Sat.Apr 16, 2022 - Fri.Apr 22, 2022

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Opinion: Regulation of title fee rates is already rigorous

Housing Wire

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut the country down in 2020, title and settlement professionals were deemed essential and continued to help consumers purchase homes and refinance mortgages. Protecting homeowners is always at the center of the title insurance industry’s core values: to lead, deliver and protect. This includes being transparent and fair in the title and settlement fees charged to consumers when buying a home or refinancing.

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Why “Days on Market” Matters to Home Buyers When Selling a House

HomeLight

The amount of time a home spends on a market (a statistic known as “days on market”) depends on a variety of factors like location, market trends, how your listing is marketed, and pricing. Prospective buyers know how long a house has been listed for, and that information can influence behavior, which is why days on market matters when selling a house.

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Your Sphere: The Fastest and Most Consistent Way to Earn Business

RIS Media

As a team leader and coach with Workman Success Systems, one of the recurring challenges I hear from agents is that the market is being inundated with new agents. Listing inventory is already lean, and every prospect seems to already “know” an agent. This is not a new phenomenon, however, and competing with other agents is a given in this industry. As of March 2022, there were 1.5 million NAR members, a gain of almost 100,000 members from March 2021.

Equity 111
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Why This Housing Market Is Not a Bubble Ready To Pop

Keeping Current Matters

Homeownership has become a major element in achieving the American Dream.

Marketing 303
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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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The VA’s little-known program for Native American veterans

Housing Wire

A Department of Veterans Affairs lending program for Native American veterans has been severely underutilized, a government watchdog found. According to a report the Government Accountability Office published this week, the VA’s Native American Direct Loan program only resulted in 89 loans originated in the continental U.S. from 2012 to 2021. This represents less than 1% of the estimated potentially eligible population of 70,000 veterans, the watchdog agency said.

Lending 542
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Housing Market at Inflection Point as Builder Confidence Continues to Fall

Eye on Housing

Rapidly rising interest rates combined with ongoing home price increases and higher construction costs continue to take a toll on builder confidence and housing affordability. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes moved two points lower to 77 in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).

Marketing 138

More Trending

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How To Approach Rising Mortgage Rates as a Buyer

Keeping Current Matters

In the last few weeks, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from Freddie Mac inched up to 5%.

Mortgages 299
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FHA adds 40-year loan term to COVID-19 arsenal

Housing Wire

The Federal Housing Administration told mortgage servicers that they can now offer a 40-year loan term as a COVID-19 recovery option. Servicers for FHA-insured mortgages can offer the modification immediately, according to the latest update to FHA’s mortgage lending policies. For now, only borrowers financially impacted by the pandemic can opt for the loss mitigation option, and it may only be used in combination with a partial claim option.

Loans 508
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What is an Appraisal Waiver

Maximum Exposure Real Estate

Everything You Need to Know About Waiving an Appraisal Contingency When buying a home, the property appraisal can be a difficult stage. A real estate appraiser will evaluate the property to ensure that the buyer isn’t offering more money than the home is worth. If the home appraisal comes in lower than hoped, it could […]. The post What is an Appraisal Waiver appeared first on Maximum Real Estate Exposure.

Staging 128
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How to Prep Your House For Sale and Attract Buyers

HomeLight

When selling a home, there’s a lot of work just to prep your house for sale. However, real estate agents say it’s not uncommon for clients to forget something when prepping. We’ve assembled this list of the top things you can take care of to help your home make a great impression, entice buyers, and attract great offers. Some of these items may seem like no-brainers, but we bet there are a few that you never thought of!

Sales 131
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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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Is It Time To Buy a Smaller Home?

Keeping Current Matters

Life events can have a major impact on what you need from your home, and retirement is one of the biggest changes many of us face.

Marketing 277
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The housing market is still savagely unhealthy

Housing Wire

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales for March came in as a miss of estimate at 5.77 million. However, the real story of 2022 is that the savagely unhealthy housing market continues as inventory is still lower than last year, sending home prices growth into double digits again. However, hope for a balanced market is real this year because, with higher rates, we should see more days on the market coming up and growth in the inventory data.

Marketing 505
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Inside Napa Valley’s Summer Hill Compound

Sotheby's International Real Estate

Bringing to mind a string of pearls strewn across a 40-acre knoll, this singular wine country estate comprises three serene pavilions linked by breezeways and loggias. Five years in the planning, it is the creation of illustrious designer Rela Gleason working in strong collaboration with architects John Sease and Bobby McAlpine. A once-in-a-lifetime property, it speaks an architectural language never before spoken.

Design 127
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9 Reasons Buying a House Will Be 100% Worth It

HomeLight

Buying your first house takes gumption. You resist splurging on Insta-worthy vacations to save for a down payment. Then you hold off on converting those savings into stocks for the latest plant-based start-up your cousin raves about. You fight every temptation in hopes of joining that glorious homebuyers’ circle, and just before you pull the trigger, you stumble upon an infographic telling you renting is actually cheaper — is this struggle even worth it?

Equity 128
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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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Why Pre-Approval Is an Important Step for Today’s Homebuyers

Keeping Current Matters

Being intentional and competitive are musts when buying a home this season.

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Fannie Mae cuts origination projection, forecasts recession in 2023

Housing Wire

Fannie Mae has lowered its mortgage origination forecasts for 2022 and 2023 due to the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) aggressive inflation-fighting monetary policy and corresponding volatility in the mortgage market. Fannie’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group dropped its projected single-family mortgage origination volume for 2022 from $3 trillion to $2.8 trillion.

Land 476
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5 Killer Tips to Get Your Home Sold Fast

Realty Biz

How to Make Your House Ready to Be Listed For Sale. When you list your home for sale, you’ll want to put your best foot forward. Many things go into a successful home sale, including setting the right price and hiring an outstanding real estate agent. Your property’s presentation will be very important, from the curb appeal to the home itself.

Staging 127
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Guiding Light: 5 Homes Filled with Natural Light

Sotheby's International Real Estate

These five bright homes use plentiful windows or full walls of glass to maximize natural light and make the most of their singular settings, from SoHo to Santa Fe. Light-Filled Manhattan Loft. New York, New York | Glenn Norrgard, Sotheby’s International Realty – Downtown Manhattan Brokerage. This 2,056-square-foot condominium home has an ideal floor plan for enjoying timeless New York loft living.

Brokerage 127
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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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Myths About Today’s Housing Market [INFOGRAPHIC]

Keeping Current Matters

Some Highlights. If you’re planning to buy or sell a home today, it’s important to be aware of common misconceptions. Whether it’s timing your purchase as a buyer based on home prices and mortgage rates or knowing what to upgrade or repair before listing your house as a seller, it takes a professional to guide you through those decisions. Lean on a real estate advisor to help separate fact from fiction in today’s housing market.

Marketing 246
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Housing completions held hostage by rising mortgage rates

Housing Wire

On Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released their report for March, showing a solid number of housing permits and starts — but these were boosted by multifamily construction. In addition, this data lags behind the current reality of a housing market dealing with much higher mortgage rates. The previous month’s data were revised higher; on the surface, this is a favorable report with 1.873 million housing permits and 1.793 million housing starts.

Mortgages 459
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A Handy Seller’s Guide To Staging a House While Living In It

HomeLight

Most home sellers face the common conundrum of trying to sell their home while still living in it. A quick search of online listings will reveal the range of those showcasing uninhabited houses, obviously staged ones, and then even more obviously lived-in homes. The goal for selling a house you’re still living in, is to stage it so that it appears that you’ve already moved out and the cleaning fairies have moved in.

Staging 124
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31 Spring Marketing Ideas For Real Estate: Social Media, Direct Mail & More

Easy Agent Pro

Spring has officially sprung! People nationwide are getting outside and doing much-needed spring cleaning. You may be tempted to frolic in the flowers yourself. But if you’re in the real estate industry, this season can set the tone for the rest of your year—and your sales. Spring is your annual springboard! So today, we’re sharing our top 5 spring marketing ideas for real estate.

Marketing 124
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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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Tech To Smarten Up Your Household Cleaning

Coldwell Banker

Need a little help around the house? Today’s technological gadgets can clean gutters, mow lawns, vacuum floors and even clean your toilet bowls. This real-life tech is accessible for everyone to make life a little easier. Check out these cool ideas for some smart home cleaning gadgets. Say Goodbye to the Pool Boy Robotic pool […]. The post Tech To Smarten Up Your Household Cleaning appeared first on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter.

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The evolution of the more productive real estate agent 

Housing Wire

Bonnie Williamson never intended to be a real estate agent. As a French major and Russian and political science minor at the University of Michigan, Williamson had initially entertained the idea of going into politics. Instead, she was recruited out of school as one of Pan Am ’s first Russian speaking stewardesses. Williamson was on the airline’s inaugural flight to Moscow in 1968.

Agents 448
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Here’s How the Role of Real Estate Agents Is Changing in Today’s Market

HomeLight

The role of a real estate agent is constantly evolving. Whether it’s adapting to new technology or keeping up with the changing markets, real estate agents have to be on their toes and willing to adjust to an ever-changing landscape. Today, real estate agents face competition from iBuyers (instant buyers) and online listing platforms, neither of which requires an agent to use — and both of which beg the question: Will real estate agents be replaced?

Agents 122
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Zillow testing major changes to Premier Agent program

Real Trends

Starting May 25, “several hundred” real estate agents in the Raleigh, North Carolina and Denver metro areas will no longer have access to Premier Agent , thanks to major changes coming to Zillow ’s lead generating platform. In a letter posted on Zillow Group ’s blog page on Wednesday, SVP of business operations Stephen Capezza told agents that Zillow would be moving to a “post pay” or “success fee” payment structure in Raleigh and Denver.

Agents 121
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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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4 Ways to Cool Off Your Energy Bill

Coldwell Banker

Gear up for summer by giving your air conditioner a break and lowering your energy bill at the same time with these home cooling methods. Alternatives like energy-efficient windows, doors and electronics, filters and shading can help chill your home with less energy use, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Dress Your Windows During […].

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Wells Fargo cuts mortgage jobs amid poor outlook

Housing Wire

A Wells Fargo bank branch. Wells Fargo & Co., the top depositary mortgage lender in the country, is cutting jobs in its home lending business, just days after reporting weak mortgage earnings in the first quarter of 2022. “The home lending displacements this week are the result of cyclical changes in the broader home lending environment,” a Wells Fargo’s spokesperson told HousingWire.

Mortgages 435
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Buyers’ Perceptions of Housing Availability Fall Back to 2018 Levels

Eye on Housing

Buyers’ expectations of housing availability continue to worsen. At its peak in the 4th quarter of 2020, 36% expected the home search to get easier in the months ahead. After five straight drops, the share is now 17% – a level not seen since 2018. In contrast, 74% expect the search for a home to get harder/stay the same. Buyers’.

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What to Do Before Offering on a Home

RIS Media

Are you in the process of considering whether to purchase a home? If so, you may be wondering about the steps you should take before making an offer on the house. Let’s look at some of the key things to consider before placing an offer on a property you love. Being well prepared will put you in a better position to be successful and enjoy your housing choice.

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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.