Keeping Current Matters

JANUARY 18, 2024

Over the past year, a lot of people have been talking about housing affordability and how tight it’s gotten.

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Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

Mortgage rates continued their descent this week to mark their lowest level since May 2023, welcome news for homebuyers who have been waiting on the sidelines for rates to drop. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.6% as of Jan. 11, a decrease from last week’s 6.66%, according to Freddie Mac ‘s Primary Mortgage Market Survey released on Thursday.

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Fixed-rate mortgage Mortgages New Construction Construction 532

Real Estate News

JANUARY 18, 2024

Lower rates are good news for buyers, but increased demand could further erode limited inventory.

Mortgages 304

Mortgages 304

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

Lights, camera, lawsuit! A copycat commission lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles. The suit, known as Fierro, after its lead plaintiff Gael Fierro, a Californian home seller, accuses the real estate industry of colluding to artificially inflate real estate agent commissions. It was filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Patrick Thurber, a California home seller, is an additional named plaintiff in the suit.

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MLS Brokerage Agents As-is 530

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

Join this insightful webinar with industry expert Abdi Ali, who will discuss the challenges that can arise from managing lease accounting with spreadsheets! He will share real-world examples of errors, compliance issues, and risks that may be present within your spreadsheets. Learn how these tools, while useful, can sometimes lead to inefficiencies that affect your time, resources, and peace of mind.

Industrial

Real Estate News

JANUARY 18, 2024

The latest case, which focuses on Los Angeles, lists 35 defendants including the largest MLS in the U.S., major brokerages and two dozen associations.

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MLS Brokerage 241

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

Wire and title fraud risk reached an all all-time high in Q4 2023 with 51.8% of transactions having issues that led to a risk of wire and title fraud, according to FundingShield ‘s quarterly report. On average, problematic loans had 2.2 issues per loan indicating the lack of appropriate controls by closing agents to identify and fix issues. With the fourth quarter traditionally being the highest risk quarter of the year for fraud, 2023 was no exception with higher-than-average findings acr

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Title Banks Loans Closing 467

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

Despite lower mortgage rates , housing starts ended the year on a downturn, after posting a large monthly gain in November. New construction starts fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.460 million units, down 4.3% month over month, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

New Construction 479

New Construction Principal Construction Mortgages 479

Real Estate News

JANUARY 18, 2024

A jury ruled in September that Zillow was not deceptive in the way it displayed non-MLS listings.

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MLS 233

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

The city of Laguna Beach, Calif. recently offered details of its city-sponsored aging-in-place program, dubbed “Lifelong Laguna,” in a profile published by CNBC. It provides new insight into the measures cities can explore to more easily facilitate aging-in-place goals for older residents. 2021 research from AARP indicates that 77% of adults at or over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes as they get older, but the figure in Laguna Beach is much higher.

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As-is 469

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

Fannie Mae economists no longer expect a recession and are considerably more optimistic that mortgage rates have additional room to come down below 6 percent.

Mortgages 196

Mortgages Sales Marketing 196

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Brokerage

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

Closing software provider Qualia is accusing a former employee and startup title production software firm Settlor of stealing trade secrets. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Denver, Qualia claims that its former senior manager of product at Resware Krista Myers , who is now a product manager at Settlor, secretly stole data from Qualia before she resigned from her position.

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Title Closing Land As-is 445

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

As many as 80 percent of agents are using AI to do things like write listing descriptions, but real estate leaders also have concerns about "guardrails" for the tech.

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Agents Technology 190

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

Ted Tozer, former president of Ginnie Mae during the Obama administration and current president Alanna McCargo’s most recent Senate-confirmed predecessor, applauded the news that the company is looking into the development of a new Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)-backed Security (HMBS) product. Announced earlier this week as a part of a broader effort to introduce more liquidity into reverse mortgage-backed securities, the new product would enable the acquisition of loans from an HMBS poo

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Development Loans Banks Mortgages 443

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

With its new Power Players list, Inman recognizes 137 industry leaders for their power and influence as it kicks off a year of expanded awards.

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Industrial Brokerage Mortgages Agents 194

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As the real estate market evolves, technology has become essential for success. According to NAR, only 26% of agents feel their brokerage provides the necessary tech tools and, as a result, agents seek teams and brokerages who prioritize technology investments! Whether you manage an established team or are forming a new one, this guide outlines key considerations and necessary applications to thrive.

Agents

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

Dark Matter Technologies , formerly Black Knight Origination Technologies, is gearing up to bring more lenders on to use its Empower loan origination system in 2024. The firm is primarily focused on creating an application programming interface (API) marketplace where Dark Matter Technologies can collaborate with developers on automation and cutting expenses for third-party vendors and lenders.

Technology 428

Technology Marketing Loans Development 428

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

The duplex at Central Park Tower marks one of the rare deals in New York City that has commanded nine figures in recent years. When it was first listed in early 2023, the unit asked $175 million.

Development 176

Development Marketing 176

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

Japanese homebuilder Sekisui House, Ltd. has struck a deal to acquire its U.S.-based peer M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. in an all-cash transaction that values the target at $4.9 billion, the companies announced Thursday. The acquisition turns Sekisui into the fifth largest homebuilder in the U.S as it expands the company’s presence to 15,067 combined home closings across 16 states.

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Branding Residential Closing Technology 413

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

Attorney and new Inman Contributor Rachel Streitfeld examines how changes to Florida's zoning laws could free up vast tracts of land for high-density new home construction.

Land 172

Land Construction Agents Marketing 172

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Agents

Housing Wire

JANUARY 18, 2024

HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Jim Butler, chief technology officer at Stavvy , to talk about moving real estate from paper to a digital transaction, how the company is using AI, and the vibe you get working with industry experts. Previously, Butler served as CTO of HqO, an employee experience platform for commercial office buildings, and CTO of Global Supply Platforms for Verizon Media.

Industrial 332

Industrial Technology As-is Commercial 332

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

In his latest Snapshot profile, Brandon Doyle looks at the career of Sunny Lake Hahn, traces her real estate journey and shares her best advice.

Agents 182

Agents 182

RIS Media

JANUARY 18, 2024

Selling a home for the first time can be daunting, filled with uncertainties and questions. However, the process can be smooth and thriving with the proper knowledge and strategic planning. We will showcase valuable tips and advice for first-time homesellers. The information will cover essential aspects to ensure a profitable and stress-free home sale.

Sales 137

Sales Inspection Industrial 137

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

Trend could bode well for the spring homebuying season, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday, but Fed may take its time before cutting rates.

Mortgages 176

Mortgages Loans Marketing 176

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Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.

Sales

Eye on Housing

JANUARY 18, 2024

The NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI), a measure of sentiment among professional remodelers, for the fourth quarter posted a reading of 67, increasing two points compared to the previous quarter. Remodelers’ sentiment was quite positive at the end of 2023, when seasonally adjusted for the slowdown that invariably occurs during that part of the year.

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Marketing 124

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

The Federal Trade Commission has ordered Ganadores Real Estate to refund consumers after making false real estate coaching and mentoring promises. The group charged $28,000 per student and promised six-figure returns.

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Eye on Housing

JANUARY 18, 2024

In a sign that lower mortgage rates continue to boost the housing market, single-family production surpassed the million mark for the second straight month in December. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau overall housing starts fell 4.3% in December. The seasonally adjusted annual rate was 1.46 million units following.

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Development Mortgages Marketing Construction 119

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

MV Realty was under scrutiny for deceiving homeowners in financial distress into signing exclusive listing agreements that lasted 40 years in exchange for cash.

Brokerage 166

Brokerage Agents Marketing 166

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Brokerage

RIS Media

JANUARY 18, 2024

Luxury real estate—while part of the housing market—is a world of its own, fighting the tides of market challenges and managing to stay afloat. Due to this, luxury consumers remain more positive in their market than most. In fact, over one-third of surveyed luxury consumers feel that 2024 will be a better time to buy or… The post Luxury Real Estate Has a Positive Outlook for 2024 appeared first on RISMedia.

Marketing 124

Marketing Industrial 124

Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

When New Mexico builder Abrazo Homes named its floor plans after iconic historical women, it ignited a social media firestorm. Here's why using celebrities and cultural figures without permission to market your business is such a bad idea.

Marketing 158

Marketing New Construction Construction Brokerage 158

Bigger Pockets

JANUARY 18, 2024

Want to learn how to buy a house in 2024? Whether you have outstanding credit or your score could use a little work, there are different ways to buy.

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Inman

JANUARY 18, 2024

Pacaso's senior vice president of industry relations sat down with Inman ahead of Inman Connect New York next week to share the vacation-home platform's big expansion plans for the new year.

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Industrial Marketing 156

Speaker: Sarah Santa Ana, Real Estate Coach, Move4Free Realty

Networking is one of the crucial elements in every real estate organization's success. Both agents and real estate companies need to maintain robust networking links. This is why social media is essential for any real estate professional! Social media enables you to stay in touch with your present clients, maintain connections with your past clients, and engage potential customers and investors.

Agents