Housing Wire
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Despite initial concerns that tariffs would push mortgage rates up to 8% and reduce housing demand, this week has brought some encouraging news. The 10-year yield has remained stable at a crucial technical level and even reversed direction, resulting in improved mortgage rates. Additionally, housing demand has surprisingly held up, even with elevated mortgage rates.
Appraisal Buzz
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
Pending home sales rose in October, marking the third consecutive month of increases, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)–a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings–rose 2% to 77.4 in October. Year-over-year, pending transactions jumped 5.4%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.
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Real Estate News
NOVEMBER 24, 2024
The agency takes no position on the settlement’s approval but says it’s not an antitrust shield — and expresses concern over buyer agent agreements.
Inman
NOVEMBER 25, 2024
Ahead of a final Nov. 26 approval hearing on NAR's proposed class-action settlement, DOJ lawyers narrowed in on a provision requiring written agreements between buyers and agents before tours.
Appraiserblogs
NOVEMBER 25, 2024
The situation surrounding Accurate Group’s appraiser selection practices sheds troubling light on the concerning tactics that many Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) employ in their pursuit of the lowest possible fees. The inadvertent disclosure of an internal file from Accurate Group has provided a rare window into the dubious inner workings of this AMC, revealing a clear pattern of unethical practices that prioritize cost-cutting over fairness, transparency, and the selection of the m
BiggerPockets
NOVEMBER 25, 2024
The work-from-home phenomenon—incorporated during and after the pandemic—may be ending as more companies demand that workers return to the office. That’s good news for both corporate and residential landlords.
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Appraisal Buzz
NOVEMBER 26, 2024
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced that the conforming loan limit values (CLLs) for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the GSEs) in 2025. In most of the U.S., the 2025 CLL value for one-unit properties will be $806,500, an increase of $39,950 (or 5.2%) from 2024. Click here for a list of 2025 conforming loan limits for all counties and county-equivalent areas in the U.S., and click here for a map showing the 2025 conforming loan limits across the nation.
Real Estate News
NOVEMBER 18, 2024
Leaders spent thousands on Hamilton tickets and other luxuries with corporate credit cards, as former execs stayed on the payroll, The New York Times reported.
Inman
NOVEMBER 21, 2024
Annual existing-home sales increased for the first time in more than three years in October, according to the National Association of Realtors. "The worst of the downturn in home sales could be over.
Appraiserblogs
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
The recent announcement from Connect by ValueLink has sparked outrage among appraisers. Effective January 1, 2025, the company plans to institute a new $19.99 monthly user fee for all appraisers utilizing their portal to receive and submit appraisal orders. This fee will be in addition to the existing technology fees already charged on a per-appraisal basis.
BiggerPockets
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
Most people get turnkey real estate investing all wrong. They either think it’s a completely hands-off investment like stocks or that all turnkey real estate companies offer the same product.
Housing Wire
NOVEMBER 14, 2024
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) this week published a report assessing the performance of government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in reaching their single-family housing goals. The CBO found that the GSEs “met or exceeded” nearly all goals over a four-year period from 2018 to 2022. The CBO analyzed data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) data in its report.
Appraisal Buzz
NOVEMBER 6, 2024
A new report from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Research Institute for Housing America (RIHA) takes a closer look at the shifting demographics for older Americans over 50 and the impact on the nation’s housing supply. The report, authored by Gary V. Engelhardt , Professor of Economics in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and Faculty Associate in the Syracuse University Aging Studies Institute, found that as older Americans continue to remain
Real Estate News
NOVEMBER 19, 2024
The new, lower-cost program also includes access to legal forms and training, and is being rolled out as NAR’s three-way agreement faces greater scrutiny.
Inman
NOVEMBER 26, 2024
The National Association of Realtors settlement became the inciting incident for the most disruptive year for real estate in living memory. A judge is now expected to approve the deal Tuesday afternoon.
Mortgagebroker News
NOVEMBER 22, 2024
Homebuying activity picked up in October, but affordability and supply challenges are leading a growing number of Vancouver residents to consider the growing trend
BiggerPockets
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
The Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, metros grew tremendously over the past five years, with a population growth of 11.53% and 8.81%, respectively (the U.S. average was 2.94%).
Housing Wire
NOVEMBER 30, 2024
Communities across the country, particularly those that are popular among retirees, are seeing an influx of older residents as a “silver tsunami” — based on population rather than housing inventory — prepares to wash over them. South Florida — already a popular retirement destination due to its warmer year-round climate — has been struggling with a higher concentration of older residents and is poised to take on even more, according to local reporting from The Palm Beach Post.
Appraisal Buzz
NOVEMBER 22, 2024
According to the Q3 2024 Verisk Remodel Index , the cost of home repairs and remodeling in the third quarter of 2024 continued to increase, rising by 1.08% quarter-over-quarter, and just over 3.35% from the third quarter of. Costs set new highs for the past decade, rising over 69.5% from Q1 of 2013. “Repair and remodeling costs continue to increase across the country, but the rate of increase is returning to pre-pandemic levels,” said Greg Pyne, VP, Pricing for Verisk Property Estimating Solutio
Real Estate News
NOVEMBER 9, 2024
Robert Reffkin said “it’s only a matter of time” before Zillow becomes a national MLS. Zillow, meanwhile, advocated for a strong MLS and equal access to data.
Inman
NOVEMBER 26, 2024
Mortgage giants will be allowed to back loans of up to $1.2 million in high-cost markets, providing ammo to critics who say goverment backing for mortgages adds to affordability woes.
Mortgagebroker News
NOVEMBER 26, 2024
Viewed as a move that help homeowners review options at renewal time, a rule change is seen as a ‘huge win’ for borrowers and brokers alike
BiggerPockets
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
After a mammoth $418 million National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement threatened to decimate real estate agent commissions, AccountTECH, an accounting software firm, has crunched the numbers to see how […]
Housing Wire
NOVEMBER 15, 2024
Jerome Powell , the chair of the Federal Reserve , said on Thursday that the U.S. economy is “not sending any signals that we need to be in a hurry to lower rates.” The statement was enough to raise mortgage rates to an even higher level, a sharp departure from the optimism lenders experienced during the September rally, which now seems like a distant memory.
Appraisal Buzz
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
Mortgage credit availability increased in October according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) that analyzes data from ICE Mortgage Technology. The MCAI rose by 0.7 percent to 99.2 in October. A decline in the MCAI indicates that lending standards are tightening, while increases in the index are indicative of loosening credit.
Real Estate News
NOVEMBER 29, 2024
As household composition shifts, builders look to the starter homes of yesteryear to deliver more practical, affordable single-family homes for today’s buyers.
Inman
NOVEMBER 26, 2024
Adjustment for rising home prices increases FHA ceiling in high-cost markets like New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and raises the floor in low-cost markets to $524,225.
Mortgagebroker News
NOVEMBER 21, 2024
CEO on opportunities for brokers and borrowers even with a recent housing and mortgage market uptick expected to be short-lived
BiggerPockets
NOVEMBER 15, 2024
There’s a new word to describe the U.S. real estate market: stuck. Real estate transactions haven’t picked up as expected, even after conscious cuts to interest rates.
Housing Wire
NOVEMBER 26, 2024
Did today’s new home sales report really show an epic crash in sales? New home sales reports can be quite volatile from month to month. When I notice a significant increase or decrease compared to estimates, I often suspect that revisions will be made or that a one-time event may have influenced the figures. In this case, several factors contributed to the substantial decline in new home sales.
Appraisal Buzz
NOVEMBER 19, 2024
The American Dream has long been synonymous with homeownership. However, for many low- and moderate-income families, realizing this dream is becoming increasingly out of reach. This is due to several factors, including rising housing costs, stagnant wages, and a decline in the availability of small-dollar mortgages, defined as those for homes priced at $150,000 or below.
Real Estate News
NOVEMBER 15, 2024
Broker and real estate influencer Anthony Lamacchia told agents at NAR NXT that it’s “ridiculous” what the DOJ has been “doing to our industry” in recent years.
Inman
NOVEMBER 21, 2024
Fannie Mae and MBA forecasts dampened expectations for projected home sales in 2025 while offering a more cautious outlook on the prospects of mortgage rates coming down in the new year.
Mortgagebroker News
NOVEMBER 22, 2024
Proposed changes aim to streamline hearings, improve technology, and reduce delays that hurt landlords and tenants
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