Wed.Sep 04, 2024

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UWM debuts new 75-bps incentive on refis

Housing Wire

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) is rolling out a new 75 basis-point incentive program for conforming conventional and government-backed rate-and-term refinances. The program, dubbed “Refi75,” effectively replaces and expands on “Govy 125,” a 125-bps incentive that ended Tuesday for Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans (IRRRLs) through the U.S.

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What’s Holding Back Condo Sales? 

Appraisal Buzz

According to a new study from Redfin , condo prices are falling in major Florida and Texas metros, as inventory piles up and buyers back off, as high HOA fees and insurance costs are making condos a tough sell in this current marketplace. In Tampa, the number of condos for sale soared 57.2% from a year earlier in July 2024, pending sales dropped 18.9% and the median sale price fell 4.9%.

HOA 397
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Mortgage affordability improves in August, boosting refi incentive: ICE

Housing Wire

Declining mortgage rates in August provided some relief for U.S. homebuyers and made it the most affordable month since February. Of the 2.5 million “in-the-money“ mortgage holders as of Aug. 22, more than 60% took out their mortgages in the past two years, including 850,000 in 2023 and 560,000 this year. The average highly qualified candidate who took out a mortgage within the past two years could save $264 per month by refinancing at today’s prevailing rate, according to the newest Mortgage M

Mortgage 459
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Mortgage Application Payments Take a Dip 

Appraisal Buzz

Homebuyer affordability improved in July, with the national median payment applied for by purchase applicants decreasing to $2,140 from $2,167 in June. This is according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI), using data from MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey (WAS). “Homebuyer affordability conditions improved for the third consecutive month as rates below 7 percent and rising housing inventory continue to bode well for prospective homebuyers,”,” s

Mortgage 395
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FHA finalizes updates to reverse mortgage debenture interest rates

Housing Wire

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on Wednesday published Mortgagee Letter (ML) 2024-18 , which implements updates to debenture interest rates and reimbursements for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) program claims proposed in July. The ML goes into effect on Sept. 28. Debenture interest refers to the percentage of a return that an investor would receive for lending money through a debenture.

Mortgage 459
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NAR to consumers: Agents must put client interests first

Real Estate News

With new industry rules now in effect, the association has released additional resources for buyers and sellers that focus on ethics and steering.

Clients 306

More Trending

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How about a 0.3% mortgage? A world of difference in Japan

Real Estate News

The “free” ride may not last as officials seek solutions for a deflationary economy and a glut of homes — the mirror image of what the U.S. is dealing with.

Mortgage 290
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Judge overseeing Moehrl, Batton suits recuses herself over possible conflict of interest

Housing Wire

Judge Andrea R. Wood, who is overseeing the two Batton homebuyer commission lawsuits and the Moehrl commission suit, has recused herself from the cases, according to a legal filing on Wednesday. In the filing, the Chicago -based U.S. district court judge said that it had recently come to her attention that the spouse of a person related to her within the third degree of relationship is a partner at a law firm that represents a defendant in the suits.

Law 458
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Judge recuses herself from Moehrl, Batton cases

Real Estate News

The commissions cases will be reassigned after Judge Andrea Wood was made aware of a possible conflict of interest.

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Mortgage demand sees slight uptick as rates trend down

Housing Wire

Mortgage demand rose slightly last week as mortgage rates moved lower. Loan application volume increased 1.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Aug. 30 compared to the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The MBA’s refinance index decreased 0.3% from the previous week but was 94% higher than the same week in 2023.

Mortgage 448
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MoxiWorks rolls out settlement-friendly agent products

Real Estate News

The company said its product suite has “been upgraded so buyer's agents can more quickly and easily display their value” — and see compensation offers.

Agents 278
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Guild announces new ‘Flex Payment Mortgage’ suite of reverse products

Housing Wire

Guild Mortgage announced on Wednesday the introduction of a new product line called the “ Flex Payment Mortgage ,” which includes Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-sponsored Home Equity Conversion Mortgages ( HECMs ), refinances, proprietary jumbo options and HECM for Purchase (H4P) loans. “Guild’s Flex Payment Mortgage is a suite of products combining federally-insured [HECMs] with options for larger loan amounts as well as the reverse mortgage for purchase,” the company stated.

Mortgage 448
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Unlock set to expand product set, footprint with $30M Series B

Inman

Strategic partnership with D2 Asset Management will help shared equity pioneer go nationwide, after signing home equity agreements with more than 10,000 homeowners in 16 states.

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“Zillow, find me a pink house under $600,000 within 30 minutes of downtown Dallas”

Housing Wire

Artificial intelligence is already a tool in Zillow’s search experience, and now the company is adding natural language capabilities to it. Zillow’s existing AI search capabilities already allowed for surfacing homes on the basis of things related to the home itself. Now the AI can search by commute times, affordability and “nearby points of interest.” For example, a user can type in “homes within 30 minutes of downtown Dallas” and it will show options, and it can do so whether the user

Tools 448
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MBA: Purchase Applications Increased Last Week as Refinances Dipped

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage application volume inched up 1.6% during the week ended August 30, as the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage dipped to 6.43%, down from 6.44% the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey. Applications for refinance decreased 0.3% compared with the previous week but were up 94% compared with the same week one year ago.

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Figure hires Ronald Chillemi as its first chief legal officer

Housing Wire

Figure Technology Solutions , the parent company of Figure Lending LLC , announced on Wednesday the hiring of Ronald Chillemi as its first chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Chillemi has more than 25 years of experience in regulatory affairs, government relations and compliance across a number of fintech companies and law firms. He also previously served as a federal and state prosecutor, including with the U.S.

Legal 447
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A Work-Life Balance Business Model

Appraisal Buzz

Jim and Hal are back from Valuation Expo and are joined by a fascinating guy they met there: Joshua Stephens, a Texas appraiser whose growing firm, WP Appraisers, is experimenting with bold new business models. We’ve also got a BIG announcement: We’re launching an annual awards series through Appraisal Buzz called The Buzzys! These awards will recognize appraisers across the country, and you get to vote!

Business 195
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Pretium Partners adds two execs to strengthen homebuilder finance efforts

Housing Wire

New York City -headquartered investment firm Pretium Partners announced Wednesday that it has hired two new managing directors as its seeks to bolster its real estate debt strategy. The firm hired Brendan Bosman, a former senior managing director and head of U.S. housing investing at Minneapolis -based Värde Partners , and Karen Kulvin, a former senior managing director and co-head of the real estate debt platform at Los Angeles -based Kayne Anderson Real Estate.

Finance 446
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What New Body of Knowledge?

George Dell

A Body of Knowledge committee? I was just getting acquainted with the Appraisal Institute service structure. At one of the first of many times at AI national or Board meetings, it seemed a good idea to find a committee focused on where I might be able to genuinely contribute. Upon noticing there was a Body […] The post What New Body of Knowledge?

Appraisal 195
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Portland, Oregon, passes a housing production strategy

Housing Wire

The city council of Portland , Oregon , unanimously passed what it is calling the city’s first-ever housing production strategy , which is based on a proposal introduced this summer by Commissioner Carmen Rubio. Like many major metropolitan areas across the country, Portland is facing a housing shortage as well as an affordability crisis. The only viable solution to these problems, as other municipal leaders and housing industry experts have previously suggested, is the construction of more home

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Data points to another mortgage boom if rates continue to tumble

Inman

If mortgage rates fall by another percentage point, ICE Mortgage sees homebuyers' monthly payment dropping by $236 and nearly 7.2 million homeowners "in the money" for a refinance.

Mortgage 187
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MoxiWorks launches updates to help agents navigate post-NAR settlement world

Housing Wire

Real estate marketing software provider MoxiWorks is looking to help agents up their game while complying with the business practice changes outlined in the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement agreement that went into effect last month. To achieve this goal, the company has released a series of product updates that are designed to support agents as they navigate the post-NAR settlement environment.

Agents 434
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Big Brother’s little brothers are watching you

Inman

Feeling like your listings are under scrutiny? They are. Bernice Ross lets you know more about the tools and techniques MLSs are using to ensure compliance with new commission rules.

Tools 187
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Construction Labor Market is Cooling

Eyes on Housing

Due to slowing home construction and elevated interest rates, the count of open construction sector jobs continued to decline in July, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). However, this shift lower is also consistent with a cooler overall labor market, which is a positive sign for future inflation readings.

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Zillow, unfiltered: Portal giant adds AI-fueled natural language feature

Inman

Consumers using Zillow's mobile application can now search homes with simple voice prompts based on commute, points of interest, affordability and school access, according to executives.

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The Nation’s Stock of Second Homes

Eyes on Housing

In 2022, the total count of second homes was 6.5 million representing 4.6% of the total housing stock, according to NAHB estimates. This reflects a decline from 2020, when the number of second homes stood at 7.15 million. As of 2022, the state with the largest stock of second homes was Florida (1 million), accounting.

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Why onsite management will remain essential to multifamily

Inman

Good property managers build relationships and communities, and that's something no app can do, multifamily expert Michael Zaransky writes.

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Concessions Are Rising, But Private Landlords Should Never Offer Them

BiggerPockets

Are you worried about your local rental market cooling off, fearing that you will have a property sit on the market for too long?

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MoxiWorks rolls out bevy of new buyer agent representation tools

Inman

Updates to presentation templates and the ability to include offered buyer broker commissions as a percent or dollar are among the buyer-focused tools touted by the company on Wednesday.

Tools 186
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Should Investors Start Using 40-Year Mortgages?

BiggerPockets

News that the Federal Reserve is about to start cutting interest rates has electrified the real estate industry, with homeowners and investors eagerly waiting to see how low rates will […]

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What are the back-to-basics skills agents need right now? Pulse

Inman

With so many changes occurring in the industry, what skills do agents need to learn, refine and refresh to prepare for what's next?

Agents 185
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Real Estate Risk: How to Dodge It, When to Take It, and Using It to Build Wealth

BiggerPockets

Real estate risk can make you wealthy or cause your portfolio to come crashing down. Like any type of investing, real estate can be risky.

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Mortgage rates are tumbling again as job openings hit 18-month low

Inman

Bond market investors who fund most mortgages are already certain the Fed will slash rates this month. The question has become how much will policymakers cut on Sept. 18, Nov. 7 and Dec. 18?

Mortgage 181
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Canadian Mortgage Summit: Why this must-attend event is an industry gamechanger

Mortgagebroker News

This event is designed for professionals who are eager to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market

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