Thu.Mar 20, 2025

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Gross Profits on Home Flips on the Rise 

Appraisal Buzz

ATTOM has released its year-end 2024 U.S. Home Flipping Report , which finds that 297,885 single-family homes and condos in the U.S. were flipped in 2024down 7.7% from the 322,782 homes and condos flipped in 2023 and 32.4% from a recent peak of nearly 441,000 reached in 2022. The report further reveals that as the number of homes flipped by investors declined, so did flips as a portion of all home sales, from 8.1% in 2023 to 7.6% last year.

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Disaster recovery for mortgage servicers: Navigating crisis with compliance & resilience

Housing Wire

Lessons from California wildfires and other natural disasters Californias wildfires highlighted the chaos that natural disasters continue to unleash not just on homeowners, but also on the mortgage servicers tasked with supporting them and the insurance industry that covers the cost of rebuilding. From wildfires to hurricanes, floods and earthquakes, each crisis tests a servicers ability to manage compliance, borrower support and investor expectations.

Mortgage 317
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Homebuyers Reveal Generational Trends & Preferences

Appraisal Buzz

A new report released today from ServiceLink revealed that Gen Z remains eager and ready to buy a home this year. But high interest rates and home prices could deter them from crossing the finish line as their tolerance is waning. The annual survey analyzes generational trends among recent and prospective homebuyers, revealing their sentiment about the current housing market and their intentions to purchase, refinance or leverage home equity this year.

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First-time homebuyers becoming first-time home sellers

Housing Wire

The surge in first-time homebuyers during 2020 has led to a new trend: first-time home sellers. Many who bought during the pandemic are now rethinking their decisions, citing changing lifestyles, financial miscalculations, and shifting market conditions, according to new data from Opendoor. A survey of 1,000 first-time sellers found that 79% regretted aspects of their home purchase, with 91% saying those regrets influenced their decision to sell.

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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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Truework Introduces New, Fully Automated Verification Platform, Truework Intelligence 

Appraisal Buzz

Truework , a provider of income and employment verification technology, has introduced Truework Intelligence, the first fully automated and comprehensive verification platform for mortgage lenders and property managers. The Truework Intelligence platform covers the end-to-end verification experience by delivering automatic orchestration, data standardization and insightsreplacing homegrown vendor waterfalls and associated internal processes, eliminating guesswork and handing customers a plug-and

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NAR: Existing-Home Sales Jumped 4.2 Percent in February 

Appraisal Buzz

Existing-home sales increased 4.2% in February compared with January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.26 million, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Year-over-year, however, sales were down 1.2%. Regionally, and month-over-month, existing-home sales were down 2.0% in the Northeast, flat in the Midwest, up 4.4% in the South, and up 13.3% in the West.

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Fannie Mae board member with DOGE ties leaves one day after being appointed

Housing Wire

Only 24 hours after a sweeping move to transform the governing boards at the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , a board member with links to Elon Musks business empire and the U.S. DOGE Service who was appointed just the day before has left the board at Fannie Mae. Christopher Stanley, a cybersecurity engineer who has ties to Musks SpaceX , was one of the people appointed to Fannie Maes board following a move by new Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill P

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Commercial & Multifamily Mortgage Debt Climbed by Trillions in Q4

Appraisal Buzz

The most recent Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Debt Outstanding quarterly report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) shows that the amount of outstanding commercial and multifamily mortgage debt at the end of 2024 was $172 billion (3.7%) more than at the end of 2023. According to MBAs study, the total amount of outstanding mortgage debt increased by 1.1% ($50.7 billion) to $4.79 trillion in Q4 of 2024.

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eXp World Holdings names Jesse Hill as interim CFO

Housing Wire

eXp World Holdings , the parent company of eXp Realty , announced this week that it has appointed Jesse Hill as its interim chief financial officer. The leadership change is effective April 1 as the current CFO, Kent Cheng, transitions into an advisory role. Hill is a veteran finance leader in the real estate industry. He currently serves as vice president of international finance and corporate financial planning and analysis at eXp Realty.

Realty 340
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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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USMI Survey: Buying and Owning a Home Remains a Priority for Americans

Appraisal Buzz

Buying and owning a home remains a priority for Americans, recent market research from U.S. Mortgage Insurers (USMI) confirms. In 2024, nearly 8 in 10 Americans viewed it as an important milestone, despite 58% of respondents answering that it has become harder to purchase a home in the last few years, the firm says. From 2021 to 2024, there was a 6% increase in the number of Americans who viewed homeownership as important, according to USMIs 2024 Homeownership Market Survey.

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Frustration builds among retirees over more stringent Social Security rules, office closures

Housing Wire

Retirees and advocates for older Americans are expressing unease and bewilderment at a series of announcements made by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The agency is seeking to implement new in-person identity verification requirements and plans to close more than two dozen field offices across the country, according to CBS News. On Wednesday, SSA announced that any Social Security beneficiary who cannot properly verify their identity using its online service will have to journey to one

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Mortgage Rates Basically Flat for a Second Straight Week

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage rates were basically flat this week, as the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage increased slightly to 6.67%, up from 6.65% last week, according to Freddie Macs Primary Mortgage Market Survey. A year ago at this time, the average rate for a 30-year was 6.87%. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has stayed under 7 percent for nine consecutive weeks, which is helpful for potential buyers and sellers alike, says Sam Khater, chief economist for Freddie Mac, in a statement.

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Single-family rent growth in January puts ‘renewed pressure on renters’

Housing Wire

Rent growth for single-family homes ramped up at the start of 2025, according to a new report by CoreLogic. The data provider’s Single-Family Rent Index showed that rent prices jumped 2.4% during the year ending in January. January’s rent increase is only slightly higher than December’s increase of 2.1%. It’s also slightly lower than the 2.6% growth in January 2024, according to CoreLogic.

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CoStar advances talks to purchase REA Group competitor Domain

Inman

CoStar Group and Nine Entertainment have reportedly begun negotiating the acquisition of Domain, the second largest real estate classifieds firm in Australia behind News Corp-owned REA Group. Nines target price is AUD 2.79 billion.

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Blue Ridge Bankshares is selling its mortgage banking division

Housing Wire

Blue Ridge Bankshares Inc. , the holding company for Blue Ridge Bank and BRB Financial Group Inc. , on Thursday announced that Blue Ridge Bank has entered into a definitive asset purchase and sale agreement to sell certain assets of its mortgage division. A press release from Blue Ridge confirmed that the division, currently operating as Monarch Mortgage , is being sold to an unrelated third-party mortgage company.

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Existing Home Sales Increased in February

Eyes on Housing

Existing home sales in February increased to the second highest level since March 2024, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This rebound suggests buyers are slowly entering the market as inventory improves and mortgage rates decline from recent high in January. Despite rates easing, economic uncertainty may continue to constrain buyer activity.

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HUD rescinds appraisal review policies

Housing Wire

Policies related to appraisal appeals, or reconsiderations of value (ROV), were rescinded Wednesday by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). While the adoption of a standardized ROV policy was one that real estate appraisers understood and was generally good for appraisers and consumers, the issues associated with appraisal appeals will continue to evolve without the FHA policy, said Bill Garber, director of communications for the Appraisal Institute.

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Teams Spotlight: Alex Derenne, The Powerhouse Partners

Inman

Learn how this team lead empowers agents to run theirown businesses while having access to the mentorship, tools and collaboration they need to scalesuccessfully.

Tools 144
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eXp welcomes $70M Tim Stout Group team in Georgia

Housing Wire

The Georgia-based Tim Stout Group is making the move to eXp Realty , according to an announcement on Wednesday. The team, which is named after its leader and founder Tim Stout, was previously brokered at True North Real Estate Advisors. He founded the team while at RE/MAX before moving to Keller Williams and then Compass. Stout and his 16 agents, all of whom are making the move to eXp , closed 208 units for over $70 million in volume in 2024, according to the release.

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Navigating the New Normal: The Impact of Climate-Related Events on Real Estate Markets and Appraisals

Genworth MI Blog

In recent years, climate-related events have begun to affect areas that were once considered less vulnerable. From wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaiian area not traditionally known for such occurrencesto drought-induced saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River, new environmental challenges are influencing landscapes and communities. This article, from our own David Foster , Enacts Senior Real Estate Appraiser, will examine how these environmental changes could impact real estate markets and apprai

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Rocket is acquiring Redfin’s huge flow of purchase leads. Can the mortgage giant convert them?

Housing Wire

Rocket Companies hopes to close a $1.75 billion deal to acquire resi brokerage and portal Redfin in Q2 or Q3 2025. It seems that everyone in mortgage and real estate has an opinion about Rocket Mortgage ‘s pending $1.75 billion deal for Redfin. At the ICE Experience 2025 conference, the halls of the Wynn casino were replete with downright spicy takes. “ It won’t do much now because their market shares are relatively small, but in a couple years they’re going to have a wal

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Exploring U.S. Home Square Footage Trends

Empire Appraisal Group

News & Media Source: [link] Exploring U.S. Home Square Footage Trends Home sizes have grown significantly since 1949, with the average now 2,430 sq. ft. Factors like location, price and costs influence trends and affordability. NEW YORK The average square footage of a house in the United States is 2,430 square feet, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

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Truework launches automated income verification platform

Housing Wire

Truework bolstered its mortgage technology platform by creating a new tool, Truework Intelligence, the company announced on Thursday. The platform will give property managers and mortgage lenders access to a comprehensive, end-to-end verification tool. Truework calls the new and improved platform the first automated and comprehensive income verification tool.

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Fed Holds Rates Steady For Now

Appraisal Buzz

Citing that the unemployment rate has stabilized at a low level in recent months, and labor market conditions remain solid, the Federal Open Market Committee voted on Wednesday to keep the fed funds rate in the 4.25% to 4.5% range in the near-term. However, the Committee notes in its statement that uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased.

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Fairway promotes Amy Slotnick to lead branch optimization efforts

Housing Wire

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. on Thursday announced that Amy Slotnick has been promoted to the role of president of national branch optimization for sales. Slotnick has previously served Fairway as a senior vice president and regional sales manager. Her new position will involve implementing new initiatives for loan manufacturing efficiencies throughout the Fairway sales network while continuing to originate loans from her Newton, Massachusetts , location.

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Good shopping conditions for buyers this spring: Economist

Inman

This week, Windermere Real Estate Principal Economist Jeff Tucker looks at active listings, inflation and mortgage rates, which spell out "a recipe for pretty good shopping conditions for buyers" this spring.

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Enhanced Manufacturing Compliance Thanks to Paperless Processes

GoForrmz

Sustainability and beyond: The true value of going paperless By now, everyone knows that going paperless is the more sustainable choice. Reducing reliance on paper saves trees, decreases waste, and lowers energy consumption associated with printing and storage. The benefits of paperless processes, however, extend far beyond environmental conservation especially in manufacturing.

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Existing-home sales rebounded in February amid inventory uptick

Inman

As buyers cautiously reentered the market, existing-home sales rose 4.2 percent from January to 4.26 million, according to data released Thursday by NAR. Compared to last year, sales remained down by 1.2 percent.

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Spring brings mix of gray skies, green shoots for real estate

Real Estate News

Much of the latest economic and market data falls into the "good news, bad news" category, but improved home sales and stable mortgage rates offer hope.

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Women, Wealth and Real Estate: A pathway to financial freedom

Inman

The real estate industry is now opening doors for women like Martice Brumfield to step in and create their own financial futures through ownership, investment and professional careers, Melanie Klein writes.

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People on the Move: eXp names interim chief financial officer

Real Estate News

Jesse Hill takes on a new role at eXp, and Michael Brennan joins National Mortgage Bankers after a decade at Movement Mortgage.

Mortgage 151
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How to have tough conversations without burning bridges

Inman

Tune in to Inman Access to learn more about managing your toughest conversations with clients and colleagues.

Clients 115