helping real estate agents and lenders prospect

Inman

DataTrace, which now operates more than 1,800 U.S. title plants, says the remarkable granularity of its data can help identify renters who are getting ready to buy, empty nesters and fix-and-flip investors.

article thumbnail

Mortgage rates change little ahead of big inflation report

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates remained unchanged last week despite the release of the stronger-than-expected jobs report. HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center showed the average 30-year fixed rate for conventional loans at 7.16% on Tuesday, unchanged from one week earlier. At the same time one year ago, the 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.46%. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed rate averaged 6.42% on Tuesday, down from 6.51% one week earlier.

Mortgage 467
article thumbnail

Investor or agent? 5 moneymakers share why agents should be both

Inman

Five investor-agents, each of whom has achieved success on both sides of the equation, shared their actionable insights and winning formulas for nailing a pivotal but tricky professional shift.

Agents 183
article thumbnail

The opportunity cost of modern-day redlining

Housing Wire

Modern-day redlining persists, and it’s costing lenders millions in legal fees. Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken a strong stance on redlining, taking direct legal action against bad actors and thrusting the topic into the national spotlight. Last October, Ameris Bank had to pay $9 million to settle a redlining case. More recently, Patriot Bank paid $1.9 million , and First National Bank was hit with a $13.5 million settlement to resolve claims it practiced redlining in North C

article thumbnail

Building a team is a delicate balancing act. Here’s where to start

Inman

Thinking of starting a real estate team? Broker Zak Shellhammer helps you get ready for the time, energy and expertise it takes to build something worthwhile.

article thumbnail

Lamacchia Realty acquires family brokerage of NAR President Kevin Sears

Housing Wire

Lamacchia Realty is expanding its presence in the Pioneer Valley region of Massachusetts. On Monday, the independent brokerage announced that it had acquired Springfield, Massachusetts-based Sears Real Estate. Founded in 1971 by Paul Sears, Sears Real Estate is owned and operated by the family of current National Association of Realtors president Kevin Sears.

Realty 448
article thumbnail

Spain to eliminate β€˜golden visa’ program for foreign investors

Inman

The program, which allows non-European Union citizens who invest at least 500,000 euros in Spanish real estate three years of residency, will soon be eliminated amidst affordability concerns, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.

Investors 173
article thumbnail

Heartland MLS joins forces with Down Payment Resource

Housing Wire

Kansas City -based Heartland Multiple Listing Service ( MLS ) has announced a strategic integration with Down Payment Resource (DPR) to enhance accessibility to homeownership for residents across the Greater Kansas City area. DPR, known in the housing industry for its database and homebuyer assistance program solutions, will provide support to Heartland MLS’s network of 12,000 agents.

article thumbnail

WATCH: How agent compensation works in a post-lawsuit world

Inman

James Dwiggins and Keith Robinson discuss the shifting landscape of agent compensation following the proposed NAR settlement with Ed Zorn, vice president and general counsel for California Regional MLS.

Agents 173
article thumbnail

WSFS president talks motivation for reverse mortgage survey, potential future action

Housing Wire

Last month, Northeast regional lender WSFS Mortgage released the results of a survey that measured reverse mortgage product sentiments. It found that more people seem to be aware of the potential value that a reverse mortgage could provide for older homeowners, including as a tool to age in place and to provide greater cash flow in retirement. Despite the more regional focus of WSFS Mortgage’s reverse mortgage offerings β€” which offers the loans through its brokerage β€” the survey itself was condu

Mortgage 445
article thumbnail

Remote Work Trends After the Pandemic

Eyes on Housing

The COVID-19 pandemic created dramatic changes in the share of people working from home, which has remained elevated even after the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, only 5.7% of the U.S. workforce was working from home. This figure jumped to 17.9% in 2021 during the peak of the pandemic and decreased slightly to 15.2% in.

158
158
article thumbnail

Valuation Connect Demands Licenses, Denies Fair Pay

Appraiserblogs

Based on the local market appraisal fee, Valuation Connect values the β€œappraisal expertise” component of a hybrid appraisal at 18% of what the consumer pays for an appraisal. This firm hasn’t awarded us work in about two years, and they only hire us when they are in a jam, and we require the local market rate. Immediately after asking for our driver’s licenses, which we didn’t provide, we got a request for a hybrid appraisal in Manhattan, the most expensive housing market in the U.S., for a who

Valuation 121
article thumbnail

Housing crisis will worsen without imminent action, says RBC

Mortgagebroker News

Bank outlines 7-step solution to address supply and cost challenges

93
article thumbnail

The Role of Digital Forms in Renewable Energy

GoForrmz

How digital forms can revolutionize your renewable energy data management Renewable energy stands as an indispensable pillar of sustainable development, offering a crucial solution to mitigate climate change and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. In parallel, digital and online forms have revolutionized how businesses operate, streamlining processes, enhancing efficiency, and promoting eco-conscious practices.

Tools 78
article thumbnail

Women in mortgage: How can they forge ahead?

Mortgagebroker News

Top executive on the best ways for women to find their voices in the industry

article thumbnail

The Low-Cost Way to β€œInvest” in Real Estate in 2024 (Without Buying Rentals)

BiggerPockets

A thriving real estate business without rental properties?!

article thumbnail

Is Montreal's housing market heating up again?

Mortgagebroker News

Latest sales figures revealed

article thumbnail

The Reality of Major Home Renovations

Eppraisal

Renovations are a great way to boost home value and aesthetics. You probably already have some ideas and may have even received inspiration from the dozens of remodeling shows. Having a few high expectations is normal — especially during the planning phase — but you must consider how well they’ll hold up against reality. You don't want to go all in, look back halfway through and wish you’d done something differently.

article thumbnail

Eastside Residential Market Sees Big Gains in Sales, Prices

Will Springer Realtor

Good news! The national economy is growing. Unemployment remains low. Corporate revenues are up. For housing and mortgage professionals, however, these apparent highlights are persistent nuisances. They signal that the economy is still running hot – or at least more than lukewarm – and inflation may need more cold water from the Federal Reserve to cool it off.

article thumbnail

Designing for Dollars: 7 Design Tips That Could Double Your Airbnb Revenue

BiggerPockets

If you follow these Airbnb design tips, you could double your nightly rates almost instantly. Don’t believe us?

Design 60
article thumbnail

How Local Community Features Influence Florida Property Values

Lamacchia Realty

HOW LOCAL COMMUNITY FEATURES INFLUENCE FLORIDA PROPERTY VALUES The value of a property is influenced by more than just its size, layout, and amenities. Local community features play a significant role in determining property values. From schools and parks to transportation and safety, these factors shape the value of homes in certain neighborhoods. Understanding how local community features influence Florida property values can provide valuable insights for homeowners, investors, and prospective

article thumbnail

Debt sentiment improves, yet some Canadians still feel the squeeze

Mortgagebroker News

Anticipation of interest rate cut sparks optimism

53