Sat.Mar 05, 2022 - Fri.Mar 11, 2022

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Layoffs, again: Better.com to ax 3,000 employees

Housing Wire

Pink slips will arrive for 3,000 employees of Better.com, the mortgage lender that received a mountain of bad press three months ago when its CEO, Vishal Garg, fired 900 workers via Zoom and chastised their work ethic to remaining employees. . The new round of layoffs reaches 35% of Better.com’s staff and hits workers in the United States and in India, according to a person familiar with the lender’s decision.

Mortgages 482
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How Global Uncertainty Is Impacting Mortgage Rates

Keeping Current Matters

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, you’ll want to keep a pulse on what’s happening with mortgage rates.

Mortgages 250
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5 ways AI can help home buyers find the perfect home

Realty Biz

From self-driving cars to advanced medical diagnosis, artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed our lives. Even in the entertainment industry, we have already seen preference-based AI algorithms be hugely successful like in Netflix and Amazon. A growing number of real estate companies are already incorporating artificial intelligence into the buying, selling, and mortgage processes to make real estate more efficient.

Loans 113
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What is an Appraisal Gap Coverage Clause

Maximum Exposure Real Estate

What Does Appraisal Gap Mean in Real Estate Many things happen when you buy a new home, and sometimes things don’t go your way. When purchasing with a mortgage, one issue you can have is an appraisal gap. If there this an appraisal gap, you could end up losing your dream home. The simple explanation […]. The post What is an Appraisal Gap Coverage Clause appeared first on Maximum Real Estate Exposure.

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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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Why owning a home is the best hedge against inflation

Housing Wire

On Thursday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the same trend that all Americans have seen lately: the inflation rate of growth is rampant and doesn’t show any sign of easing up due to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. The Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers “increased 0.8 percent in February on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.6 percent in January… Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 7.9 percent before seasonal adjustment.” As you can

Mortgages 543
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Key Terms for Homebuyers [INFOGRAPHIC]

Keeping Current Matters

Some Highlights. Knowing key housing terms and how they relate to today’s market is important. For example, when mortgage rates and home prices rise, it impacts how much home you can afford. Terms like appraisal (what lenders rely on to validate a home’s value) and the inspection contingency (which gives buyers essential information on a home’s condition) directly impact the transaction.

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Increasing Open Jobs in Construction

Eye on Housing

The construction labor market remains tight, as the industry sees a rising number of job openings year-over-year. The count of open construction jobs increased for the month to 380,000 unfilled positions in January. The highest measure in the history of the data series (going back to late 2000) was 416,000 in April 2019. The housing market remains underbuilt and requires.

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Welcome to Walmart. Here’s your mortgage

Housing Wire

Lenders One Cooperative announced on Monday that it has struck a deal to lease retail space in Walmart stores to sell mortgage products and services. The cooperative inked a deal for space at three Walmart locations, but said there are “many more opportunities to come.” Lenders One will be selling purchase, refinance and home equity products at its “store-in-store” branch locations.

Mortgages 488
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How To Navigate a Market Where Multiple Offers Is the New Normal

Keeping Current Matters

If you’re thinking of buying a home today, you already know that the number of homes available for sale is low. But what does that really mean for you?

Marketing 264
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4 Creative Ways to Land Your First Real Estate Listing

Lighter Side of Real Estate

Listing your first house can take some time when you get into real estate. And we’re not talkin’ just weeks or months—it can take years ! Heck, some agents never list a house in their entire career! A big reason for this is because potential sellers aren’t sending out Bat-Signals into the sky for you to figure out who’s thinking about selling. On the other hand, finding prospective buyers to work with is a lot easier when you first get started.

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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.

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Video of the Week: Luxurious Modern Villa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Sotheby's International Real Estate

Featuring curated videos from the most sought-after destinations the world over, discover this week’s V ideo of the Week. ?. Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Leigh Williamson, LUXHABITAT Sotheby’s International Realty. What started as a true passion project has evolved into a one-of-a-kind, ultra-chic mansion villa. Forged from the genius of Italian architect Frederico Spagnulo, no expense has been spared and no detail has been overlooked in curating this breath-takingly impressive family ho

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Homeowners gain $8.2 trillion in housing wealth over 10 years

Housing Wire

From 2010 to 2020, middle-income households gained $2.1 trillion in housing wealth, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors , released on Wednesday. NAR’s Housing Wealth Gains for the Rising Middle-Class Markets study examined the distribution of housing wealth between 2010 and 2020 across income groups in 917 metropolitan and micropolitan areas.

Sales 468
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Key Factors That Impact Affordability Today

Keeping Current Matters

You can’t read an article about residential real estate without the author mentioning the affordability challenges that today’s buyers face.

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Quit discouraging the next generation of real estate agents

The American Genius for Real Estate

(EDITORIAL) It has become predictable that real estate agents will discourage the next generation - here's why it happens and how we can collectively stop this ignorant behavior. The post Quit discouraging the next generation of real estate agents appeared first on The American Genius Real Estate.

Agents 124
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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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Global Getaways: Luxury Rental Market Spotlight On Croatia

Sotheby's International Real Estate

Last time we explores why a luxury rental in New Zealand might be your next real estate investment; now let’s take a closer look at a country with a thriving luxury rental market and hear directly from our local area experts there. The Republic of Croatia is a country that can be found where Southeast and Central Europe meet on the Adriatic Sea. Learn more why this popular destination for tourists may be the destination for your next rental investment.

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Volatile mortgage rates rise to 3.85% amid war, record inflation

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates have been all over the place lately. They rose this week, reflecting the volatility of the U.S. economy brought by inflation and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The average 30-year-fixed rate mortgage increased to 3.85% for the week ending March 10, up from 3.76% in the previous week, according to the latest Freddie Mac PMMS Mortgage Survey.

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Why It’s Critical To Price Your House Right

Keeping Current Matters

When you make a move, you want to sell your house for the highest price possible.

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Households Priced Out by Higher Interest Rates

Eye on Housing

New NAHB 2022 Priced-Out Estimates showed that 87.5 million households are not able to afford a median priced new home, and that additional 117,932 households would be priced out of the new home market if the price goes up by $1,000. This post presents how interest rates affect the number of households that would be priced out of the new.

Marketing 122
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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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Finding a Home Can Be a Challenge. We’ve Rounded up 6 Ways to Find a Home off the Beaten Path

HomeLight

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —. I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”. While Frost probably wasn’t talking about his search for a new home, this excerpt from the poem “The Road Not Taken” can certainly apply to a home search. While you’ve probably searched for homes on Zillow or maybe even called the number on a “for sale” sign, have you ever scouted haunted houses or scoured DOT listings?

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Fannie Mae: Policymakers should look elsewhere to improve affordability

Housing Wire

How much does a typical low-income first-time homebuyer with a Fannie Mae -backed mortgage bring to the closing table? According to Fannie Mae , in a working paper entitled “ Mortgage costs as a share of housing costs—placing the cost of credit in broader context ,” the average low-income, first-time homebuyer has about $28,000 for a down payment.

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Luxury Real Estate Headlines: Second Week in March 2022

Sotheby's International Real Estate

Highlights from this week’s top news stories on luxury and global real estate, art, collectibles, and home. Stockholm, Sweden | Helena Karnsund & Peter Frisell, Sweden Sotheby’s International Realty . This minimalist noir home in Lidingö riffs on barn architecture, with a dramatic black exterior that glows like a lantern at night thanks to large expanses of glazing.

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Household Real Estate in the Fourth Quarter

Eye on Housing

The latest results from the Federal Reserve’s Z.1 Financial Accounts of the United States, i.e., the Flow of Funds, show that in 2021, the aggregate market value of all owner-occupied real estate in the United States experienced the largest quarterly increase on record. From $36.8 trillion in the third quarter of 2021, the value of owner-occupied real estate increased by.

Marketing 111
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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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Getting Into Real Estate Through Vacation Rentals: 3 Real People Tell Us How They Did It

HomeLight

Investing in property is a long-held and sound piece of financial advice. Over time, property appreciates faster than inflation and can be a nice nest egg for retirement. But nowadays, it can be out of budget to afford your dream home — or it might make sense in your situation to keep renting your abode for now. Maybe you already own your dream home and want to keep growing your real estate assets, but long-term rentals aren’t a great fit for your situation.

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As the market turns, Guild says it’s better prepared than its rivals

Housing Wire

California-based Guild Mortgage can be added to the growing list of lenders with waning profitability. But Guild’s executives believe the retail lender is well positioned to succeed in a lower-volume environment, whether it’s organically or through acquisitions. The nonbank mortgage lender increased its total originations in 2021, despite a reduction in the fourth quarter.

Marketing 432
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Housing Costs Heading Toward Record Highs After Pandemic Decreases

Brownstoner

Housing prices are once again climbing to record highs in New York City after seeing substantial decreases during the pandemic, and many tenants renewing leases are being left on the hook for enormous increases in rent that they did not foresee when renting their apartment at the height of Covid-19’s… Read More > The post Housing Costs Heading Toward Record Highs After Pandemic Decreases appeared first on Brownstoner.

Marketing 114
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Americans Dare to Dream: Coldwell Banker’s Seller Strategy Tackles Today’s Business Challenges

Coldwell Banker

Latest Coldwell Banker survey to understand the ways Americans view their real estate dreams and what support they value during the selling process. The post Americans Dare to Dream: Coldwell Banker’s Seller Strategy Tackles Today’s Business Challenges appeared first on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter.

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The Broker Action Plan for the Post-NAR Lawsuit Landscape

Now more than ever, brokers need to provide agents with the right tools, strategies, and training to effectively demonstrate their expertise, negotiate successfully, and foster strong client relationships. So – what should brokers do to ensure this? Invest in the right technology, continuous education, and innovative marketing strategies that empower agents to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

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What Can You Find In a Property History Search? Tips From People Who Work With Public Records

HomeLight

When buying a home, taking a peek into the history of the property is an important part of the closing process. This step is commonly referred to as a title search , title review, or property history search — but by any name, it involves delving into the formal records of a home and the property on which it sits. There are lots of potential red flags that could pop up once you start digging around, and the last thing you want as a new homebuyer is to later find out that there’s a massive tax lie

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Mortgage applications jump 8.5% as Russia’s war pressures rates

Housing Wire

Mortgage applications jumped 8.5% for the week ending March 4, as mortgage rates dropped for the first time in three months as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported on Wednesday. Borrowers’ demand for mortgages increased across the board. The MBA‘s seasonally adjusted refi index rose 8.5% from the previous week, with a larger gain in government refinances.

Mortgages 370
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How to Overcome the Top Real Estate Farming Challenges

RIS Media

Real estate farming seems straightforward at first. If you can stay on top of outreach tasks, then you’ll be successful—right? How hard can it be to regularly send postcards and call prospects? The truth is a little more complicated. All the tasks from project management and marketing know-how required to successfully farm a territory can become overwhelming.

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Opinion: Title insurance is essential. Here’s why

Real Trends

As we approach the beginning of home-buying season, with many buyers deciding on the purchase of their largest investment yet, title insurance is essential, giving homebuyers peace of mind and confidence that their property rights are protected. The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the way we view our homes. Practically overnight, our homes became our workplaces, schools and gyms.

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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.