Wed.Apr 03, 2024

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Millennials are once again driving the home purchase market: NARĀ 

Housing Wire

Millennials replaced baby boomers as the largest group of homebuyers in 2023. The combined share of millennials, both younger (ages 25 to 33) and older (ages 34 to 43), made up a combined 38% of the home purchase market last year, up from 28% in 2022, according to the 2024 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Marketing 526
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Compass acquires longtime New Orleans independent Latter & Blum

Real Estate News

The acquisition of the century-old firm and its 3,100 agents could give Compass an edge in the NOLA and greater Gulf Coast market.

Agents 290
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UWM sued over ā€˜corruptā€™ scheme with brokers to steer loans

Housing Wire

Top U.S. mortgage lender United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) is the target of a class-action-seeking lawsuit alleging it orchestrated a scheme with mortgage brokers to apply excess fees and costs to borrowers. The wholesale lender called the accusations a ā€œsham.ā€ The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in a Michigan district court by Therisa D. Escue, Billy R.

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A resurgence of first-time buyers, and a look at agent pay

Real Estate News

NARā€™s annual generational trends report examines buyer and seller characteristics and dives into their needs ā€” and how they compensate agents.

Buyers 290
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Zillow or CoStar? NAR settlement terms could determine a winner

Housing Wire

Real estate listing giants Zillow and CoStar are currently embattled in a fight for listing portal supremacy. The battle began heating up in September 2023 when CoStarā€™s residential real estate platform Homes.com surpassed 100 million unique monthly visitors, becoming the second most popular listing portal behind Zillow. CoStar announced last month that monthly traffic at Homes.com surpassed 149 million unique visitors in February, inching closing to the 194 million unique monthly visitors that

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Veros: Low Inventory Will Continue to Boost Home Prices Through 2024Ā 

Appraisal Buzz

U.S. home prices are forecast to increase 2.9% over the next 12 months, according to Veros Real Estate Solutions quarterly VeroFORECAST report. This is an upward revision from last quarterā€™s forecast of 2.4%. Driving the increase is low housing inventory and resilient demand despite elevated mortgage rates, the firm says. Rates are expected to hover above 6.5% throughout 2024 due to inflation exceeding the Federal Reserveā€™s 2% target and a strong labor market, although displaying some signs of s

Inventory 284

More Trending

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Keller Williams hit with another telemarketing class-action

Real Estate News

After reaching a $40 million settlement in a separate case a year ago, the brokerage faces new allegations of sending unsolicited text messages.

Brokerage 264
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Liberty Reverse parent Ocwen seeks to rebrand this year

Housing Wire

Ocwen Financial Corp., the parent company of top five reverse mortgage lender Liberty Reverse Mortgage and PHH Mortgage Corp. , announced on Wednesday that it is undergoing a rebranding effort and will be known as Onity Group Inc. This is according to a company spokesperson and a subsequent announcement issued on Wednesday. The only entity to be immediately impacted in the initial rebranding stage is Ocwen itself, but a version of the new name is expected to roll out to both Liberty and PHH at s

Mortgage 433
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Learn from the Past, Succeed in the Future

Appraisal Buzz

In this week’s episode, host Hal Humphreys interviews our guest Marty Wagar, President of Wagar & Associates and Instructor at Appraiser eLearning. Marty tell us about his unique history in the industry, why his first class with AeL is on Supporting Land Value, and why this class is so valuable to appraisers. His other class focuses on appraisal in the secondary mortgage market.

Appraisal 195
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Outdoor Features & a Laundry Room Among Most Wanted Features

Eyes on Housing

The two most wanted features in a home are a laundry room and a patio, according to NAHBā€™s latest study on buyer preferencesā€”What Home Buyers Really Want Study*. Buyers in the study were given a list of 200+ features of the home and the community and asked to rate each one on a consistent scale.

Buyers 174
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MBA: Mortgage Applications Decreased Slightly Last Week Despite Dip in Rates

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage application volume shrank 0.6% during the week ended March 29, as the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped to 6.91%, down slightly from 6.93% the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Associationā€™s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey. Applications for refinances decreased 2% compared with the previous week and were down 5% compared with the same week one year ago.

Mortgage 195
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Compass acquires 3,100-agent Gulf Coast giant Latter & Blum

Inman

Latter & Blum has been an indie for more than 100 years and today boasts more than 3,100 agents. The deal pushes Compass into Louisiana and Mississippi for the first time.

Agents 151
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Informative Research Integrates Veri-Tax With its Platform

Appraisal Buzz

Informative Research , a provider of borrower verification solutions and data, has integrated Veri-Tax , a provider of income and employment verifications, with its platform, thus giving mortgage lenders access to advanced validation tools that elevate the accuracy and reliability of borrower information. This integration aligns seamlessly with Informative Researchā€™s mission to provide end-to-end credit and verification services that streamline the lending process and drive positive outcomes for

Tools 150
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USPAP Fallacies Foibles and Violations? Pt1

George Dell

The USPAP (Appraisal Standards) publication starts with a self-telling paragraph titled: ā€œABOUT THE APPRAISAL FOUNDATION.ā€ This paragraph presents the Appraisal Foundationā€™s self-claimed place as ā€œthe nationā€™s foremost authority on the valuation profession.ā€ This ā€œforemostā€ claim immediately places it in contention with other governmental and professional standards.

Valuation 150
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Opendoor will refund homesellers $62M under FTC settlement

Inman

The federal agency will send checks to 54,689 consumers it says were deceived by advertising and marketing claims made by the iBuyer.

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You Can Buy a Property for $1 in Baltimoreā€”Hereā€™s How

BiggerPockets

Abandoned homes have become a problem in some of America's largest cities. Baltimore has come up with an interesting solution by selling off these properties for $1. What's the catch?

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Putrid garbage house stinks up LA neighborhood

Inman

The trash-strewn property is sandwiched between two large, multimillion-dollar mansions, and residents are concerned the mounds could negatively affect property values in the area.

Marketing 146
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Luxury Brands Are Buying Up Propertiesā€”Will High-End Landlords Fade Away?

BiggerPockets

Why rent when you can buy? Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Prada have made moves to buy up huge commercial properties to convert them into flagship storefronts, with many deals totaling $200 million-plus.

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Would-be homebuyers balk as mortgage rates head back up

Inman

Purchase loan applications have been flat for two consecutive weeks, and now mortgage rates are popping again as more worrisome inflation data rolls in.

Mortgage 146
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Foreclosures Are Rising Quickly, and CRE Delinquencies Are Explodingā€”Whatā€™s Going On?

BiggerPockets

Some states are seeing their highest REO increases since the 2008 recession. South Carolina saw a 51% increase, while cities like New York saw their totals increase in the commercial space. What does this mean for the housing market?

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Nationā€™s largest mortgage lender shorted by Park Avenue hedge fund

Inman

United Wholesale Mortgage denied explosive allegations that many mortgage brokers who send it business aren't shopping around for best deals. UWM dismissed a related lawsuit as "a sham.

Mortgage 146
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Squattersā€™ Rights, Rent Caps, and Blackstone Gets Ready to Buy

BiggerPockets

Squattersā€™ rights are quickly being stripped away as more states move to end this widespread illegal occupation of private property.

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Jeff Bezos adds $90M mansion to Miami property portfolio

Inman

The mansion marks the Amazon founder's third such purchase on Indian Creek Island, an exclusive enclave in Miami with limited availability.

Marketing 138
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Spring Cleaning: Why Weā€™re Selling Off Parts of Our Rental Portfolios

BiggerPockets

Why are David and Rob selling off parts of their rental portfolios? Itā€™s a new season, and you know what that meansā€”spring cleaning!

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New homeowners plan to spend 40% of income on repairs: Study

Inman

The cost of becoming a new homeowner goes well beyond down payments and monthly mortgage payments. In fact, the typical homebuyer expects to spend approximately $30,000 on home maintenance, upgrades and repairs in the coming year ā€” an amount that equals 40 percent of the median U.S. household income ($74,580).

Mortgage 136
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Pennsylvania doctor, lawmaker explain why aging in place ā€˜makes senseā€™

Housing Wire

A physician and a lawmaker, both based in the state of Pennsylvania, have come together to explain to area seniors why aging in place ā€œmakes sense,” explaining potential benefits from a regional healthcare systemā€™s senior wellness program and the ability to remain in their own homes as they get older. Kenneth Tomczyk, a physician who works with the Geisinger health systemā€™s ā€œ65 Forwardā€ program and state Rep.

Tools 459
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Troubled WeWork projects savings of $8B through restructured leases

Inman

The bankrupt provider of coworking spaces is aiming to emerge from chapter 11 bankruptcy before June through the restructuring of hundreds of leases, company executives said Tuesday.

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On the cusp of capital? Doubts creep in, broker-owners tell Intel

Inman

Brokerage leaders told Intel their faith in improving capital conditions is still alive but weakening. What happens next remains an open question with high stakes for the real estate industry.

Brokerage 136
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What one word best describes agent sentiment right now? Pulse

Inman

We want to gauge your attitude and the feelings of your friends and colleagues, so tell us: If you had to use one word to describe agent sentiment right now, what would it be?

Agents 134
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Kentucky, W. Virginia move to ban exclusive, right-to-list agreements

Inman

New laws enacted to prevent the use of Non-Title Recorded Agreements for Personal Services ā€” or NTRAPs ā€” are sweeping the nation as critics decry alleged deceptive and predatory practices.

Law 131
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Focus on these 5 people-first strategies to fuel your business

Inman

Forget high-tech tools and complex formulas for success, writes broker-owner Tania Moore. Building a satisfying real estate career comes down to these five people-centered steps.

Business 122
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New commission lawsuit in New York may draw FTC attention

Inman

The antitrust case from homebuyer and homeseller Hao Zhe Wang alleges MLS and broker services are illegally tied.

Realty 147