Tue.May 14, 2024

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Mortgage rates continue to trend down ahead of inflation report 

Housing Wire

As the U.S. reaches its peak homebuying season, mortgage rates continue to ease week over week. HousingWire ’s Mortgage Rates Center showed the average 30-year fixed rate for conforming loans at 7.45% on Tuesday, below the rate of 7.51% one week ago. At the same time one year ago, the average rate was 6.54%.The 15-year conforming fixed rate averaged 6.75% on Tuesday, down from 6.77% one week earlier.

Mortgage 512
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Has the housing market peaked for the spring?

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

Has the spring market peaked? There is a good chance it has. Let’s talk about that today. This post is designed to skim by topic or digest slowly. UPCOMING SPEAKING GIGS: 5/15/24 KW Roseville Event (open to real estate pros) 6/5/24 Marketing Mastermind (register here) 6/6/24 Golden 1 Credit Union (details TBA) 6/11/24 Elk Grove […] The post Has the housing market peaked for the spring?

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Majority of recent homebuyers have regrets: survey

Housing Wire

A report released this week by St. Louis-based Clever Real Estate found that recent homebuyers, as well as people who are considering a home purchase in the next year, are experiencing a laundry list of difficulties. Last month, Clever surveyed a total of 920 Americans about their views of the home purchase process and real estate agents. The respondents included 420 people who bought a home in 2023 or 2024, and another 500 who plan to do so in 2024 or 2025.

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Down payments have doubled in the past 4 years

Real Estate News

The latest data points to some easing, but payments could hit a new peak later in the year. Regionally, payments are down in areas with rising inventory.

Inventory 258
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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 With construction projects becoming more complex, outdated processes are no longer sustainable.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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Fidelity CEO says federal government’s title insurance proposals are ’misguided’

Housing Wire

Despite persistently high interest rates , big four title firm Fidelity National Financial recorded a much stronger start to 2024 than it did a year ago. In first-quarter 2024 , Fidelity reported total revenue of $3.299 billion, up from $2.474 billion a year ago. Its net earnings were $248 million, compared to a $59 million net loss in Q1 2023. The firm attributed its stronger results to better performance from both its F&G segment and its title insurance segment.

Insurance 420

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Built-to-rent construction gains momentum amid affordable housing shortage 

Housing Wire

Housing affordability has plummeted to its lowest level since the 1980s, keeping many Americans in the rental market. As a result, some homebuilders have doubled down on the construction of built-to-rent (BTR) homes. In 2023, a record 93,000 new single-family homes for rent were completed, up 39% from 2022, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

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Compass scoops up Tennessee’s top brokerage

Real Estate News

The acquisition of Parks Real Estate and its 1,500 agents now makes Compass the biggest brokerage in the state.

Brokerage 218
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Dark Matter Technologies names new deputy chief product officer

Housing Wire

Dark Matter Technologies , formerly Black Knight Origination Technologies , named Vikas Rao as its deputy chief product officer, the company announced on Tuesday. In his new capacity, Rao will directly report to chief product officer Stephanie Durflinger. His responsibilities will include overseeing enhancements to the Empower loan origination system (LOS) and establishing Dark Matter’s developer community.

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LERETA Promotes Mitch Bledsoe to Chief Technology Officer 

Appraisal Buzz

Mitch Bledsoe has been promoted to chief technology officer for LERETA , which provides real estate tax and flood services for mortgage servicers. Bledsoe, who joined LERETA in 2022, was previously senior vice president of enterprise technology. Bledsoe has more than 20 years of experience in technology management including leading numerous domestic and international teams through successful large-scale product development efforts, legacy modernizations, and the buildout and maintenance of suppo

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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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FinLocker raises $17M in Series B funding round

Housing Wire

FinLocker , the St. Louis-based developer of a leading white-label financial fitness and homeownership platform, announced the closure of a $17 million Series B funding round on Tuesday. The investment from Radian Group and existing shareholders will enable FinLocker to introduce a suite of new features and tools designed to optimize the homebuying and homeownership experience.

Tools 395
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Redfin: Demand for Vacation Home Mortgages Dropped 40 Percent in 2023

Appraisal Buzz

Demand for vacation-home mortgages fell 40% in 2023 as the average U.S. home price surged to a record high, Redfin reports. Austin and the Bay Area saw the biggest declines in mortgages for second homes in 2023, according to the firm. In total, U.S. homebuyers took out 90,772 mortgages for second homes in 2023, Redfin’s data shows. That’s down 65% from the height of the pandemic housing boom in 2021.

Mortgage 195
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Santa Monica: An unexpected haven for first-time buyers

Housing Wire

With a 90-day average median list price of $4.3 million , Santa Monica, California doesn’t seem like a place where one would expect to find many first-time homebuyers. But local real estate professionals would beg to differ. “Most of the demand is coming from first-time buyers,” Trevor Levin, a local agent with Los Angeles-based Nourmand & Associates , said.

Buyers 393
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Dark Matter Taps Vikas Rao as Deputy Chief Product Officer

Appraisal Buzz

Vikas Rao has joined Dark Matter Technologies as deputy chief product officer. Rao has over 15 years of experience in software engineering, product management and technology leadership spanning public and private companies within the mortgage industry and in Silicon Valley’s startup scene. He previously served as vice president of product management for mortgage origination technology provider Ellie Mae.

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Steve Resch talks about financial planner relationships for reverse lenders

Housing Wire

Steve Resch, vice president of retirement strategies at leading reverse mortgage industry lender Finance of America , knows a lot about the intersection between the interests of financial planning professionals and reverse mortgage industry members. Financial planners have been, and remain, one of the most sought-after referral partnerships for reverse mortgage professionals to establish ties with.

Finance 390
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MBA: Applications for New Home Purchases Increased in April

Appraisal Buzz

Applications for mortgages for new home purchases increased 2% in April compared with March and were up 22.1% compared with April 2023, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS). “New home purchase activity increased at a healthy pace in April 2024 after a slight pause in March,” says Joel Kan, vice president and deputy chief economist for the MBA, in a statement.

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Better improves loan volume by 25% but remains unprofitable in Q1

Housing Wire

Better Home & Finance Holding Co. , the parent of digital lender Better , strongly improved its mortgage production and revenues in the first three months of 2024. But expenses continued to increase and the company remained unprofitable during the period. Better posted a net loss of $51.5 million from January to March, up from a loss of $50.8 million in the previous quarter and down from a loss of $87.6 million in the same period last year, according to filings with the Securities and Exchan

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10 answers to the questions confused sellers are asking now

Inman

The changing real estate landscape and media misinformation are creating confusion for homesellers. Mega-team leader Carl Medford lays out the facts so that you can educate your clients.

Sellers 179
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Service provider LERETA appoints new CTO 

Housing Wire

Financial services company LERETA appointed Mitch Bledsoe to the position of chief technology officer, the company announced on Tuesday. Bledsoe joined LERETA in 2022 to serve as the senior vice president of enterprise technology. In his new role, Bledsoe will be responsible for the company’s technology innovation, design, infrastructure, application management and data service offerings.

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2024 will be the year of the automated agent

Inman

Stop worrying that AI will replace you, MoxiWorks' York Baur writes. Start learning to use technology to your advantage by automating low ROI tasks.

Agents 170
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Reverse appraisal company hires former AAG chief appraiser

Housing Wire

Atlas VMS , the appraisal and valuation company led by Erik Morin , announced this week the appointment of Joe Pravettone as chief appraiser. The company describes the hire as a “significant addition” to its leadership team. Pravettone began his valuation career roughly 25 years ago, starting as an independent fee appraiser and ultimately working for both national appraisal management companies (AMCs) and large financial institutions.

Appraisal 376
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Agents say their brokerage has their back amid commission chaos

Inman

The NAR settlement shook the industry, but agents overwhelmingly told the Inman Intel Index they believe their brokerage has been an effective ally. It's a big win for brokerage training efforts.

Brokerage 168
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Marcus Skenderian Real Estate Group returns to Compass

Housing Wire

Broker associate Marcus Skenderian is bringing his five-person Marcus Skenderian Real Estate Group back to Compass after spending three years at Coldwell Banker. As part of the move, Skenderian is also opening an office in Laguna Beach, California. The team serves coastal California communities such as Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, Newport Coast, Crystal Cove, Dana Point and more.

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Sitzer judge indicates his support for proposed NAR settlement

Inman

Judge Stephen R. Bough said payouts and practice changes in NAR's deal, added to those in the Keller Williams, Anywhere and RE/MAX settlements, represent "substantial benefits" for sellers.

Sellers 164
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Three yards and a cloud of dust

Housing Wire

It’s an election year, and housing affordability appears to be a big concern for voters. So, it’s not surprising to see the administration and members of Congress announcing big ticket legislative initiatives to boost homeownership – like a 1 st time homebuyer tax credit and the Neighborhood Investment Act to fix up older homes. The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) applauds these initiatives.

Sellers 331
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Revive’s AI-fueled ‘Neighborhood Report’ vows precise home values

Inman

The pre-sale renovation company's latest use of artificial intelligence could reduce subjectivity the next time a real estate agent prices a home or advises a client, Revive executives said Tuesday.

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Top Form Fields & Features For Small Businesses

GoForrmz

Originally published on 03/17/2017 Elevate your small business operations with these top form fields and features Operating a small business isn't easy; owners juggle numerous roles and duties typically assigned to a larger team. This perpetual multitasking entails striving to match established competitors and industry giants — a challenging endeavor, particularly when bogged down by manual administrative tasks.

Business 148
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A blueprint for building a growth-oriented real estate team

Inman

It is crucial to put together the right team to keep growth going strong in today's real estate world. Here's how The Agency's Tara Scholl-Gettles did it.

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Mixed Price Changes for Building Materials in April

Eyes on Housing

Inputs to residential construction, goods less food and energy, increased for the sixth consecutive month, according to the most recent producer price index (PPI) report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index for inputs to residential construction, goods less food and energy, represents building materials used in residential construction.

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Virtual to brick-and-mortar: 5 brokerage models made for 2024

Inman

Take into account the way you like to work, your level of expertise and your desire for collaboration when considering the brokerage model that works best for you and your business.

Brokerage 154
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Single-Family Permits Up in March 2024  

Eyes on Housing

Over the first three months of 2024, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 241,311. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an increase of 25.9% over the March 2023 level of 191,695. Year-to-date ending in March, single-family permits were up in all four regions. The range of permit increase spanned.

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Zillow now showing buyers how rate changes affect their options

Inman

Powered by mortgage rates from Zillow Home Loans, BuyAbility tool could help listing portal's lending affiliate get a head start on other lenders it competes with for borrowers.

Buyers 153
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Cheap Old Houses: Buying Fixer-Uppers for Just $100K

BiggerPockets

Would you buy a house for $100K? That’s right, just twenty-five percent of the median home price in America.