Thu.Feb 29, 2024

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FHFA sets transition to new credit models for late 2025

Housing Wire

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced on Thursday that the transition to new credit score requirements is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2025, a decision commended by the mortgage industry. That’s when the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will acquire single-family loans based on the FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0 credit models, replacing the Classic FICO score that has been in place for decades.

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Is it a problem to remove all bathtubs in a house?

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

I’ve been asked this question twice this week. Is it a problem to remove the tubs from each bathroom? People planning a remodel asked if it was a big deal or not to only have a walk-in shower in each bathroom. Here are my thoughts, and I really want to hear from you too. Anything […] The post Is it a problem to remove all bathtubs in a house?

Appraisal 426
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Mortgage rates flirt with 7% mark again

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates continued to trend up this week and dampen homebuyer momentum. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.94% as of Feb. 29, an increase from last week ’s figure of 6.90%, according to Freddie Mac ’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey released on Thursday. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed rate averaged 6.26% this week, down from 6.29% during the prior week.

Mortgage 459
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Pending home sales slid nearly 5% in January

Real Estate News

While pending sales reversed course last month, experts blamed seasonality and less favorable borrowing rates for the lack of activity from buyers.

Buyers 232
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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 With construction projects becoming more complex, outdated processes are no longer sustainable.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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Opendoor officially launches partnership with eXp

Housing Wire

Opendoor and eXp Realty officially launched their new partnership on Thursday, Inman first reported. This integration is making Opendoor cash-offer solutions available to eXp Realty’s nearly 90,000 agents. Last October , the iBuyer announced that it was teaming up with eXp Realty to be the primary cash-offer solution powering eXp’s ExpressOffers platform.

Realty 442

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‘Will your wins’: Luxury agents share tips for breaking into the high-end market

Housing Wire

Real estate agents gathered at the Palladium Theater in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to learn networking and lead generation strategies from some of the nation’s top luxury real estate agents at the Goldbar Live conference. While every real estate professional had their own nuggets of advice to share, one overarching theme was agents’ belief in manifesting their success.

Agents 434
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Opendoor’s partnership with eXp officially goes live

Inman

The companies' integrated technology will streamline the process to make Opendoor cash offers available to eXp's tens of thousands of agents.

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Fewer housing permits equate to further inventory, affordability challenges

Housing Wire

While the number of new homes rose by 4.2% in the U.S. last year, this was primarily led by a 22% increase in the multifamily sector. Single-family housing permits, meanwhile, slowed in 70% of U.S. metropolitan areas, which could forecast more challenges ahead for an already strained level of supply. This is according to an analysis conducted by Point2 , which examined metrics including single-family and multifamily completions in 2023, as well as corresponding permits issued.

Inventory 418
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New rules for scoring mortgage borrowers coming in Q4 2025

Inman

Fannie and Freddie's federal regulator wants lenders to synchronize adoption of bi-merge credit reporting with more inclusive FICO Score 10T and VantageScore 4.0 scoring models.

Mortgage 187
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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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Pending home sales recede in January: NAR

Housing Wire

January pending home sales leveled off after December’s surge but remained steady. The softening in sales was primarily a factor of wintry weather rather than declining demand, according to Bright MLS chief economist Lisa Sturtevant. Pending home sales dropped 4.9% month over month in January, according to the newest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Contracts 406
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What the Ritz Carlton can teach you about elevating client service

Inman

Want to stand out from the crowd of real estate professionals? Take a tip from Milena Monet and emulate some of the business world's biggest names.

Clients 182
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Why Happy Grasshopper CEO Dan Stewart is so chill

Housing Wire

Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Dan Stewart, founder and CEO of Happy Grasshopper , to talk about the company’s tech strategy in creating content that resonates with consumers. Storytelling is key to the company’s success and Stewart’s own story explains how he stays cool in any market cycle. Turns out being stranded at sea in shark-infested waters puts everything else in perspective.

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Warren Buffett: ‘You want a bad number’ to get good market news

Inman

In 2010, the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. CEO said that fewer housing starts can help lay the foundation for a more balanced market down the line. His own company's recent investments in home builders show commitment to that principle.

Marketing 168
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MLS PIN, Nosalek plaintiffs ask court for permission to respond to DOJ

Housing Wire

The plaintiffs in the Nosalek commission lawsuit and defendant MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN) have teamed up to ask Judge Patti B. Saris if they can file separate responses to the statement of interest from the Department of Justice (DOJ). The joint motion was filed on Wednesday by MLS PIN, Jennifer Nosalek, Randy Hirschorn and Tracy Hirschorn.

Contracts 385
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The biggest wins, losses and news from Q4 2023 earnings

Inman

Real estate’s Q4 earnings calls have finally wrapped. From RE/MAX’s CEO exit to Airbnb’s $10 billion year, we’ve rounded up the top stories all in one place. Here’s what you might have missed.

Brokerage 167
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High-volume Chhabra Group joins eXp

Housing Wire

Sahil Chhabra is bringing his 21-agent team, the Chhabra Group , to eXp , as a so-called “mega team,” the brokerage announced on Thursday. Based in Calgary, Alberta, the Chhabra Group was previously affiliated with RE/MAX. Conversations with eXp top producers Justin Havre and Ibrahim Hussein informed Chhabra’s decision. Since joining the real estate industry in 2020 after a career in the hospitality sector, Chhabra has accumulated an aggregate sales volume exceeding $425 million, according to a

Brokerage 362
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Why thousands of women will have to make health care moves in 2024

Inman

How far do you have to drive in your state to receive quality maternal health care? To receive emergency services? These kitchen table issues are on your prospect's minds, Rachael Hite writes.

Agents 165
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Liberty Reverse Mortgage hit with class-action suit alleging violation of California labor laws

Housing Wire

Liberty Reverse Mortgage , a top 10 reverse mortgage lender owned by Ocwen Financial Corp. and its subsidiary PHH Mortgage Corp., allegedly violated California labor laws by failing to provide employees with rest breaks, meal breaks and appropriate compensation for off-the-clock and overtime work, according to a newly filed class-action lawsuit. The suit, filed by former Liberty employee Michaela LaNere in Sacramento County Superior Court , seeks to recoup lost wages and other associated damages

Law 359
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Corcoran Group lands in Massachusetts with new franchise

Inman

The Boston-headquartered franchise dubbed "Corcoran Property Advisors" is led by brokers-owners Brian Dougherty and Nick Robert who have backgrounds that span hospitality, sales, luxury and design. The firm also has an office in Cohasset.

Design 163
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New School economist calls for a ‘Gray New Deal’ for retirees

Housing Wire

Economics professor Teresa Ghilarducci of The New School in New York recently painted a dire picture of the retirement situation in the U.S., calling on policymakers to enact what she calls a “Gray New Deal,” recalling the economic relief and stimulus efforts of President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented during the Great Depression. Speaking in Washington, D.C., at a policy conference for the National Institute on Retirement Security , Ghilarducci laid out her proposal and a series of what she

Insurance 354
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Latest inflation numbers give mortgage rates some room to fall

Inman

A key Fed inflation metric, the PCE price index, continues to drop toward the Fed's 2 percent inflation target, falling from 2.6 percent annual growth in December to 2.4 percent in January.

Mortgage 160
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Factors that affect your property value

Boston Appraisal

The post Factors that affect your property value appeared first on Boston Appraisal Services.

Appraisal 148
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Zillow teams up with Howard Hanna to offer Listing Showcase

Inman

The technology platform is designed to improve marketing for listings. Now, Howard Hanna agents will get to exclusively offer the tool to their clients in Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

Design 158
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Should Property Data Collectors Be Licensed?

Appraiserblogs

Should “property data collectors” who inspect properties and provide information to real estate appraisers be licensed by state appraiser boards? In Mississippi, a bill has been introduced this week to require exactly that. The legislator behind the bill happens to be an appraiser. HB1663 would establish a license category for property data collectors under the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Real Estate Appraisal Board.

Law 118
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Century 21 expands presence in South Florida with woman-owned firm

Inman

Century 21 has expanded its presence in South Florida with Soflo Home Realty, a six-year-old woman-led brokerage in Delray Beach. Broker-owner Roberta Lucas and her 15-agent team serve buyers and sellers across Broward, Miami and Palm Beach counties.

Realty 157
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Appraisal Trends: Mastering Property Conditions and Location on the Appraisal Review

Genworth MI Blog

The mortgage process involves diligence and timeliness to ensure that borrowers can meet their closing date – that diligence is also required to master the appraisal review process. Ensuring you know the ins and outs of the appraisal review is imperative to help your borrowers meet that end goal on time. Yet, you may encounter discrepancies or concerns with property conditions or location… That’s why we’re sharing best practices to help you more effectively navigate property conditions and locat

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Broker Spotlight: Leonie ter Brugge, The Agency Costa Blanca

Inman

Find out how luxury specialist Leonie ter Brugge brings her global perspective to serving clients who've fallen in love with Spain's Mediterranean coastline.

Clients 156
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5 Hedge Funds Investing in Real Estate in 2024

BiggerPockets

There are plenty of hedge funds investing in real estate in 2024. As an investor, you can learn a lot about the real estate market—including where to invest—by closely following these hedge funds and their performance.

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Building a lasting personal brand: What you need to know

Inman

In this week's Inman Access class, industry experts sit down to discuss personal branding, the importance of being authentic and proven strategies to level up your marketing game.

Marketing 156
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5 Grants for Real Estate Investing in 2024

BiggerPockets

There are grants for real estate investors available. These grants are typically designed for specific purposes, but let’s discuss some of the most popular real estate investment grants available in 2024.

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Got an ugly listing? New Western’s got a new solution

Inman

The new Podium program aims to give agents an easy way to sell their most difficult properties to investors.

Investors 156
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Short vs. Long-Term Real Estate Investing

BiggerPockets

There is no right or wrong way to invest in real estate. All that matters is that you’re comfortable with your strategy and positioned to generate a positive return on investment (ROI). However, it never hurts to compare all your options—and that means taking a closer look at short-term vs. long-term real estate investing.