Sat.Mar 06, 2021 - Fri.Mar 12, 2021

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Biden signs American Rescue Plan. Here’s what that means

Housing Wire

President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Thursday, freeing up $1.9 trillion aimed at invigorating the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill will send $1,400 direct payments to individuals making up to $75,000 annually, and allocates $350 billion in aid to state and local governments and $14 billion for vaccine distribution. Over $50 billion will be distributed to small businesses — including $7 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program — and $25 billion for small and mid

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5 Reasons to Sell Your House This Spring

Keeping Current Matters

When selling a house, most homeowners hope for a quick and profitable transaction that puts them in a position to make a great move. If you’re waiting for the best time to win as a seller, the market is calling your name this spring. Here are five reasons why this is the perfect time to sell your house if you’re ready. 1. There’s high demand from homebuyers.

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Packing Tips For Moving: How to Pack Your House For A Move (Video)

Maximum Exposure Real Estate

The Best Packing Tips When Moving Do you know how to pack your house for a move? Would you like some packing tips for moving? No doubt there is a lot of advice online for this subject. No one ever said moving was easy. Packing a house is one of the most challenging parts of […]. The post Packing Tips For Moving: How to Pack Your House For A Move (Video) appeared first on Massachusetts Real Estate Exposure.

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How To Buy A Home For Your Disabled Adult Child

Realty Biz

The extremely low mortgage rates that are advertised on TV, radio, and the internet are typically reserved for people looking to buy a home that they plan to occupy as their main residence. A 2 nd home or a vacation home generally is not afforded the same low rates. This can create quite an issue when a person wishes to buy a home for their disabled adult child that is living with a disability.

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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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Will higher mortgage rates cool the housing market?

Housing Wire

Can you smell it in the air? America is back! The last plank required to complete the foundation of my “America is Back Economic Recovery” model was for the 10-year yield to start trading in the range of 1.33% to 1.60%, and as of Feb. 16, this has happened. Higher treasury yields have pushed mortgage rates higher, but will higher rates cool the housing market?

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Will the Housing Market Bloom This Spring?

Keeping Current Matters

Spring is almost here, and many are wondering what it will bring for the housing market. Even though the pandemic continues on, it’s certain to be very different from the spring we experienced at this time last year. Here’s what a few industry experts have to say about the housing market and how it will bloom this season. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist , realtor.com : “Despite early weakness, we expect to see new listings grow in March and April as they traditionally do heading into spring , and

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Container Homes: What to Know About This Housing Choice

Realty Biz

What Should I Know About Shipping Container Homes. Are you thinking about buying a shipping container home? Container homes are just another housing option you may want to consider. Since there are thousands of excess shipping containers lying around ports all around the world, they are the perfect size to be used for your brand new home. But you’re not limited to something small.

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Fannie Mae: buyer, seller confidence should rise soon

Housing Wire

Fannie Mae ‘s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), a composite index designed to track the housing market and consumer confidence to sell or buy a home, fell 1.2 points in February. Fear not, experts say – better days are ahead. Overall, the HPSI hit 76.5 last month, down from 77.7 in January. A small drop was expected, according to Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Dave Duncan, but optimism should be reflected in the coming months. “The HPSI remained relat

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How to Be a Competitive Buyer in Today’s Housing Market [INFOGRAPHIC]

Keeping Current Matters

Some Highlights. With so few houses for sale today, it’s important to be prepared when you’re ready to buy a home. Meeting with your lender early, knowing your must-haves and nice-to-haves, preparing for a bidding war, and keeping your emotions in check are all ways to gain confidence in the homebuying process. If you’re looking for an expert guide to help you navigate today’s lightning-fast housing market, connect with your local real estate professional today.

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The Best Kinds of Boxes For Moving and Storage

Maximum Exposure Real Estate

Choosing the Best Kinds of Boxes for Moving Do you need moving boxes? As moving day approaches, you need to make sure you have the best kinds of boxes for moving. If you want to make sure your possessions are protected, and I’m sure you do, your choice of moving boxes can make the difference […]. The post The Best Kinds of Boxes For Moving and Storage appeared first on Massachusetts Real Estate Exposure.

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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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5 Color Trends That Will Dominate This Year, According to Top Designers

Realtor.com

Studio Palomino/Houzz With COVID-19 vaccines rolling out and the promise of a not-so-distant future where life is normal again, now seems like the perfect time to bring your place out of the dark ages of decor and into the bright and beautiful light of 2021. To help with your spring makeover, we got the scoop from the folks at home improvement site Fixr.

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FHFA extends relaxed appraisal, lending standards

Housing Wire

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced on Thursday that it has again extended relaxed lending and appraisal standards for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The COVID-19-related flexibilities surrounding alternative verifications of employment and appraisals were originally set to expire on March 31, 2021. However, the government agency is now pushing that back to at least April 30, 2021.

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6 Simple Graphs Proving This Is Nothing Like Last Time

Keeping Current Matters

Last March, many involved in the residential housing industry feared the market would be crushed under the pressure of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Instead, real estate had one of its best years ever. Home sales and prices were both up substantially over the year before. 2020 was so strong that many now fear the market’s exuberance mirrors that of the last housing boom and, as a result, we’re now headed for another crash.

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First-time Buyers Comprise 43 Percent of New Home Market

Eye on Housing

According to the February survey for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), first-time home buyers account for 43 percent of the new home market. Weighted by builder size (single-family homes started in 2020), about two-thirds of the builders reported that more than 20 percent of their homes were sold to first-time buyers. Twenty-seven percent even said more than half.

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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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I Found an Old Lien on My Home From a Past Refinance. How Do I Get Rid of It?

Realtor.com

Getty Images Dear MarketWatch, I have a home that I purchased in 1983, and I have refinanced and taken out equity lines of credit (ELOCs) multiple times. I now have about 13 payments left on the primary mortgage. When I signed papers on my last ELOC, I found out there is an old title lien from a past refinance. So it is probably greater than 10 years old.

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Mortgage credit, and the coming purchase storm

Housing Wire

Mortgage credit is still the tightest it has been in more than six years, but an unwavering February may be the calm before the purchase storm as lenders prepare for a revitalized economy, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a report on Tuesday. The group’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index remained unchanged at 124.6 last month, still hovering near levels previously seen in 2014.

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How Upset Should You Be about 3% Mortgage Rates?

Keeping Current Matters

Last Thursday, Freddie Mac announced that their 30-year fixed mortgage rate was over 3% (3.02%) for the first time since last July. That news dominated real estate headlines that day and the next. Articles talked about the “negative impact” it may have on the housing market. However, we should realize two things: 1. The bump-up in rate should not have surprised anyone.

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Even Foreign Real Estate Buyers Are Dumping Vancouver For The Suburbs

Better Dwelling

Greater Vancouver real estate, once a hot commodity for foreign buyers, is losing appeal. BC’s non-resident homebuyers made a sharp decline in January. That might be a one-off, but last year’s numbers still show a modest drop in foreign buyers. There is an interesting shift in buying behavior though. Greater Vancouver is seeing a smaller […].

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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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6 Disastrous Tax Mistakes People Make When They Work From Home

Realtor.com

mediaphotos/Getty Images Working from home has multiple perks, not the least of which is the short commute to your home office in your PJs. (Yes, it’s a cliché, and yes, it happens.). But while you might be incredibly talented at designing websites, writing novels, or whatever it is you do during your 9-to-5 at home, nearly all of us have the potential to get tripped up during tax time.

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Equity jumps for Black homeowners, but problems remain

Housing Wire

As the first quarter of 2021 nears its end, a recent Redfin report shows both good and bad news for Black homeowners. The positive: Homeowners in primarily Black neighborhoods earned an average of $59,000 in home equity in 2020, compared with $50,000 for homeowners in primarily white neighborhoods between 2019 through January 2021. That $59,000 gain represents a median home equity increase of 197%.

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Pyramid Shows 21.1 Million Households Cannot Afford a $100,000 Home

Eye on Housing

As described in a previous post, NAHB’s recently released its 2021 Priced-Out Estimates, showing that 75.1 million households are not able to afford a median priced new home, and that an additional 153,967 would be priced out if the price goes up by $1,000. This post focuses on the related U.S. housing affordability pyramid, showing how many households have enough.

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What to Know About Homeowners Insurance

Realty Biz

Home Insurance Explained. Are you going to be needing to get homeowners insurance protection? The biggest purchase most people will ever make is their home, so you need to make sure it is fully protected. Making sure you have enough coverage to prevent you from losing out should something terrible happen isn’t necessarily straightforward, however.

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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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Let There Be Light! Why a Sunroom Is the Space You’ve Been Missing—and How To Add One to Your Home

Realtor.com

Four Seasons Sunrooms & Windows After a long winter of quarantine—and the shift to daylight saving time mere days away—it’s safe to say we’re all done— done! —with being cooped up indoors. But as eager as you may be to enjoy those extra hours of sun on your patio, it might be just a little too cold right now. And even when it does warm up, there are other issues: Mosquitoes!

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Real Estate Exchange files antitrust suit against Zillow, NAR

Housing Wire

Real Estate Exchange (REX) filed an antitrust lawsuit Tuesday in federal court against Zillow , accusing the company of anticompetitive behavior related to showing certain homes on its platform. Trulia and the National Association of Realtors are also named in the suit. REX, an Austin-based real estate startup, said Zillow’s new listing layout, which includes tabs entitled “agent listings” and “other listings,” positions its listings in a “recessed obscured, a

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Perfectly Patterned: 5 Homes with Eye-Catching Wallpaper

Sotheby's International Real Estate

Whether classical and floral or modern and maximalist, few things transform everyday interiors like carefully chosen wallpaper. Chic California Contemporary. Los Angeles, California | Franca Porras, Sotheby’s International Realty – Los Feliz Brokerage. Full of creative flourishes, stylish finishes, and clean, crisp contemporary design, this intriguing three-bedroom residence is perched on a peaceful hillside renowned for its sweeping outlook.

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Global Exports of U.S.-Grade Framing Lumber

Eye on Housing

The United States consumed roughly 47 billion board feet of softwood lumber in 2019, 30.8% of which came from 48 foreign countries. All softwood lumber imports are not created equally, however. The lumber used to frame a home in the United States must meet stringent standards set by the American Lumber Standard Committee and only 16 foreign countries produce lumber.

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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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It’s Not Just Florida! America’s 10 Fastest-Growing Retirement Towns Show Some Surprises

Realtor.com

Getty Images Itching to retire? Friends, you’ve got plenty of company. After a seemingly endless year of COVID-19-fueled fears, layoffs, and lockdowns, older America’s usual “transition to retirement” has become more of a full-on, rush-for-the-exits stampede. Last year, more people in the U.S. retired than ever before. Roughly 28.6 million baby boomers left their work life behind in the third quarter of 2020 alone—about 3.2 million more than over the same period in 2019,

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Who’s the customer in UWM’s wholesaler war?

Housing Wire

I’ve spent years asking top mortgage lending execs this question: who’s your primary customer, loan officers or consumers? Most answer LOs because most industry market share is still LO-driven. But let’s go deeper to see if this answer holds up for execs and LOs over full market cycles. And let’s frame it in the context of today’s top wholesaler asking LOs to limit the options they have for consumer clients.

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5 underrated ways you can support small businesses

The American Genius for Real Estate

(OPINION / EDITORIAL) Want to support small businesses but can't afford to buy their products right now? No problem, take note of these other tips to support small! The post 5 underrated ways you can support small businesses appeared first on The American Genius Real Estate.

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February TRREB Stats: Boom Goes The Dynamite!

Toronto Realty Blog

TorontoRealtyBlog. Are you a baseball fan? Yes, no, maybe? Surely, you’ve heard of Babe Ruth , right? In 1921, Babe Ruth hit a whopping 59 home runs, which broke his own major league record. Six years later, in 1927, the Babe broke that record by one, swatting 60 home runs. That record stood until 1961 when Roger Maris broke Babe’s record by one as well, hitting his 61 st home run on the last day of the season.

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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.