Housing Wire

APRIL 18, 2022

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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Title Land Title search Closing 415

HomeLight

APRIL 18, 2022

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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Days on market Marketing Inspection Staging 122

RIS Media

APRIL 19, 2022

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.

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Equity Agents Development Industrial 111

Keeping Current Matters

APRIL 22, 2022

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.

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Marketing Mortgages 247

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

Housing Wire

APRIL 20, 2022

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 541

Lending Loans Mortgages Development 541

Eye on Housing

APRIL 18, 2022

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 140

Marketing Construction 140

Keeping Current Matters

APRIL 18, 2022

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 276

Marketing 276

Housing Wire

APRIL 19, 2022

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.

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Loans Principal Mortgages Real-estate owned 508

Maximum Exposure Real Estate

APRIL 18, 2022

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 132

Staging Marketing 132

Eye on Housing

APRIL 19, 2022

Single-family starts permits declined in March, as higher interest rates weighed on housing affordability and produced a fourth straight decline for the NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI. Additionally, the cost and availability of materials, lumber, labor and lots remain key supply-side headwinds. Nonetheless, the resale market lacks inventory supporting ongoing demand for new construction.

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New Construction Construction Marketing 131

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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.

Brokerage

Keeping Current Matters

APRIL 20, 2022

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

Mortgages 296

Mortgages Marketing 296

Housing Wire

APRIL 20, 2022

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.

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Marketing Sales Mortgages As-is 505

HomeLight

APRIL 17, 2022

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!

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Sales Inspection Staging Agents 131

Sotheby's International Real Estate

APRIL 19, 2022

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.

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Design 127

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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

Keeping Current Matters

APRIL 21, 2022

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

Marketing 299

Marketing 299

Housing Wire

APRIL 20, 2022

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

Land Technology Mortgages Residential 476

HomeLight

APRIL 18, 2022

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

Equity Mortgages Fixed-rate mortgage Design 128

Realty Biz

APRIL 19, 2022

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

Staging Sales Agents Industrial 127

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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

Keeping Current Matters

APRIL 19, 2022

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

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Pre-approval 253

Housing Wire

APRIL 21, 2022

Freddie Mac will debut targeted lending programs this year, following guidance from regulators giving lenders the go-ahead. The special purpose credit programs will pertain to Black, Latino and Native American borrowers, according to Pamela Perry , head of Freddie Mac’s single-family equitable housing team. The programs will be announced in the third quarter of this year, Perry said during a fair housing webinar hosted by the National Housing Conference , a mortgage trade association.

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Lending Finance Principal Development 435

Sotheby's International Real Estate

APRIL 16, 2022

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.

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Brokerage 127

Eye on Housing

APRIL 22, 2022

An earlier post revealed that 67% of buyers who were actively engaged in the process of finding a home in the 1st quarter of 2022 have spent 3+ months searching for a home without success. By far, the most common reason these long-term searchers cite for not having bought by now is their inability to find an affordable home (48%). .

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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

HomeLight

APRIL 21, 2022

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.

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Staging Agents As-is Sales 124

Housing Wire

APRIL 22, 2022

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

Mortgages Lending Banks Industrial 435

Easy Agent Pro

APRIL 18, 2022

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.

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Marketing Agents Sales As-is 124

Eye on Housing

APRIL 21, 2022

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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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.

Agents

HomeLight

APRIL 19, 2022

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?

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Agents Marketing Closing Technology 122

Housing Wire

APRIL 20, 2022

With rates at the highest level in a decade, mortgage applications for the week ending April 15 fell 5%, according to the latest survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association. The drop was largely driven by an 8% decline in refinancing applications, which was 68% lower than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted purchase index dropped 3% from the week prior, according to the trade group.

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Fixed-rate mortgage Mortgages Loans Industrial 435

Coldwell Banker

APRIL 18, 2022

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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Technology 120

Eye on Housing

APRIL 21, 2022

Buyers’ expectations for housing affordability continue to sour. In the first quarter of 2022, 81% said they could afford less than half the homes for-sale in their markets – the highest share since before the pandemic. At its lowest point in the 4th quarter of 2020, 63% of buyers expected to afford <50% of the homes available. On the other.

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Sales Marketing 119

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.

Agents