June, 2023

article thumbnail

4 Best (and Worst) Projects for a Home’s Resale Value

RIS Media

For REALTORS®, selling a house should be the start of a relationship with a client, not the end. As you keep in touch with buyers, providing expertise will enhance your standing. Owners want to improve their properties with any number of projects. But what’s appealing to some can be appalling to others. They should understand… The post 4 Best (and Worst) Projects for a Home’s Resale Value appeared first on RISMedia.

article thumbnail

Why higher rates aren’t crashing home prices

Housing Wire

Home prices aren’t crashing, despite what the housing bubble boys are saying. In fact, home prices have firmed up higher recently. The housing bubble boys are a crew that from 2012 to 2019 screamed housing crash every year. They went all in during COVID-19 in 2020, doubled down in 2021 as the forbearance crash bros but really bet the farm on a massive home-price crash in 2023 after the most significant home sales crash ever in 2022.

Mortgages 546
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Why Homeownership Wins in the Long Run

Keeping Current Matters

Today’s higher mortgage rates, inflationary pressures, and concerns about a potential recession have some people questioning: should I still buy a home this year?

Mortgages 262
article thumbnail

David Doctorow steps down as CEO of Realtor.com parent Move, Inc.

Inman

Doctorow oversaw the company as its revenues and site traffic rose to record highs, the company said. But as with the rest of the industry, Move has shown signs of a slowdown.

article thumbnail

The 2025 Real Estate Roadmap to Success

Don’t just react to changes, plan for them, so you can approach the new year with confidence, direction, and a competitive edge for your business. Having a well-defined business plan helps you chart a clear course, navigate challenges, and set a foundation for growth. This workbook gives you the key steps to outline what matters and will ensure you’re moving ahead.

article thumbnail

Luxury Real Estate Headlines, Final Week in June 2023

Sotheby's International Real Estate

Highlights from this week’s top news stories on luxury and global real estate, art, collectibles, and home. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty The mansion, owned by a JLL executive, is hitting the market for A$20 million. A Brisbane Equestrian Compound Is on Sale for $13.2 Million – Bloomberg The Gallery-Like Home of Collector Chara Schreyer, Who Championed ‘Strange’ Art, Has Come to Market in San Francisco – artnet Bulgaria’s Most Expensive Home Lists fo

Design 138
article thumbnail

What Does Contingent Mean in Real Estate?

HomeLight

You’ve been browsing for a home when suddenly a particular listing catches your eye. It’s a lovely four-bedroom Colonial, beautifully presented in the heart of a mature neighborhood. But as your eyes scan the details of the listing, you come across a term that makes you pause: “Contingent.” So, what does contingent mean in real estate?

More Trending

article thumbnail

May Housing Starts: Record Number of Multi-Family Housing Units Under Construction

Calculated Risk Real Estate

Housing Starts Increased Sharply to 1.631 million Annual Rate in May From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions Housing Starts: Privately‐owned housing starts in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,631,000. This is 21.7 percent above the revised April estimate of 1,340,000 and is 5.7 percent above the May 2022 rate of 1,543,000.

article thumbnail

Pride Month 2023: Discover the Top 8 Cities for Unforgettable Celebrations

Redfin

We’re officially welcoming the month of June, which means it’s time for Pride! The first Pride march dates back to June 28, 1970, one year after the Stonewall Uprising. Thousands took to Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York streets to commemorate the event and display their support for equal rights. Today, millions of attendees worldwide march through cities to celebrate the fight won and reinforce their support for the work ahead.

Staging 69
article thumbnail

Rent Growth is Negative For the First Time in Three Years—Is Your Cash Flow in Jeopardy?

Bigger Pockets

Rent growth has been on a downward trajectory for a while now, but it finally crossed the negative line. What does this mean for investors?

Investor 126
article thumbnail

Opinion: Release the GSEs from conservatorship

Housing Wire

After the recent extraordinary show of force defending changes to LLPAs by federal regulators and their friends, the forest through the trees risk remains in focus to me. One of the great concerns I have, as both a former regulator and the former head of a major industry trade association, is the downside risk of keeping the GSEs in conservatorship any longer.

Loans 546
article thumbnail

Avoiding Lease Accounting Pitfalls in 2025: Lessons Learned from Spreadsheet Errors

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.

article thumbnail

It’s a good time to be selling (and buying) new homes

Real Estate News

New home sales are up 20% year-over-year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and lower median prices could help first-time buyers.

Sales 314
article thumbnail

Real Estate Is Still Considered the Best Long-Term Investment

Keeping Current Matters

With all the headlines circulating about home prices and rising mortgage rates, you may wonder if it still makes sense to invest in homeownership right now.

Mortgages 259
article thumbnail

Slowing single-family rental price growth is approaching pre-pandemic levels

Housing Wire

The U.S. single-family rental market is still strong, but the pace of rent increases has cooled significantly over the past year. The market is looking more like 2019 than the price spikes witnessed during the pandemic. U.S. single-family rent increases in May registered a 3.7% gain, compared to the 14.2% growth observed in the same month in 2022, according to Corelogic ’s Single-Family Rent Index (SFRI).

Principal 539
article thumbnail

The savagely unhealthy housing market is back

Housing Wire

The days on market are back to a teenager level in the existing home sales market, which means I can officially say we are back to a savagely unhealthy housing market! Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. What do I mean by savagely unhealthy? One of the critical data lines I track is the days on market, and when that breaks under 30 days it’s a dangerous sign, but when we get into the teenager level or lower, it’s a red alert.

Marketing 526
article thumbnail

Tech-Forward Strategies for Scaling Agent Efficiency & Accelerating Growth

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.

article thumbnail

New home sales defy recession calls

Housing Wire

New home sales are up 20% year over year, and existing home sales are down 20% year over year; this is something we don’t see very often. One group has the advantage here while the other doesn’t: The new home sales market is minuscule versus the existing one, and the builders sell their homes like a commodity. Last year a theme of mine was that new home sales are historically low, and the builders know how to move products when needed.

Sales 516
article thumbnail

Is the housing recession over?

Housing Wire

Housing starts are surging today and the builder’s confidence data is now in expansion territory. Does this mean the housing recession is over? As I have said many times over the last few months, the builders are efficient sellers and they’re taking advantage of an existing home sales market that is suffering from low inventory and higher mortgage rates.

article thumbnail

Has the Fed won its battle against inflation? 

Housing Wire

Inflation was running over 9% last year and the headline inflation growth rate has cooled off a lot recently. Does this mean the Federal Reserve will pivot soon to prevent a recession? I don’t believe they will, but the growth rate of headline inflation falling is good enough for them to pause rate hikes tomorrow. The core aspect of inflation is taking time to head lower, and this is the part of the inflation picture that the Fed cares most about.

Banks 508
article thumbnail

Is the sinking housing market finally at the bottom?

Housing Wire

It’s been a brutal 15-month period for the housing market since the Federal Reserve began escalating its benchmark interest rate in March 2022 to combat rising inflation. Since then, the Fed has bumped rates 10 times, effectively putting the brakes on what had been a hot housing market. As the June 13-14 meeting of the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) approaches, the housing industry remains prepared for yet another jolt of rate shock.

Marketing 508
article thumbnail

Accelerating Real Estate Sales Pipelines to Streamline Buyer Journeys

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.

article thumbnail

Housing Market Tracker: Purchase apps surprise

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates were near 7% last week but purchase applications were still able to pull out an 8% week-to-week gain. That was surprisingly strong, but as I have always stressed, context is critical. Purchase apps were coming off a four-week losing streak and even though those were mild week-to-week declines, it was still four weeks of weakness. The recent growth broke that streak, but demand is still low.

Marketing 505
article thumbnail

Homebuilders are all smiles right now

Housing Wire

For the first time in nearly a year, homebuilder confidence moved into positive territory thanks to strong consumer demand , limited competition from the existing home sales market , and an improving supply chain. The National Home Builders Association ‘s June survey marks the sixth straight month that builder confidence has increased and is the first time that sentiment levels have surpassed the midpoint of 50 (out of 100) since July 2022.

article thumbnail

Jobs data shows the truth about the labor market

Housing Wire

We’ve had some odd job reports over the years, but the key is to always follow the trend. That’s especially important with Friday’s data , which showed 339,000 jobs were created in May even while the unemployment rate increased. As someone who wrote that we should get job openings toward 10 million in this expansion, I am always mindful of my other labor talking point.

Marketing 476
article thumbnail

Housing Market Tracker: Holiday impacts inventory

Housing Wire

Last week we saw a noticeable slowdown in housing inventory growth that I hope has more to do with a holiday week than a trend. Mortgage rates fell last week after the debt ceiling issues were resolved, but the damage from higher rates took its toll on purchase application data again. Here’s a quick rundown of the last week: Active inventory grew 3,180 weekly , and new listing data fell week to week and is still trending at an all-time low in 2023.

Marketing 468
article thumbnail

Maximizing Your Online Presence: Tips for Real Estate Agents on Social Media

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.

article thumbnail

Zillow shuts down Closing Services

Housing Wire

Zillow Group ’s attempt to streamline the home buying experience by offering all facets of the transaction process on one platform has hit a road bump. The real estate listing giant announced on Monday that it is sunsetting its title and escrow provider, Zillow Closing Services. “Integrating the real estate transaction to make buying and selling simpler for customers remains our core strategy and we believe offering title and escrow is a critical component,” a Zillow spokesperson wrote in an ema

Closing 459
article thumbnail

Crowdfunding platform Peer Street files for bankruptcy

Housing Wire

California-based real estate investing platform Peer Street, Inc. and 14 affiliated debtors filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in a court in Delaware on Monday, citing a challenging mortgage market and struggles to raise capital with venture capital funds. “Through its bankruptcy filing, PeerStreet will seek to sell substantially all of its assets, including, but not limited to, its mortgage loan assets and technology platform, in a series of transacti

article thumbnail

Median income earners can only afford 25% of current listings

Housing Wire

It is no secret that housing inventory is low. As of June 2, there were 433,104 single family homes on the market nationwide, according to data from Altos Research. And while this situation is certainly far from ideal, according to a report published Thursday by the National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com , even with the existing level of homes available for sale, the housing affordability and inventory shortage issues wouldn’t be so severe if there were enough homes for buyers at all i

Sales 459
article thumbnail

Residential real estate activity picks up despite low inventory

Housing Wire

All 12 Federal Reserve districts have seen issues with a lack of housing inventory , which is largely due to existing homeowners holding back on listing their homes after previously locking in low mortgage rates. Demand from the buyer side has remained steady or increased, however, and new home builders have responded to inventory shortages by increasing speculative inventory production, according to the Federal Reserve Beige Book, released Wednesday.

article thumbnail

Rise of The Apps: Building Your Dream Tech Stack For Real Estate Success

Speaker: Trey Willard, Realtor/Team Leader at Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

In order to create continued success in today’s real estate market, realtors need to utilize an arsenal of technology that will increase their efficiency and presence on social media. Using technology to manage your prospects and tap into their needs through websites, social media, and other channels is critical for real estate success in 2022 and beyond.

article thumbnail

loanDepot sues Movement for poaching LOs

Housing Wire

loanDepot is accusing its competitor Movement Mortgage of damaging its business by hiring over 25 employees in three months and “effectively crippling” “now-depleted” branches. The poaching lawsuit, filed on June 22 at a federal district court in Delaware, states that South Carolina-based Movement recruited and hired its employees in late 2021 and early 2022 to take trade secrets and confidential information.

Loans 448
article thumbnail

Guild launches 1% down payment advantage program

Housing Wire

Add Guild Mortgage to the list of lenders offering down payment assistance programs in order to court more buyers at a time when mortgage rates remain elevated. The California-based lender rolled out a 1% down payment advantage program this week that allows customers to buy a home with a minimum down payment of 1% of the purchase price. Guild will also cover 1% of the borrower’s interest rate for the first year with a lender-paid temporary buydown.

Loans 448
article thumbnail

Nearly 90% of recent mortgages originations were purchase loans

Housing Wire

The housing market, which is facing challenges with mortgage rates , affordability, prices and inventory, hasn’t been this purchase-dominant in decades, according to Black Knight ’s originations market monitor report. Today, nearly nine out of every 10 mortgages originated is a purchase loan, the report notes. Last month, purchase locks accounted for 88% of the market mix, marking a record high.

Loans 448
article thumbnail

Fannie Mae warns Northern CA mortgage lenders of child support income scheme

Housing Wire

Fannie Mae has issued a mortgage fraud alert for lenders in northern California, warning of heightened instances of misrepresented child support income in “numerous loans” that have been originated in the region over the past few months. The GSE highlighted four hallmarks of such a scheme. These include, “commonality of real estate agents involved in selling the subject properties; bank statements and canceled checks [which] are created to support falsified child support income; borrowers hav[in

Mortgages 435
article thumbnail

Driving Profit: 4 Pillars for Growing Your Real Estate Brokerage

In the rapidly changing real estate landscape, achieving profitability requires a strategic approach beyond traditional methods. Our guide, "The 4 Pillars to Brokerage Profitability," outlines four essential pillars for scaling your real estate business: a seamless lead-to-close technology ecosystem, tailored integrated solutions for teams and agents, value-added success services and community support, and consumer-centric operations throughout the full homeownership lifecycle.