Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

After three weeks of unchanged rates, the average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan jumped 8 basis points to 2.81%, reaching its highest point since mid-November, according to Freddie Mac ’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. While economic spending has improved, due to the most recent stimulus, supply chain shortages are causing downstream inflation, leading to higher mortgage rates, said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While there are multiple temporary factors drivin

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Mortgage Supply Chain Lending Marketing 545

Cleveland Appraisal Blog

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

As January rolls around each year, homeowners begin receiving their property tax bills. That’s why my tax appeal work often picks this time of the year. It should be no surprise that assessed home and land values are increasing. Property values have been increasing in many areas for years, with 2020 being a record year for home appreciation in many neighborhoods.

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Appraisal Clients Inspection Market Value 217

Genworth MI Blog

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

A version of this post originally appeared in the December edition of Scotsman Guide. . Loan officers and listing agents are familiar with homeowner anxiety about real estate appraisals. Questions arise, such as: Does the appraiser penalize me if my house isn’t spotless? Will worn carpeting hurt my value? Will the appraiser look in my closets? Should I follow the appraiser and point things out?

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Inspection Appraisal Real Estate Loan Officers 148

McKissock

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Why might you be engaged to appraise a single or multi-tenant industrial or flex style office building? What information do you need when appraising industrial and flex buildings ? Below, we explain the primary reasons for these types of appraisal assignments and provide punch lists of the items that you should acquire for appraisal purposes. Reasons for engagement.

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Appraisal Tenants Construction Renovations 96

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 15, 2021

The years 2020-2024 will have the best housing demographics ever recorded in U.S. history, with the lowest mortgage rates recorded in history. When you have these two titans acting in unison, it can potentially accelerate real home prices in an unhealthy way. In 2020, the year of COVID-19, existing home sales ended at a respectable 5,640,000. That is roughly only 130,000 higher than the levels we saw in 2017.

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Housing Market Mortgage Marketing 540

DW Slater Company

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Our offices are currently closed as we are experiencing a Texas weather emergency. The power grid in Texas was not prepared for the cold weather we have been experiencing. Our office has been without power since yesterday, (Monday) 6:30 am. Temperatures dropped to – 6 degrees last night. There are outages as well as rolling outages. Road conditions are treacherous and we have more snow forecasted for tonight and tomorrow.

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Clients 78

McKissock

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Every homebuyer is different, just as every home buying experience is different. Each of your clients will have their own set of likes and dislikes. As a real estate professional, you should know how to tailor your approaches and strategies to suit your client’s wishes. Categorizing your client based on their motivations for buying is one of the best ways to help them find their dream home.

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Buyers Clients Real Estate Real Estate Agent 94

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

The first-time homebuyer process is a lengthy one, and if you’re not careful, there’s a lot that can throw you off-track. From low appraisals to surprise credit checks, a number of hurdles could slow your purchase or even derail it altogether. Are you on the hunt for a new home? Want to make sure your purchase goes off without a hitch? Then take steps to avoid these all-too-common first-time homebuyer mistakes: More for Real Estate Enthusiasts.

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Insurance Loan Officers Housing Market Appraisal 535

BiggerPockets

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

Don't let a lack of funding hold you back from investing in real estate. Looking for money to buy deals? Consider private money lenders.

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Real Estate Investing Finance Mortgage 74

Buys Brokers Only LLC

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

Haverhill, Massachusetts single-family home prices rose double digits in 2020 and have skyrocketed over the past decade, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

Inventory 67

Inventory Realtors Real Estate Marketing 67

McKissock

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

At its public meeting on February 19, 2021, the Appraisal Standards Board of The Appraisal Foundation voted to extend the expiration date of the 2020-2021 USPAP publication by one year. Instead of expiring on December 31, 2021, the current USPAP will remain in effect until December 31, 2022. The Foundation is exploring several options for future editions of USPAP, including going to a longer USPAP cycle, or issuing a new USPAP publication that has no expiration date and making revisions to the d

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Law Appraisal 92

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Writing about digital mortgage in 2021, I am reminded of a cartoon in the New Yorker, in which two cavemen were starting a fire and one said “Stop saying everything is ‘unprecedented.’” After a year of unprecedented everything, including mortgage volume, it’s hard to fathom the level of fintech disruption that is approaching financial services and specifically mortgage.

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Mortgage Technology Loan Officers Business 534

BiggerPockets

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

How do you know if you can save money and fix your maintenance problems on your own? Ask yourself these five questions.

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Landlords 69

Buys Brokers Only LLC

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Mortgage interest rates in the U.S. remained unchanged for the second consecutive week, for the week ending February 11, 2021, according to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

Mortgage 55

Mortgage Marketing 55

McKissock

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

The appraisal profession is aging. According to the 2020-2021 Appraisal Income Guide , more than 15% of certified general appraisers indicate they will retire in the next 6-10 years. This presents an opportunity for those who are considering upgrading their license level to certified general, as the demand for certified general appraisers is almost certain to increase in the coming years.

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Appraisal Technology Design Tools 54

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

The stock market is a funny game. Not the kind of game that the rookie Game Stop investors are used to playing, but a real-life, action-packed, form of entertainment that toys with millions of Americans’ emotions and finances every day. You know what isn’t a game, and can also provide oh-so-sweet returns? Investing in real estate. The stock market is at an all-time high, finishing 2020 at record levels.

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Real Estate Investing Marketing Home Value 529

BiggerPockets

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

In this article, see how an S Corp can help you save on or avoid certain tax deductions with your real estate business.

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Investors Real Estate Business 69

Buys Brokers Only LLC

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Mortgage interest rates in the U.S. rose to the highest level since November 2020, for the week ending February 18, 2021, according to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

Mortgage 42

Mortgage Marketing Realtors Real Estate 42

McKissock

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

When it comes to lead generation, there are many tried and true strategies that real estate agents can implement such as cold-calling , door-knocking, and open houses. However, sometimes a lead just falls into your lap, sometimes in the most unexpected places. Last month (January), we asked our CE Plus members , “Where’s the strangest place or way you’ve acquired a lead that’s resulted in a sale?

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Agents Real Estate Agent Open Houses Real Estate 52

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales for January were at 6,669,000, which beat estimates. The year-over-year growth was an impressive 23.7%. The median sales price also jumped 14.1% year over year, which I warned could happen during the years 2020-2024. On a recent HousingWire podcast , I discussed the need for higher mortgage rates to cool down this growth rate.

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Housing Market Realtors Mortgage Sellers 528

BiggerPockets

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

An optimized rental price is a critical factor in property management. How do you effectively manage your property or your property management team to achieve the best outcome? Here are five easy, efficient ways.

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Property Management Landlords 69

Buys Brokers Only LLC

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

Acton, Massachusetts single-family home and condominium prices both saw double-digit moves in 2020, just in the opposite direction.

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Realtors Real Estate Marketing 39

AmeriMac

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Home appraisals are the perfect way to get an accurate measure of your house’s value. Now if you want to gain approval for a mortgage, you are going to need a good home appraisal. From the seller right down to the buyer, an experienced real estate appraiser is an essential part of the overall home purchasing process. While a precise appraisal ensures lenders do not borrow more than what is necessary, it also safeguards novice homebuyers from overpaying when purchasing their dream house.

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Appraisal Process Appraisal Sellers Buyers 36

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

When Realtor.com became the first listing platform to display flood hazard data on properties, the lead economist for Redfin expressed caution about the unintended consequences of displaying such statistics. “We need to be very careful about how we provide information,” Taylor Marr, the lead economist at Redfin, told NPR at the time. “Could this actually reduce the value of this existing homeowner and essentially take away a lot of their net worth?”.

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Insurance Real Estate Brokerage Design 511

BiggerPockets

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

It seems like young real estate investors get more and more impressive every week. Today we talk with Cole Ruud-Johnson, a wholesaler and flipper out of the Seattle area. The […].

Real Estate 69

Real Estate Investors 69

Houston Properties

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Winter In Houston: How To Deal With Home Damage From Snow & Cold Weather. Here's what you need to do to minimize damage and repair costs. Houston saw blankets of snow, sleet, record-low temperatures, and energy blackouts thanks to a historic winter storm making its way across the region. The Bayou City has not seen weather this frigid for more than three decades.

Insurance 69

Insurance Design Property Taxes Realtors 69

AmeriMac

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Home appraisals are the perfect way to get an accurate measure of your house’s value. Now if you want to gain approval for a mortgage, you are going to need a good home appraisal. From the seller right down to the buyer, an experienced real estate appraiser is an essential part of the overall home purchasing process. While a precise appraisal ensures lenders do not borrow more than what is necessary, it also safeguards novice homebuyers from overpaying when purchasing their dream house.

Appraisal Process 36

Appraisal Process Appraisal Sellers Buyers 36

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

It looks like RentPath will be sold after all. After a deal to be acquired by CoStar Group fell through due to antitrust objections from the federal government, real estate brokerage and listings portal Redfin has scooped up the Atlanta-based rental platform. Seattle-based Redfin has agreed to pay $608 million in cash to acquire RentPath , though the deal still requires sign-off by the Federal Trade Commission and a bankruptcy court.

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Real Estate Agent Real Estate Agents Brokerage 501

BiggerPockets

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Is buying land a good investment? Purchasing vacant land may not be right for every investor or every situation. How can you know this is the right move for you? We outline the pros and cons—and tell you what key questions to ask.

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Investing Investors Development Real Estate 69

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

Podcasts are the latest infotainment craze to take the American public by storm. With more than 850,000 active podcasts and nearly 31 million downloads in 2020 alone, podcasting has cemented itself as a true American pastime. As the popularity of this medium continues to grow, more and more housing industry professionals are becoming hosts and launching their own podcasts on topics ranging from real estate, fintech, and mortgage news.

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Real Estate Investors Agents Realty 497

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Depository bank Western Alliance has reached a deal to acquire correspondent lender AmeriHome for $1 billion in cash, the firms announced late Tuesday afternoon. With the acquisition, Western Alliance will grab full control of America’s third-largest correspondent lender from an affiliate of financial giant Apollo Global. AmeriHome purchased approximately $65 billion in conventional conforming and government-insured originations in 2020.

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Retail Insurance Government Business 497

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Consumer credit activity rose in the fourth quarter of 2020, as low interest rates and high housing demand continued to fuel mortgage demand, according to TransUnion’s latest industry insights report. Serious delinquency rates in mortgages declined year-over-year to 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2020. Delinquency rates were at 1% in the fourth quarter of 2019.

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Mortgage Business Marketing 468

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

As mortgage rates come off of their historic lows, mortgage applications dropped for the second week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage applications dropped 5.1% for the week ending Feb. 12, after falling 4.1% the week prior. Notably, the refinance share of activity dropped to 69.3%, the first time it’s been below 70% since October.

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Mortgage Contracts Government Inventory 468

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

From thousands of feet above your home, a high-tech camera snaps pictures of your roof, the mess of debris in your yard, and that pool you hate cleaning. Pictures like these could cost – or save – you thousands of dollars when deals are about to close. It could also have big implications for appraisers, who are already nervous about the continued rise of automated valuation models.

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Valuation Real Estate Investors Appraisal 459