December, 2024

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The homebuilders’ 2025 supply and demand problem

Housing Wire

New home sales grew over last month in the latest Census report , but homebuilders are now facing a supply issue their inventory is building up. This is the reason why housing starts are at recession levels today. Monthly new home sales have been stagnant for the past two years. When mortgage rates decline, sales improve, but it becomes more challenging for builders and buyers when rates rise.

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Where Are the Best Places to Retire in 2025?

Appraisal Buzz

Where is the best place to spend your golden years? According to U.S. News & World Report’s new study, 2025’s Best Places to Retire in the U.S. , Naples, Florida takes the top spot. Florida’s Paradise Coast beat out 149 other top U.S. cities, with Virginia Beach, New York City, Sarasota, and Boise rounding out the top five best retirement locales.

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Condos are having a moment

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

Condos are struggling, and they’re really having a moment in today’s housing market. Let’s talk about what’s going on with volume, supply, and prices. Be sure to read my closing thoughts about housing doom and hot pockets too. UPCOMING SPEAKING GIGS: 12/5/24 Made 4 More Team (Exporting Data from MLS) 12/11/24 Gateway: Think Like an […] The post Condos are having a moment first appeared on Sacramento Appraisal Blog.

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NAR moves to revoke Phoenix Realtors charter

Real Estate News

In an email to leaders, the association said PARs refusal to stop offering its MLS Choice option leaves NAR no choice but to defend its trademark and model.

Realtors 329
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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 With construction projects becoming more complex, outdated processes are no longer sustainable.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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The two big housing market trends to watch in 2025

Housing Wire

All the housing market data for 2024 is in, and its fair to say that the housing market surprised us again! However, there are two big trends that stand out as we launch into 2025 affordability and sellers in the market. The elephant in the room is affordability. Home prices finished 2024 up a few percent nationally and mortgage rates are at their highest level in seven months back over 7% as we head into January.

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Housing inventory is up, but so are unsold listings. Are renters to blame?

Housing Wire

Rising housing inventory levels in 2024 may not be the positive sign of market health that they appear to be. High inventory levels contribute to another problem as active listings are remaining unsold for longer periods. Although higher home prices , rising mortgage rates and other expenses are obvious factors, there may be more to the story. Rising supply is one of the housing market highlights of 2024, according to HousingWire Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami , who said that housing inventory is

Inventory 488
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All those 2025 mortgage rates forecasts are now wrong

Housing Wire

Its late December so all the 2025 mortgage rate forecasts have been published. Unfortunately, all of them are already wrong. Most housing market analysts expect mortgage rates to spend the year with a 6 handle. The most optimistic predictions assume 2025 will see mostly low 6s for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage. And yet with pesky inflation data not falling as quickly or as far as expected, Fed chair Jerome Powell suddenly changed his language in the Fed meeting on Dec. 19.

Mortgage 488
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Housing market data positive despite Powell’s Grinch act

Housing Wire

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell played the Grinch last week for the housing market, sending mortgage rates higher after his remarks at the Fed presser on Wednesday. Despite this, we had positive data on existing home sales , purchase applications, and our weekly pending contract figures. Total active listings are experiencing their traditional seasonal decline, but with less than two weeks left in the year, its evident that there are ready homebuyers in America.

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Rising inventory is the most positive housing market story in 2024

Housing Wire

The most positive development in the housing market over 2024 has been the increase in active housing inventory , which is approaching the levels seen in 2019. Although those 2019 levels represent a five-decade low before COVID-19, the market was still functioning better than it did from 2020 to 2023. During the first few years of COVID-19 recovery, there was an unhealthy imbalance, with too many buyers competing for too few homes.

Inventory 514
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Existing-home sales take a sleigh ride to the sky with highest jump since 2021

Housing Wire

The housing industry is getting an early Christmas gift. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that existing-home sales in November rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.15 million, a 4.8% increase over the revised October number and a 6.1% increase year over year. The annualized rate is the highest seen since the tally of 4.22 million in March 2024 , and its the highest year-over-year increase since a 23% gain in June 2021.

Inventory 459
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Investor purchases are sinking with the housing market at large

Housing Wire

Home sales in 2024 have been well below historic norms. Higher prices, higher mortgage rates and limited inventory are making for a slow market among buyers and sellers alike. Real estate investors tend to be more insulated from these dynamics, particularly from mortgage rates, as they are more likely to buy properties with cash. But even investors have purchased fewer homes this year.

Investors 448
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The best real estate transaction management software for 2025

Housing Wire

Theres no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to finding the right transaction management software for your real estate business. Whether youre running a large brokerage, managing a small team or working on your own, the right transaction management platform can take the worry out of compliance and lighten your workload. Your unique business needs will determine which transaction software is right for your business.

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Thinking of joining a real estate team? Here’s everything you should know

Housing Wire

If youre reading this article, youre not alone. Youve likely heard about real estate teams and how they can impact your career but what exactly are they, and why are so many agents joining or building teams? Its a big decision to make whether youre just starting or want to take your career to the next level. Its important to understand how real estate teams work for you to decide whether its the right career move for you.

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Housing inventory is down everywhere except in pandemic hotspots. Here’s why.

Housing Wire

The COVID-19 pandemic turned previously sleepy cities into boomtowns.Expanded or permanent work-from-home policies gave people more flexibility in where to live, and those in uber-expensive markets like San Francisco and Manhattan took advantage by moving to areas where they could get more space for less money. This created incredibly competitive housing markets in smaller cities that pushed sales and prices sky high.

Inventory 468
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JPAR’s Tiffani Marroquin urges real estate firms to view AI as a collaborative partner, not a threat

Housing Wire

In this weeks episode of the RealTrending podcast , host Tracey Velt sits down with Tiffani Marroquin, head of growth and innovation for JPAR Real Estate. They discuss the utility of artificial intelligence (AI) for the real estate industry, as well as JPARs solutions designed to enhance agent and brokerage performance. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

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New apartment construction hasn’t lowered rents in many areas

Housing Wire

Rent prices have fluctuated alongside home prices in this year’s housing market. More inventory can bring down prices, but some renters still struggle to meet the rental price hikes found in new construction. Seattle-based brokerage Redfin released a report this week that highlighted a 1.5% increase in asking rents for newly constructed apartments in 2024 the biggest spike in 18 months.

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Real estate Instagram accounts: 21 agents & influencers to follow right now

Housing Wire

Vetted by HousingWire | Our editors independently review the products we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Are you looking to add a dose of inspiration, humor and expertise to your Instagram feed? From luxury property tours to laugh-out-loud real estate memes, these 21 agents and influencers bring the best of the industry right to your phone.

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The 25 Best Books for Real Estate Agents in 2025

Housing Wire

As you plan your 2025, its important to be intentional about including self-development activities. After all, our business will only grow as much as we do as business owners. With hundreds of books to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know which one will truly have a positive impact on your life and your business. To help, we reached out to real estate agents nationwide to compile our list of the best books for real estate agents.

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The 2025 housing market for first-time homebuyers

Housing Wire

The American dream is synonymous with two ideas. One is the idea that anyone in this country can find a path to economic success regardless of their circumstances at birth. The second idea is the symbolic encapsulation of the first idea: homeownership. Owning a home is the signifier of economic success, but over the last few years, that milestone has gotten farther out of reach for first-time homebuyers.

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What real estate leaders need to know about the 2025 housing market

Housing Wire

Despite 2025 housing market predictions changing fast , there are still key themes and trends for real estate leaders to watch to best serve their clients and business. Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at the National Association of Realtors and upcoming speaker at the Housing Economic Summit, sat down with HousingWires Senior Director of Events Brena Nath to answer a few questions on what she thinks is to come for real estate in 2025.

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Pending home sales rise again as buyers capitalize on more inventory

Housing Wire

Despite rising mortgage rates through much of 2024, recent indications show growing boldness among homebuyers heading into the new year. A report released Monday by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed an increase in pending home sales for the fourth consecutive month. NAR’s Pending Homes Sales Index (PHSI) report is a forward-looking source that predicts home sales based on contract signings.

Inventory 418
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Housing demand still showing double-digit growth

Housing Wire

Last week, we witnessed a Santa Claus rally in mortgage rates alongside improved housing demand. The economy continues to create jobs, with wages growing at an annual rate of 4%. We also see growth in our pending contract data compared to 2022 and 2023. Additionally, the purchase application data delivered another pleasant surprise with positive results.

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Property Managers Helping Renters Improve Their Financial Positioning

Appraisal Buzz

Of the property managers aware of the practice, almost half (48%) report rent payments to credit agencies, says a new report from TransUnions Tenant and Employment group a 33% jump from last year, and last year was a 36% jump from the year before. That means more than half (52%) of property managers who report rent payments began doing so in the past two years.

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Senate Passes Trigger Leads Measure

Appraisal Buzz

The U.S. Senate has announced the passage of the bipartisan Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (S. 3502) , a measure that will ban trigger leads except in limited circumstances. When a consumer applies for a mortgage, credit bureaus are notified that the consumer is interested in financing, which is referred to as a trigger lead. That information is then sold by the credit bureaus to data brokers (including other lenders) without the consumers knowledge or approval.

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Rental portal Zumper launches ’Zoe’ AI assistant

Housing Wire

With technology rapidly advancing, Zumper is the latest company in the real estate industry to dive into artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. The rental portal this week launched an AI assistant named Zoe, which according to the company can answer “virtually any renter question about a property or its neighborhood.” Zoe can also help manage the process of renting an apartment by requesting tours and submitting leads.

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Existing-Home Sales Experience Seasonal Climb

Appraisal Buzz

The National Association of Realtors reports that existing-home sales increased in November. Three major U.S. regions saw growth in sales, but the West saw no change. All four regions saw an increase in sales year over year. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of existing-home sales, which includes completed transactions of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and cooperatives, increased 4.8% from October to 4.15 million in November.

Inventory 382
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CFPB rule applies mortgage protections to clean energy loans

Housing Wire

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Tuesday announced a final rule governing the Property Assessed Clean Energy ( PACE ) loan program. The rule applies existing protections for residential mortgages to borrowers who seek PACE loans to upgrade or renovate their homes through clean energy technology. The rule goes into effect on March 1, 2026, according to the CFPB.

Mortgage 396
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Boomers Passing the Equity Torch to Younger Generations

Appraisal Buzz

Freddie Mac s most recent survey of baby boomer housing opinions, preferences, and plans indicates that roughlythree quarters of homeowners born before 1964 are likely to pass a large portion of their $17 trillion in home equity to their offspring. The majority of boomers who own a home are certain they will enjoy a pleasant retirement, according to Freddie Macs recent, extensive study of respondents aged 60 and over.

Finance 430
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Side files preliminary injunction against Alexander brothers in wake of arrests

Housing Wire

The criminal charges against the Alexander brothers are now affecting Side s civil lawsuit against them. Side has filed a preliminary injunction against Tal and Oren Alexander and their brokerage, Official Partners , that seeks to prevent them from dissipating, hiding or moving collateral for a loan that Side claims the brothers have defaulted on. Side a white-label brokerage that affiliated with Official Partners argues that the criminal charges filed against the Alexanders last week require

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FHFA finalizes new housing goals for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

Housing Wire

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) this week announced a new final rule establishing affordable housing goals for the loan purchases of government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from 2025 through 2027. The goals, originally proposed in August , are largely unchanged from the initial draft. They are designed to support equitable housing access for low-income families and families in low-income areas, according to an announcement.

Finance 504
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Growing Supply of Rental Units Pushes Rent Prices Downward

Appraisal Buzz

Nationwide, the average rent price fell by -0.8% to $1,720 in October, marking their 15th consecutive month of year-over-year declines and falling the most for smaller-sized units, according to Realtor.com’s October Rental Report. Realtor.com notes that new rental properties coming onto the market are expected to put continued downward pressure on rents next year.

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FHA borrowers would get mortgage insurance relief through proposed House bill

Housing Wire

A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives proposes to relieve Federal Housing Administration (FHA) borrowers of mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs) once they reach a certain level of home equity , aligning FHA policies with those of conventional loans. Introduced by Reps. Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) on Thursday, the bipartisan bill allows borrowers to stop paying mortgage insurance once their loan-to-value (LTV) ratio reaches 78%, rather than paying it f

Insurance 418
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How has Tampa’s housing market fared since Hurricane Milton?

Housing Wire

Its hard to imagine something more disruptive to a housing market than a hurricane. Thats what the Tampa Bay metro area was faced with in October with Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in the area as a Category 3 storm. Milton set a record for tornado warnings with 129, and hundreds of homes were destroyed in Florida. In the days leading up to the storm’s landfall on Oct. 9, housing markets in the Tampa area came to a complete halt as sellers took their homes off the market.