Thu.Jan 16, 2025

article thumbnail

Mortgage rates fall after remarks by Fed President Waller

Housing Wire

The 10-year yield and mortgage rates have been on a wild ride lately, even testing my top-end forecast at 7.25%, but today, the 10-year yield fell after remarks by Fed President Chris Waller about whether the Fed would do even more rate cuts than the market was anticipating. His statement on this, in a CNBC interview : If inflation continues on this path through the beginning of 2025, it’s reasonable to think that possibly rate cuts could happen in the first half of the year.” This w

Mortgage 511
article thumbnail

Meeting Renters Where They Are

Appraisal Buzz

This article originally appeared in the January 2025 edition of MortgagePoint magazine, online now. Whether starting a job in a new city or accommodating a growing family, leaving one home for another can be an exciting and at times stressful process. For renters, receiving a timely, accurate security deposit refund is key to a smooth journey. Currently, the property management industrys reliance on legacy payout processes can lead to refund errors and delays that inconvenience tenants when movi

Tenants 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

Realtor.com: HOA fees are on the rise among all home types

Housing Wire

Mortgage and property tax payments are not the only expenses that prospective homeowners need to consider. Homeowners associations (HOAs) are commonplace, and more of them are requiring owners to pay up, according to a survey by Realtor.com. Realtor.com’s report found that 40.5% of listings in 2024 had some sort of HOA fee and these expenses became even more costly.

HOA 397
article thumbnail

Variable, Gig Income May Improve Consumer’s Access to Credit 

Appraisal Buzz

One of the most crucial parts of underwriting is making sure a prospective borrower has a reliable source of income that enables them to pay back their mortgage loan, according to Khristi Waters, Senior Director of Single-Family Credit Risk Policy and Li-Ning Huang Principal of Economic and Strategic Research Market Research at Fannie Mae. The industry experts offered their insight on borrower income, homeownership, credit access, and more.

Investors 397
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Home-price growth is cooling, leading to appraisal challenges

Housing Wire

Cleveland-based Corporate Settlement Solutions (CSS) released an analysis Thursday that highlights a growing gap between appraised home values and sale prices. Across the 19 East Coast and Midwest states in which CSS operates, appraisals were higher than sale prices in 57% of transactions during the second half of 2024. That share was up from 53% in the second half of 2023 and 51% in the first half of 2024.

Appraisal 397

More Trending

article thumbnail

FCC warns of mortgage relief scam impersonating 400 lenders

Housing Wire

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week warned consumers in all 50 states that fraudsters are posing as mortgage lenders by calling homeowners and asking them to pony up on payments. The scam, dubbed “Green Mirage,” involves callers contacting homeowners who oftentimes “have previously sought relief from their actual mortgage lender and may expect to be contacted,” the FCC’s alert read , adding that the callers typically know specific details such as t

Mortgage 370
article thumbnail

Remodeling Market Sentiment Improves in Fourth Quarter of 2024

Eyes on Housing

The NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 68 for the fourth quarter of 2024, up five points compared to the previous quarter. Remodelers are more optimistic about the market than they were earlier in the year, corroborated by NAHBs recent analysis of home improvement loan applications. Demand in many parts of.

Marketing 208
article thumbnail

The Southern housing markets poised to become boomtowns

Housing Wire

Southern housing markets have dominated growth lists over the last few years, and a report by CoreLogic today shows Southern markets are still hot. Using growth indicators that measure upcoming construction and development, southern metros take eight spots in the top 10 list. The top three metros are Lakeland, Florida. , Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

article thumbnail

Average Rate for a 30-Year Mortgage Crosses the 7 Percent Threshold

Appraisal Buzz

The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage climbed to 7.04% this week, up from 6.93% last week, according to to Freddie Mac. It was the fifth consecutive week that mortgage rates increased and the first time since May 2024 that the average rate for a 30-year reached above 7%. A year ago at this time, the average rate for a 30-year was 6.60%.

Mortgage 195
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Tough Calls: Lessons from Volcker, inflation, and the Fed’s crossroads

Housing Wire

The standard of living of the average American has to decline, he said. I don’t think you can escape that. These were the words of Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker as he testified before Congress in October 1979. Inflation was 13%. Volckers predecessors, Arthur Burns and William Miller, had failed to control prices. Stagflation gripped the United States.

Investing 370
article thumbnail

MBA Launches Undergraduate Course on Origination and Processing at Cleveland State University

Appraisal Buzz

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has launched a new program at Cleveland State University focused on residential mortgage origination and processing. The new, three-credit undergraduate course is being offered via the MBAs Mortgage Banking Bound (MBB) program. Fourteen students are currently enrolled in the 2025 spring semester course that runs from January 15 until the end of April.

Law 195
article thumbnail

NAR again looks to have Michigan antitrust suit dismissed

Housing Wire

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) and several other defendants are making another attempt at having the Hardy antitrust lawsuit dismissed. The defendants which also include the Michigan Association of Realtors , The Grosse Pointe Board of Realtors , Greater Metropolitan Association of Realtors , North Oakland County Board of Realtors and Realcomp II Ltd.

Realtors 353
article thumbnail

FTC warns of massive spoofing op impersonating mortgage lenders

Inman

"Green Mirage" phone scam targets homeowners in all 50 states from India, using the caller ID of the borrower's actual mortgage lender and tricking victims into making payments to U.S.-based "mules.

Mortgage 167
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Average mortgage rates top 7% for the first time in 8 months

Real Estate News

Rates increased for a fifth straight week, but the latest inflation data could be a sign that relief is coming.

Mortgage 289
article thumbnail

LISTEN: Real estate leaders pen song to help LA wildfire families 

Inman

Marc Davison, John Heithaus and David Charron leaders in LA and elsewhere in real estate wrote and produced "Santa Ana Fury" in a bid to solicit donations for the Realtors Relief Foundation.

article thumbnail

NAR asks court to dismiss Michigan mandatory membership case

Real Estate News

Tying association membership to MLS access isnt anticompetitive, the defendants argue, while also claiming the plaintiffs are contradicting themselves.

274
274
article thumbnail

7 powerful ChatGPT prompts that make doing business a no-brainer

Inman

Agents who lean into using AI to serve their clients at a higher level, Jimmy Burgess writes, will absolutely outperform the agents who dont embrace this technology.

Business 158
article thumbnail

People on the Move at NAR, RE/MAX, Zillow and more

Real Estate News

NAR hires industry relations exec; Chris Lim to lead growth at RE/MAX; Zillow names new GM for Flex; RealScout shuffles leadership; LPT hires operations pro.

274
274
article thumbnail

Mark Doherty joins Sarkis Team at Douglas Elliman as vice president

Inman

Doherty is a Massachusetts native with more than 25 years of industry experience. He said a meeting with team cofounders Manny and George Sarkis "reinvigorated" his enthusiasm for real estate.

article thumbnail

FMLS in Georgia to share data with Alabama neighbors

Real Estate News

The agreement allows the 67,000 combined members of FMLS the 5th-largest MLS in the U.S. and three smaller organizations to share listings and referrals.

273
273
article thumbnail

Howard Hanna adds 400 agents with Home Experts Realty merger

Inman

Since its founding in 2011, Home Experts Realty has built an ethical and diverse team of agents who are dedicated to providing exceptional service. The brokerage's founders have ensured that their agents are well-trained to operate both independently and as part of a cohesive team.

Realty 139
article thumbnail

CSS: 57 Percent of Appraisals Were Higher Than the Sales Price in Second Half of 2024

Appraisal Buzz

How accurate was the appraisal of residential homes in the second half of 2024? According to a report from Corporate Settlement Solutions (CSS), home appraisals were higher than sale prices 57% of the time, up from 53% in the second half of 2023. As per the firms half-year Appraisal Price-Gap Analysis report, 8% of homes were under-appraised, a year-over-year decrease from 12%; and 36% were appraised at the sale price, as compared to 34% in the second half of 2023.

Appraisal 265
article thumbnail

5 cringey social media turnoffs to avoid in real estate

Inman

Want to add value and connect with potential clients through your social media platforms? Rachael Hite offers must-dos and never-dos to help you build know, like and trust authority.

article thumbnail

2025 Forecast: Digital Tools Every Construction Business Needs

GoForrmz

Stay competitive in 2025 with essential digital tools for construction businesses The construction industry is projected to reach a global market value of $14.4 trillion by 2030, driven by technological advancements and increased demand for infrastructure. Yet, despite this growth, up from $7.28 trillion in 2021, many construction businesses still struggle with outdated, paper-based processes that slow productivity and create compliance risks.

Tools 78
article thumbnail

Austin’s Spyglass joins Real under Private Label model

Inman

Spyglass is coming aboard via the Private Label program, which gives independent brokerages access to Reals internal software solutions and its cascading efficiencies while sustaining their existing consumer-facing brand.

Brokerage 122
article thumbnail

Florida Leads for Best Place to Retire

Empire Appraisal Group

Florida Leads for Best Place to Retire Source: [link] U.S. News & World Report named three Florida cities to its 2025 Best Places to Retire in the U.S. top 10 list and another seven Florida cities to the top 20. WASHINGTON Three Florida cities landed in the top 10 of U.S. News & World Reports 2025 Best Places to Retire in the United States based on how well they meet American retirees’ expectations, with measures including happiness, affordability, health care, desirability, retir

article thumbnail

Builder Confidence Edges Up Even as Market Risk Concerns Rise

Eyes on Housing

Builder sentiment edged higher to begin the year on hopes for an improved economic growth and regulatory environment. At the same time, builders expressed concerns over building material tariffs and costs and a larger government deficit that would put upward pressure on inflation and mortgage rates. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family.

Marketing 183
article thumbnail

Anticipate the preferences of high-end buyers (and win them over)

Inman

When you focus on the lifestyle, stay ahead of trends and create emotional connections, youre not just selling homes, Coldwell Banker Warburg's Kevelyn Guzman writes. Youre selling the dream.

Buyers 158
article thumbnail

Lamacchia Realty Announces Top Producing REALTORS® by Transactions for 2024

Lamacchia Realty

Lamacchia Realty Announces Top Producing REALTORS by Transactions for 2024 Lamacchia Realty, Inc. has released their Top Producing REALTORS, for all of 2024! This year, the brokerage is recognizing the top producers for transactions and sales volume. This program recognizes the Top 10 REALTORS out of the over 700 agents in Lamacchia Realty with the highest transaction numbers for the year!

article thumbnail

How to be more intentional, aligned in your relationship-building

Inman

In the fast-paced, competitive world of real estate entrepreneurship, coach Melanie Klein writes, the relationships you nurture are just as critical as the systems you implement.

article thumbnail

Canadians view inflation, cost of living as biggest 2025 financial challenges

Mortgagebroker News

But optimism appears to be rising compared with last year

86