August, 2021

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Homebuyers flock to Florida real estate

Housing Wire

The Sunshine State seems to be getting a lot more foot traffic these days, with the number of homebuyers moving to Miami tripling year-over-year, a new analysis found. According to Redfin ’s monthly migration report, July saw the net inflow of Redfin users packing their bags and moving to Miami rise to 7,610, up from 2,216 last year. Milagros Alvarez, a Miami real estate agent at Redfin, said that the pandemic “has brought even more out-of-towners to the area” because so many people can no

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Unrealistic sellers & my favorite housing analogy

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

I have three things on my mind today. I’d love to share a helpful analogy for today’s housing market, let’s talk about unrealistic seller expectations, and then unpack some fresh stats. Real Estate Week: Next week I’ll be taking part in a free video interview with The Sacramento Bee to talk about the insanity of […].

Sellers 497
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Unanswered Questions – Part 1

Appraisal Buzz

Like many busy appraisers, I can spend a lot of time in my own little world just trying to keep my head above water. Trying to meet deadlines, keep my clients informed, and put out a quality product in this busy market is enough to make my head spin. Lately, though, I’ve been trying to carve out some extra time to find out about what other appraisers are saying and doing in this unusual market.

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28,000 Reasons to Have Your Home Measured Before You List It

Cleveland Appraisal Blog

If you’re not an appraiser, if you are trying to figure out the value of a home, chances are good that you use a price per square foot metric. I’ve written about this topic in the past. That way of measuring the market can lead to an opinion of value that is in the ballpark of a home’s market value. However, oftentimes, it does not. .

Appraisal 418
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NYC Metro Conditions Much More Robust Than Two Years Ago

Miller Samuel

One of the problems with my normally preferred year-over-year comparisons with metrics to diffuse seasonal impact is that the year-ago period happened to be the pandemic lockdown. I went through the region using our market report series for Douglas Elliman , comparing the same period two years ago to capture the pre-COV ID market and prices. and sales are up with the exception of Manhattan and North Fork.

Inventory 397
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Get Non-Lender Work with Video

The Appraiser Coach

As a coach, I’m teaching appraisers on a constant basis. A lot of them are interested in doing non-lender work but they aren’t sure how to attract that work. Really, Read More.

Appraisal 370

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10 ways the housing market is slowing

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

The housing market has turned the corner and we are seeing definitive slowing. Here are ten ways I’m seeing slowing in the market. If you’re not local, what are you seeing in your area? NOT DULL: The market is slowing, but it’s not dull. It is still really competitive. DOOM AND GLOOM: The doom and […].

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Have You Ever Calculated Your Hourly Rate?

Appraisal Buzz

One of the most important math calculations in an entrepreneurs toolbox is knowing what the value of an hour is worth. We tend to call this calculation ‘dollars per hour,’ as in, “I just billed out $200 per hour,” or “I make $100 per hour.” We hear and see this fairly frequently in forums where appraisers are talking about bidding on work and how much one should aim for when deciding how much to bid on an appraisal order.

Appraisal 435
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Why You Should Have Your Home Measured Before You List It

Cleveland Appraisal Blog

If you’re not an appraiser, if you are trying to figure out the value of a home, chances are good that you use a price per square foot metric. I’ve written about this topic in the past. That way of measuring the market can lead to an opinion of value that is in the ballpark of a home’s market value. However, oftentimes, it does not. .

Appraisal 262
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Annual Home Price Gains Hit Record High in June

Eyes on Housing

In June, national home prices continued to rise at a fast and unsustainable rate. Strong demand and low housing inventory have been driving home prices at double-digit growths for eleven months. All 20 metro areas reported home price increases in June, while 12 of them had an acceleration in home price growth. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S.

Inventory 218
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Phone Apps for Productivity

The Appraiser Coach

I’m big on technology. One of my most used pieces of technology is my smartphone. I wanted to share with you some of the apps that I use all the. Read More.

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Is the Fed creating a housing bubble by keeping rates low?

Housing Wire

Remember that pretty girl from your history class in college — the one who would blow hot and cold, so you never really knew what she was thinking? The U.S. housing market can be like that girl: you can get many mixed messages (especially about a housing bubble) unless you are paying attention. But who has time for that? Hey, that’s all I do, so you’ve come to the right place.

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How bedroom value adjustments DO NOT work

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

How much is a bedroom worth? What sort of adjustments do you give when looking at two houses with a difference of one bedroom? It’s always $10,000, right? Or wait, someone else said $20,000. What’s the truth? Let’s talk about this today. I’d love to hear your take in the comments. SacBee presentation: This week […].

Appraisal 457
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Appraisers: Pay Attention to Policy

Appraisal Buzz

Local, State, and Federal policy can play a significant role in an appraiser’s business – it is important to stay informed about what is happening around us. Most appraisers have been busier than ever over the past year and may be struggling to keep up with deadlines. It may benefit you and your business to stay updated on policy as it relates to the appraisal profession.

Appraisal 435
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Are Home Buyers Regretting Their Purchase?

Cleveland Appraisal Blog

There has been a sense of urgency, and sometimes almost despair, for some looking to purchase a home. There are some news stories I have seen recently where some homeowners regretted their purchase. Do you know of anyone who purchased a home within the past year? Did they regret their decision? Below is a chart from the National Association of REALTORS article on home buyer regret.

Buyers 243
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Builder Confidence at 13-Month Low on Higher Material Costs, Home Prices

Eyes on Housing

Builder sentiment in the market for newly-built single-family homes fell five points to 75 in August, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The index is at its lowest point since July 2020. Higher construction costs and supply shortages have led to significant price growth, which in turn has caused prospective buyers to.

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How Much Should You Make Each Month?

The Appraiser Coach

How much do you need to make each month? While it’s going to vary from person to person, you should know how much you need every single month in order. Read More.

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Home sales beat estimates: no housing crash in sight

Housing Wire

The National Association of Realtors reported 5.99 million home sales for July, which was an excellent beat of estimates and a dagger into the hearts of the 2021 housing crash crew. Mother demographics and low mortgage rates , two things that have been transparent to human beings for a long time, are powerful economic forces. Both together make it very difficult for an epic housing crash in sales to happen, especially when the years 2008-2019 had the weakest housing recovery ever.

Realtors 537
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Just say NO to subjective language in real estate

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

Is it a poor neighborhood? Is it rich? Is the neighborhood desirable or undesirable? Is it family-friendly? Is it crime-ridden? These are words some might use to describe certain neighborhoods, but they’re 100% off limits for appraisers (and probably other real estate professionals). Let’s talk about this. A refresher & false narratives: I hope […].

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Stewart Strengthens Analytics Abilities with Informative Research Acquisition

Appraisal Buzz

Stewart Information Services Corp. is acquiring Informative Research (IR), a credit, consumer and real estate data and technology services provider. IR serves more than 3,000 customers across the U.S. The purchase price is $192 million and will be funded with available company resources. The transaction is expected to close following the appropriate regulatory review and will be immediately accretive to Stewart’s earnings.

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Delta variant fears send 30-year mortgage rates to 2.77%

Housing Wire

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage slipped back down to 2.77% for the week ending August 5, according to mortgage rates data released Thursday by Freddie Mac ‘s PMMS. The week prior, mortgage rates had rebounded slightly to 2.80%. According to Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie Mac, concerns over the COVID-19 Delta variant, along with lower 10-year Treasury yields, have resulted in lower rates.

Mortgage 529
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Why aren’t builders creating more housing inventory?

Housing Wire

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that housing starts hit 1,534,000 for July, missing estimates. Permits, on the other hand, beat estimates, coming in at a seasonally adjusted rate of 1,635,000. Positive revisions to the previous data were made, but not by very much. This mixed bag of results reflects the typical variability in the data that occurs when not too much has been happening in housing except that monthly supply has been rising for the new home sales market.

Inventory 525
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3 mortgage industry trends that will define the rest of 2021

Housing Wire

For better or worse, trends in the mortgage industry tend to mirror corresponding trends in the overall real estate market. But there are definitely a few main things to looks out for — many of which are carrying over from a turbulent 2020 and early 2021 — when it comes to the upcoming landscape for the rest of 2021: Lack of inventory Fluctuating interest rates Increased adoption of technology.

Mortgage 518
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Mortgage rates dip slightly to 2.86%

Housing Wire

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage declined slightly to 2.86% for the week ending in August 19, according to mortgage rates data released Thursday by Freddie Mac ‘s PMMS. The week prior, mortgage rates rose to 2.87% , after six consecutive weeks of mortgage rate declines. This week’s slight decline tracks closely with downward-trending U.S. Treasury yields.

Mortgage 516
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Figure to merge with mortgage lender Homebridge

Housing Wire

The blockchain revolution may soon be coming to mortgage lending. And it could take the form of a very old-school lender – Homebridge Financial Services. The Mike Cagney-led fintech lender Figure Technologies , most recently valued at $3.2 billion, announced Tuesday afternoon that it intends to merge with Homebridge. “We are bringing together the most robust, powerful and efficient technology ever seen in lending and pairing that with a $25 billion a year loan originator with 150,000 customers w

Mortgage 516
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Home prices are still rising, but relief for buyers is coming

Housing Wire

Home prices continue to increase as national inventory levels remain low heading into August. But relief for buyers could be coming in the next 12 months. Home prices increased 2.3% from May to June, and 17.2% year-over-year, according to the latest CoreLogic report on home prices. However, CoreLogic officials said price gains could slow to as low as a 3.2%-gain by this time next year, as ongoing affordability challenges deter potential buyers — as well as an uptick in new for sale listings. 

Buyers 514
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Inside Figure and Homebridge’s massive bet on blockchain

Housing Wire

Mike Cagney, co-Founder at Figure Technologies. Peter Norden, the CEO of Homebridge Financial Services , has been waiting a long time to do something truly unique in the mortgage business. Decades. “I’ve always struggled with finding a way to be different than my competition,” Norden, a 43-year veteran of the business, said. “Because the reality is, when you really look at it, all mortgage bankers sell pretty much the same products.

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Housing starts tumble in July due to choked supply lines

Housing Wire

Housing starts in the U.S. fell 7.0% in July compared to the prior month, an indication that construction supply lines are still choked and near record-high home prices are shutting out scores of buyers. The U.S. Commerce Department ‘s Census Bureau said housing starts dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.534 million units last month, which was marginally better than June’s 1.65 million units.

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Mortgage rates rise to 2.87% after jobs report

Housing Wire

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 2.87% for the week ending in August 12, according to mortgage rates data released Thursday by Freddie Mac ‘s PMMS. The increase follows six consecutive weeks of mortgage rate declines. The week prior, mortgage rates slipped down to 2.77%, as the 10-year Treasury yields declined and fears over the Covid-19 Delta variant grew.

Mortgage 501
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30-year rate drops below 3% for first time since February

Housing Wire

Mortgage applications fell 1.7% in the week ending July 30, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. That’s despite the 30-year fixed rate falling to its lowest level in roughly six months. It’s an about-face from the prior week, in which applications increased 5.7% on the strength of descending mortgage rates.

Contracts 497
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What to expect next from today’s hot housing market?

Housing Wire

It’s the current, not the waves, that will propel longstanding changes in the American housing market, said Logan Mohtashami , HousingWire’s lead analyst. How much housing is built and sold; who pays for those units; and how Americans ground their lives in what and where they live: these forces are rooted in societal and family culture and largely impervious to surface turmoil.

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Mortgage rates hold steady at 2.87%

Housing Wire

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage held steady at 2.87% for the week ending in August 26, according to mortgage rates data released Thursday by Freddie Mac ‘s PMMS. The week prior, mortgage rates declined slightly to 2.86%. This week’s near constant mortgage rates may not yet reflect a rise in U.S. Treasury yields, which ticked up toward the end of the week.

Mortgage 493
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Mortgage lenders are loosening standards on jumbos

Housing Wire

Banks moved to ease lending standards for most mortgage loan products during the second quarter, according to a loan officer opinion survey published this week by the Federal Reserve Board. The quarterly survey found that banks loosened their underwriting standards most notably for jumbo products, including qualified mortgages (QM), jumbo mortgages and non-QM jumbo mortgages.

Mortgage 493
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Positive revisions boost new home sales report

Housing Wire

In Tuesday’s new home sales report from the Census Bureau , monthly supply hit recent highs at 6.2 months and 5.9 months on the more critical three-month average. I focus on the monthly supply as being the most critical data for the new-home market. The new home sales market is a small but essential part of the overall market and the economy. I have long said that the builders don’t build for the existing home sales market; they build based on demand for their specific products.