Thu.Feb 27, 2025

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Mortgage payments rise in January, squeezing affordability

Housing Wire

Homebuyers faced worsening affordability conditions in January as the median monthly mortgage payment for purchase applicants increased to $2,205, a 3.7% jump from Decembers $2,127, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The findings, drawn from MBAs Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI), reflect the growing strain on borrowers amid persistent high home prices and fluctuating mortgage rates.

Mortgage 390
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Homebuyer Affordability Slips Again in January

Appraisal Buzz

The national median payment that purchase applicants sought for rose from $2,127 in December to $2,205 in January, indicating a deterioration in homebuyer affordability. This is in accordance with the the Mortgage Bankers Association s (MBA) Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI). The PAPI measures how new monthly mortgage payments vary across timerelative to incomeusing data from MBAs Weekly Applications Survey (WAS).

Mortgage 284
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Surging for-sale inventory turns Florida into a buyer’s market

Housing Wire

Florida was one of the hottest destinations during the pandemic, but the states housing market might be coming down to earth. According to a report from Redfin, for-sale inventory at the end of January in Florida was up 22.7% year over year. At 172,209 homes, its the highest reading of any month dating to when Redfin started keeping records in 2012.

Inventory 381
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MCT Introduces Generative AI Advisor for Mortgage Capital Markets

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage Capital Trading (MCT) has released a new AI adviser for mortgage capital markets called Atlas. Now available within the MCTlive! platform, Atlas serves as a virtual capital markets expert and educational resource for MCTs mortgage lender clients. It offers clients instant access to expert knowledge, paving the way for future AI-driven workflows that will save clients time and improve their financial performance.

Marketing 259
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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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How to write creative real estate listing descriptions + examples

Housing Wire

Real estate listing descriptions can be tricky to write, especially for agents who dont have a background in creative writing. They need to be detailed, informative, capture the essence of the property and grab a readers attention all at once and with limited words not easy! So, how do you make the most of your allotted character count and ensure your listing stands out from the crowd?

More Trending

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Woman pleads guilty in Graceland fraud scheme

Housing Wire

A woman pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud for trying to orchestrate a scheme that included a threat to auction off Graceland , the former home of Elvis Presley, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said. Court documents show that Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Mo., along with accomplices, orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently sell Graceland using a fake company, forged documents and false court filings.

Insurance 366
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Pending Home Sales Dropped for a Second Month in January

Appraisal Buzz

Pending home sales fell 4.6% in January compared with December and were down 5.2% compared with January 2024, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). It was the second straight month that pending home sales dropped, after increasing in September, October and November. Month-over-month, contract signings retreated in the Midwest, South and West, while the Northeast saw a slight increase.

Contracts 195
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Insurance worries are forcing homeowners to rethink their living arrangements

Housing Wire

American homeowners are struggling to keep up with unpredictable natural disasters and the rising homeowners insurance premiums that follow them. Residents are more willing to move if it means avoiding high insurance rates, according to a new study from mortgage technology company Maxwell. And one state stands out among the rest in terms of risk. “It’s clear: Homeowners insurance and taxes are taking up an increasing share of a family’s monthly housing cost,” Maxwell co-f

Insurance 277
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Refis Jump for Third Consecutive Quarter

Appraisal Buzz

ATTOM has released its Q4 2024 U.S. Residential Property Mortgage Origination Report , which shows that 1.64 million mortgages secured by residential property (one to four units) were issued in the U.S. during the fourth quarterdown 3% quarterly, but up 14% from a year earlier. The quarterly drop-offafter increases earlier in 2024came as mortgage rates rose, supplies of residential properties for sale remained near five-year lows, and the home-buying market hit its usual Fall slow season.

Lending 195
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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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The Acra alternative: Inviting all borrowers to the party with non-QM options

Housing Wire

How can today’s mortgage lending market be summed up in one word? For homeowners who purchased their property during COVID when mortgage rates were near 3%, the word “comfortable” may come to mind. Mortgage brokers enjoyed equal success then, as lower rates allowed them to qualify more borrowers and bring more revenue. For them, the word would likely be “flowing.” The post-pandemic market was a utopia for aspiring homebuyers and mortgage brokers in the market, and s

Lending 270
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Mortgage Rates Fall to Lowest Level in Two Months

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage rates dropped for a sixth week in a row but the average rate for a 30-year still remains just below 7%. According to Freddie Macs Primary Mortgage Market Survey , the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 6.76%, down from 6.85% last week. A year ago at this time, the average rate for a 30-year was 6.94%. This week, mortgage rates decreased to their lowest level in over two months, says Sam Khater, chief economist for Freddie Mac, in a statement.

Mortgage 195
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Rising insurance costs will continue to put a strain on homeownership

Housing Wire

In 2024, the U.S. recorded 27 weather and climate disasters that incurred losses of more than $1 billion, the second-highest total for any year on record. It also marked the 14th consecutive year in which the U.S. experienced 10 or more billion-dollar disasters and the fifth straight year in which at least 18 such disasters occurred. Between 2015 and 2024, the U.S. recorded 190 separate natural disasters with at least $1 billion in losses, according to data from the National Centers for Environm

Insurance 240
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Pending home sales fall 4.6% to an all-time low, NAR says

Inman

The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), which tracks home sales based on contract signings, dropped 4.6 percent to 70.6 in January, marking an all-time low, while pending transactions fell 5.2 percent year over year.

Contracts 161
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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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Figure gets $200M equity investment from Sixth Street through JV

Housing Wire

Technology platform Figure , which powers a liquid, blockchain-based marketplace for financial products, and global investment firm Sixth Street today announced the formation of a new joint venture vehicle in which Sixth Streets asset-based finance platform has committed to invest $200M of equity. Per a press release from Figure , Sixth Street’s commitment can be recycled and used for future Figure production, driving additional liquidity for Figure private credit loans.

Investing 297
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Home values have surged at 2X the normal rate since pandemic

Inman

Since 2020, U.S. home values have risen by 45.3 percent. In other words, more than 10 years of typical home value growth has been packed into a five-year period, a new report from Zillow shows.

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eXp, Weichert representatives to be deposed over settlements

Housing Wire

The eXp and Weichert commission lawsuit settlements are facing yet another hurdle. The two firms will have to provide representatives who are able to testify regarding the settlement negotiations undertaken by both brokerage defendants in the Hooper suit, which led to their contested settlements. The videotaped depositions will occur next Wednesday and Friday.

Law 284
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Redfin on the upswing after Zillow deal despite widening Q4 losses

Inman

Redfin posted double-digit revenue growth for Q4 and FY 24 on Thursday. The company's $100 million Zillow rental syndication deal has opened the door for greater advertising spend, CEO Glenn Kelman said.

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Rocket Mortgage’s origination volume rises to $27.8B in Q4

Housing Wire

Rocket Companies , the parent of Rocket Mortgage , on Thursday released its latest earnings report in which it recorded net revenue of $1.8 billion and GAAP net income of $649 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. For the whole year, the company posted net revenue of $5.1 billion and GAAP net income of $636 million. Rocket Mortgage generated $100.8 billion in net rate lock volume, a 28% increase compared to 2023 , as well as $101.2 billion in closed loan origination volume, a 29% increase from

Clients 270
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Mortgage rates are falling, but economic uncertainty grows

Real Estate News

Rates fell to the lowest level in two months good news for affordability but pending sales also dipped, and declining confidence may keep buyers sidelined.

Mortgage 253
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CoStar Group looks to hire 1K employees in 2025

Inman

CoStar Group announced plans on Monday to add 1,000 new employees to its Richmond, Virginia, campus. The hiring push also comes with cuts to a number of unspecified teams.

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No Clear Cooperation? Expect ‘an explosion’ in private listings

Real Estate News

During a webinar, leaders from Zillow, CRMLS, ARELLO and NFHA argued that scrapping the CCP could also stifle competition and lead to fair housing lawsuits.

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Mortgage Rates Ease Slightly in February Amid Economic Uncertainty

Eyes on Housing

Mortgage rates declined marginally in February, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falling to 6.84%. After climbing steadily since December and peaking at 7.04% in mid-January, rates have been trending downward. According to Freddie Mac, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased 12 basis points (bps) from January, while the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage.

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Glenn Kelman, Redfin eye profitability in 2025

Housing Wire

There’d no doubt that 2024 was a tough year for Redfin. Despite recording a 7% annual increase in revenue to $1.043 billion, the companys net loss of $164.8 million was $34 million higher than the one it recorded in 2023. Additionally, the firm underwent a significant round of layoffs in August 2024 , with further layoffs continuing into early 2025.

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Opendoor saw rising losses in Q4, but managed to boost revenue

Inman

The iBuyer's $1.1 billion in Q4 revenue wasn't enough to offset a loss of $113 million. However, CEO Carrie Wheeler said the company entered 2025 as "a leaner, more efficient business.

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More than 4.3 million homes at high risk for wildfires

Housing Wire

More than 4.3 million homes across the U.S. face a high wildfire risk, putting an estimated $2.15 trillion in residential property value in jeopardy, according to a new report from climate risk analytics firm ZestyAI. The AI-driven study, which analyzed 126 million properties nationwide, found that wildfire threats extend far beyond traditionally high-risk regions.

Insurance 222
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Redfin focused on growing market share after missing on profits

Real Estate News

Revenue was up 12% in Q4, but losses increased. The company hopes cost savings, marketing and a stronger sales team will get it back in the black in 2025.

Marketing 216
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Smarter, Faster, Greener: How Digital Forms Improve Energy Audit Accuracy

GoForrmz

Digital forms may be the missing link to streamlining your energy audits Energy audits are critical assessments used to evaluate energy consumption, efficiency, and potential areas for cost savings. These audits are routine for manufacturing, construction, commercial real estate, and utilities, which consume substantial energy. Businesses can optimize their operations, reduce waste, and meet sustainability goals by identifying inefficiencies in systems like HVAC, lighting, and equipment usage.

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Homeownership is all over the map — see the state at No. 1

Real Estate News

After a brief COVID bounce, the share of people who own their homes has settled in around 65%, a recent report found. But it can vary widely by state and city.

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Century 21 North East expands in Boston with Century 21 Celli

Inman

With this acquisition, Century 21 North East aims to strengthen its position in the real estate market by broadening its reach and enhancing the value it provides to clients.

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Texas Capital Bank enlists reverse mortgage expert’s opinion in Ginnie Mae lawsuit

Housing Wire

In its ongoing lawsuit against Ginnie Mae over $28 million in collateral from loans tied to a bankrupt reverse mortgage lender, Texas Capital Bank (TCB) recently submitted what it called an expert report from a former reverse mortgage industry executive, who offered his thoughts on Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM )-backed Securities ( HMBS ).

Mortgage 204
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Broker Spotlight: Bill Favre, @properties La Crosse

Inman

Learn how this broker-owner has experienced success as solo agent, leader of a high-performing team and co-owner, launching a brokerage that now holds the No. 1 market share.