March, 2023

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‘Go big or go home’: Opendoor’s high-stakes bid to disrupt real estate

Inman

With billions saved — and lost — Opendoor is living by the creed "go big or go home." Yet even after a dreary Q4, the iBuyer persists, which may be the biggest takeaway, Mike DelPrete writes exclusively for Intel.

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What will housing credit look like in next recession?

Housing Wire

With the banking crisis spurring more talk of a recession, the question now is: What would housing credit look like in a recession? Many people predicted that the U.S. housing market would crash during the pandemic. One of the main reasons for that fear was that housing credit was about to get tight, meaning fewer people could buy homes with mortgages.

Loans 539
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An Expert Makes All the Difference When You Sell Your House

Keeping Current Matters

If you’re thinking of selling your house, it’s important to work with someone who understands how the market is changing and what it means for you. Here are five reasons working with a professional can ensure you’ll get the most out of your sale.

Sales 293
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Commissions lawsuit now a class action, greatly increasing its scope

Real Estate News

A judge ruled that the Moehrl suit would now cover all sellers who paid commissions to named companies over a 5-year period, plus “current and future” sellers.

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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.

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How to Become a Successful Real Estate Agent (6 Simple Strategies)

The Close

When I first became a real estate agent in 2010, I waltzed into the office with a swagger that would make Beyoncé blush. My local market was booming. New luxury high-rises were popping up like weeds, and open houses looked more like trendy nightclubs with lines of eager buyers spilling out onto the sidewalk. How could I not become a successful real estate agent in that market?

Agents 126
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The Recession That Loomed

Propmodo

The U.S. economy has been going through a rough patch, as economies are prone to do now and then. Last year, it met the informal threshold of a recession with two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product growth. But despite that, the National Bureau of Economic Research has not officially declared a recession yet. Typically, it takes them about a year to make that call as a recession is based on a broad range of economic factors.

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Will migration fizzle out in 2023? History points to existential shift

Inman

The migration trends that drove housing demand during the pandemic are ending. But that doesn't mean people aren't moving, according to an Inman analysis of historic data.

Banks 140
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Agile fintech firm executes first fully automated AOT transaction

Housing Wire

Agile , a Philadelphia-based fintech company focused on mortgage-backed securities (MBS), announced on Monday the execution of the mortgage industry’s first fully-automated Assignment of Trade (AOT) transaction. AOT transactions involve three counterparties — a mortgage originator, a mortgage investor, and a broker dealer — and are designed to transfer loan collateral and hedge positions to a mortgage investor.

Investor 468
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Pending sales signal modest improvement in housing market

Real Estate News

NAR reported that February pending home sales were up 0.8% from January, making it the third consecutive month of increases.

Sales 297
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Is It Really Better To Rent Than To Own a Home Right Now?

Keeping Current Matters

You may have seen reports in the news recently saying it’s better to rent right now than it is to own your home. But before you let that impact your decisions, you should understand what these claims are based on.

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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.

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Low housing inventory a win for homebuilders

Housing Wire

If there’s one sector of the economy that benefits from the very low levels of total housing inventory , it’s the homebuilders , but for a reason you might not think. If national housing inventory were back to normal, we would have 2 to 2.5 million active listings, and these active listings would be direct competition for the builders. New homes are traditionally more expensive than existing homes, which don’t have all the bells and whistles.

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Low inventory a challenge to housing market as rates decline 

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates declined for the third consecutive week, sparking hope for a good homebuyers’ spring season. But while rates have dropped, the housing market has continued to be challenged by low inventory levels. Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed on Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 6.32% as of March 30, down 10 basis points from the previous week, mainly due to the economic uncertainty caused by bank collapses.

Marketing 526
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Latest housing starts data is good for mortgage rates

Housing Wire

How is today’s housing starts data , which beat expectations, good for mortgage rates ? Typically good economic data is bad for rates, especially in this environment, when a Fed member will come out and say building or buying homes is bad for fighting inflation. The answer is simple: The best way to fight inflation long-term is to add more supply. Destroying demand is a short-term fix, but longer-term supply is the natural economic way.

Mortgages 521
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Housing Market Tracker: Inventory drops by 11,000

Housing Wire

The housing market faced some serious obstacles last week as the 10-year yield broke over 4%, mortgage rates rose to over 7%, purchase apps fell again and we are still trying to find the elusive seasonal bottom for housing inventory. Here is a quick rundown of the last week: Purchase application data was down 6% weekly. Weekly inventory fell much more than the previous two weeks, down 11,021; new listing growth had its lowest weekly calendar print for this previous week.

Marketing 513
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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.

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Lower mortgage rates fueling existing home sales

Housing Wire

Existing home sales had a huge beat of estimates on Tuesday. This wasn’t shocking for people who follow how I track housing data. To understand why we had such a beat in sales, you only need to go back to Nov. 9, when mortgage rates started to fall from 7.37% to 5.99%. During November, December and January, purchase application data trended positive, meaning we had many weeks of better-looking data.

Sales 511
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How ChatGPT can help you work more efficiently and generate more leads

Housing Wire

ChatGPT , the AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm over the past few months. It took Netflix 3.5 years to reach one million users, Facebook ten months and Spotify five months. ChatGPT got to the first million users in five days. In two months after that, ChatGPT reached 100 million active monthly users. But first things first. What is artificial intelligence (AI)?

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Fannie Mae: Appraisals are no longer the default option

Housing Wire

Fannie Mae updated its Selling Guide on Wednesday to include more options for property valuations, saying that they are “moving away from implying that an appraisal is a default requirement.” Those options include value acceptance (formerly appraisal waivers), value acceptance plus property data and hybrid appraisals. “We are on a journey of continuous improvement to make the home valuation process more efficient and accurate.

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Housing Market Tracker: Mortgage rates and inventory fall together

Housing Wire

The financial and housing markets are still trying to sort out the banking crisis and whether we have seen the last Fed rate hike in this cycle. These events led to lower mortgage rates and increased purchase application data last week, but decreased housing inventory. Here’s a quick rundown of the last week: The 10-year yield had a Lord of Rings battle at a critical technical level, pushing mortgage rates lower at the end of the week with no real break in the bond market.

Mortgages 476
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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.

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The cure for appraisal gap anxiety

Housing Wire

When you google “ appraisal gap” — and I just did — a long list of search results appear. To my surprise, the top results did not link to economists expounding on the intricacies of home price fluctuations, the leading theories on avoiding overvaluation or pictures of stunt riders jumping over a canyon filled with printed PDF docs. (OK, throw that last one out.

Loans 476
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Inflation is high, so why aren’t mortgage rates higher?

Housing Wire

Inflation is hot, so why aren’t mortgage rates over 10% like we saw in the 1970s? Put those disco pants back in the closet; this isn’t the 1970s, John, and the bond market has been saying this to anyone who would listen. Mortgage rates have trended up to over 7% while the 10-year yield has been around 4%, so everything is in the top-end range of my 2023 forecast.

Mortgages 476
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FHFA announces timeline to sunset FICO Classic credit model

Housing Wire

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced proposed implementation timelines for the use of the FICO 10T and the VantageScore 4.0 credit score models by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In concert, the government sponsored enterprises also plans to transition to two, rather than three, credit reports from the national consumer reporting agencies within a year.

Mortgages 468
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2023 RealTrends real estate brokerage rankings show growth in low-cost firms

Housing Wire

2022 was a roller coaster year, continuing the strong pandemic and post-pandemic fueled housing market through the first half of the year. Then, in the third quarter, we saw an abrupt stop to the record-breaking housing market. Despite market headwinds, the top brokerages continued to show growth in the 2023 RealTrends 500 brokerage rankings. While the top four companies stayed at the top, eXp Realty displaced HomeServices of America , who had a stronghold on the No. 1 spot in transaction sides

Brokerage 468
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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.

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Big banks to rescue First Republic with $30B in deposits 

Housing Wire

A group of 11 U.S. banks has agreed to make $30 billion in deposits at First Republic Bank to avoid another regional bank failure. The rescue comes after Silvergate Bank , Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed amid a liquidity crisis caused by a deposit run. “Today, 11 banks announced $30 billion in deposits into First Republic Bank.

Banks 468
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The 7% mortgage is back with a vengeance

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates are surging again due to sustained economic growth and continued inflation, eclipsing 7% on Thursday. And it could be a while before they tick back down, economists say. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage on Thursday, March 2 touched 7.10% , up 16 basis points from 6.94 on Wednesday. The most recent survey by Freddie Mac measured 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at 6.65% for the week ending Thursday, driven by the 10-year Treasury surpassing 4.0%.

Mortgages 468
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FHFA prevention actions surpassed 52K in Q4 2022

Housing Wire

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released on Thursday its Fourth Quarter 2022 Foreclosure Prevention and Refinance Report, stating that government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed 52,469 foreclosure prevention actions in Q4 2022. That figure increases the total number of GSE-assisted homeowners to 6,712,833 since the start of the conservatorship in September 2008, which placed control of Fannie and Freddie with the FHFA.

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With mortgage rates dropping, the conforming and jumbo loan spread narrows

Housing Wire

The collapses of Silvergate Bank , Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank , the rescue of First Republic Bank and the acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS, brought turbulence to the financial markets that led to a decline in mortgage rates – despite the Federal Reserve hiking federal funds rate by 25 basis point on Wednesday. The bank crisis has also reduced the spread between conforming and jumbo loan rates.

Loans 459
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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.

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The housing market is 6.5 million units short: Realtor.com

Housing Wire

It is no secret that the housing market is suffering from an ongoing inventory drought. Existing housing inventory fell by 11,021 homes week over week for the week ending March 6, according to data from Altos Research. While many are hoping new build inventory can at least slightly ameliorate this situation, an analysis from Realtor.com , published on Wednesday, says otherwise.

Marketing 459
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Former LO sues Celebrity over unpaid salaries in class-action lawsuit

Housing Wire

Illinois-based mortgage lender Celebrity Home Loans and its parent company Celebrity Financial, Inc. are the target of a class-action-seeking lawsuit. A former employee is suing the companies, alleging they “abruptly terminated hundreds of its employees” without giving legally required 60-day advance notice as required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act ( WARN Act ).

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Warehouse lenders facing fallout from industry woes

Housing Wire

The ongoing tumult in the banking industry brought to light by the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank — the second and third largest bank failures in U.S. history, respectively — also threatens liquidity channels for the independent mortgage banks (IMBs). Two banks that rank among the nation’s top warehouse lenders were recently singled out by Moody’s Investor Service for potential ratings downgrades due, in part, to their reliance on “confidence-sensitive uninsured deposi

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Housing starts increase to meet rising buyer demand

Housing Wire

After pulling back at the start of the year , homebuilders jumped back in during February as homebuyer demand and builder confidence trended upward. Homes were started at an estimated annual pace of 1.45 million in February, up 9.8% 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).

Banks 448
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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.