Sat.Oct 22, 2022 - Fri.Oct 28, 2022

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FHFA to replace Classic FICO with more inclusive credit model 

Housing Wire

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) on Monday announced that it is replacing the Classic FICO credit model, which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have relied on for nearly 20 years, for the FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0. “They will provide more accurate credit scores, and we believe the market, including investors, will be provided with an improved understanding of risk from not just one but two different credit score models,” Sandra Thompson, the FHFA’s director, said during

Finance 468
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Pre-Approval Is a Critical First Step on Your Homebuying Journey

Keeping Current Matters

If you’re planning to buy a home this year, one of the first steps on your journey is getting pre-approved.

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5 Cyber Security Tips for Real Estate Agents

Realty Biz

The US real estate market is worth an estimated $226.8 billion in 2022 , making it a prime target for cybercriminals looking to make a quick buck by hacking into databases and stealing information on properties that are up for sale or rent. With so much at stake, cyber attacks can be particularly devastating for realtors. Unfortunately, not everyone is sure how to actively protect their business against it.

Agents 91
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More Buyers Taking a Look at New Construction

Eye on Housing

After bottoming out at 19% in the first quarter of 2022, the popularity of new homes continues to rebound, as the share of buyers looking for new construction rose to 21% and 27% in the second and third quarters of the year, respectively. A possible factor behind this trend is that the inventory of new homes for-sale is 25% higher.

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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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What It Costs to Remodel a Kitchen: Here’s the Typical Price Tag

HomeLight

A stunning, well-appointed kitchen makes cooking and entertaining a breeze. Plus, upgrading the heart of the home attracts buyers and helps raise home value. But before you can host your next dinner party in your dream kitchen, you’ll have to drum up the cash for upgrades. So just how much is it to remodel a kitchen? Here’s the short answer: According to Harvard University’s Center for Joint Housing Studies, homeowners spend an average of $6,329 for a minor kitchen update and $42,816 for a major

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10 Must-Read Tips for Staging a House On a Budget

Redfin

When it comes to selling your house, one of the most important things you can do is upgrade the look of your home. Like a job interview, a strong first impression can make all the difference, so you want to make sure your home is “dressed to impress.” That’s where staging comes in. To ensure that your house looks its best for potential buyers, here are some tips for staging a house on a budget. 1.

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Most Brokerages Have Zero Counter-Cyclical Hedge

Notorious ROB

This will be a quick one. Just had lunch with a friend and client who has been a broker for decades. We got to talking about what we both think is headed our way in the next several quarters. Basically, doom for real estate in a variety of ways as the Fed tries its best to kill the economy — particularly buying homes. We got to talking about comparisons of what we expect to see in 2023 vs. what we both saw in 2008.

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Prospect of Higher Rates Leads Some to Consider Buying a Home

Eye on Housing

The share of adults planning a home purchase within a year rose to 15% in the third quarter of 2022, up from 13% in the first half of the year. The marginal increase suggests that the prospect of higher mortgage rates in the near term may be leading a small segment of consumers to consider the purchase of a home.

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It’s time to double down on marketing and technology

Real Trends

“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.” As we dive deep into the fourth and final quarter of yet another strange and unpredictable real estate year, this is a great time to pause and reflect. Then, buckle up, and finish strong with a solid pipeline going into 2023! As someone who supports and coaches a lot of real estate agents, this has been an emotional pivot: navigating terminating deals , quickly-changing affordability, and of course a rapid decrease in production

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The case for mortgage rates to fall in 2023

Housing Wire

On Thursday, the gross domestic product data for the third quarter showed the U.S. economy grew at a rate of 2.6%, breaking the negative GDP streak we had in the past two quarters. Does this mean the Federal Reserve needs to hike rates even more to get the recession they’re looking for, or is there a case for mortgage rates to go below 6% over the next six months?

Mortgages 543
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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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Applying for a Mortgage Doesn’t Have To Be Scary [INFOGRAPHIC]

Keeping Current Matters

Some Highlights. Even with higher mortgage rates, the mortgage process doesn’t need to be something you fear. Here are some steps to help as you set out to buy a home. Know your credit score and work to build strong credit. When you’re ready, lean on the pros and connect with a lender so you can get pre-approved and begin your home search. Any major life change can be scary, and buying a home is no different.

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What to Know About A Shared Driveway

Maximum Exposure Real Estate

The Ultimate Guide to Shared Driveways If during your home shopping, you come across a property with a shared driveway, there is a good chance you will have some questions before you decide to purchase. The automatic question from most buyers is, “how do shared driveways work”? The other question I often hear as a […]. The post What to Know About A Shared Driveway appeared first on Maximum Real Estate Exposure.

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All-Cash New Home Sales Outnumber FHA-Backed for the First Time Since 2007

Eye on Housing

NAHB analysis of the most recent Quarterly Sales by Price and Financing published by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that new home sales financed through FHA numbered 11,000 and accounted for 7.5% of the total in Q3 2022–the smallest share since the fourth quarter of 2007. The share has dropped by nearly two-thirds since the spring of 2020. In contrast, the share.

Sales 125
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Pending home sales are down 31% from last year

Housing Wire

Pending home sales continued their downward spiral in September, recording a 10.2% month-over-month decline that resulted in an index reading of 79.5, according to data released Friday by the National Association of Realtors. This is the fourth consecutive month of declines. Pending home sales have now fallen in 10 of the last 11 months. Economists predicted that pending home sales would drop by 4.0% in September.

Sales 528
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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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3 Graphs Showing Why Today’s Housing Market Isn’t Like 2008

Keeping Current Matters

With all the headlines and talk in the media about the shift in the housing market, you might be thinking this is a housing bubble.

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Meet The Real Estate Tech Entrepreneur: Melinda Witmer from Foiye

GeekEstate

In this week’s founder interview, we’re bringing you Melinda Witmer from Foiye. Without further ado…. Who are you and what do you do? My name is Melinda Witmer and I’m the founder & CEO of Foiye, a new social entertainment platform for the home, design, and real estate enthusiast. Before founding Foiye, I spent 25 years in senior leadership roles at Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) and HBO.

Design 125
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5 Amazing Freebies You Need To Provide Your Guests

Bigger Pockets

As a vacation rental host, you want to do everything you can to make your guests feel at home. One way to do that is by providing them with freebies […].

As-is 124
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Where’s the bottom for new home sales?

Housing Wire

September new home sales beat expectations, but don’t get too excited. While monthly supply rose in this report, the previous reports were all revised lower and sale levels are still historically low. New home sales are now below the recession levels of 2000 and have fallen all the way to 1996 levels, when interest rates were near 8%. As I have always tried to stress with home sales data, we have not had a massive credit sales boom like the one we saw during the housing bubble years, so we can’t

Sales 488
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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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Millennials Are Still a Driving Force of Today’s Buyer Demand

Keeping Current Matters

If you’re thinking about selling your house but wondering if buyers are still out there, know that there are still people who are searching for a home to buy today.

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Luxury Week at Sotheby’s

Sotheby's International Real Estate

????. Sotheby’s Luxury Week, a sale series that showcases the best of the best in each discipline, elevates luxury to the level of art. Encompassing Jewelry, Watches, Collector Cars, Designer Handbags, Sneakers and Wine, this sale series is a testament to the new definition of luxury and the evolving role played by auction houses in the sector. Explore the extraordinary pieces on offer through November 15.

Design 121
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How Real Estate Technology Will Dominate the Housing Market

Realty Biz

If you're looking for a new business or investment vehicle, real estate is one that is foundational to wealth-building. New home constructions have a combined value of more than $514 billion. When you'd like to stay up-to-date with changes in the housing market so that your efforts pay off, you need to understand how technology is playing a role. Perhaps more than any other industry, technology will dictate the way we move forward with real estate.

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Sluggish Flagstar, NYCB merger deal clears major hurdle

Housing Wire

More than 18 months after the planned merger was announced, Flagstar Bank and New York Community Bank on Friday received approval by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The depository banks, which first announced plans 19 months ago, extended their agreement to merge from Oct. 31 to Dec. 31, but still require the approval of the Federal Reserve.

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.

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What Happens to Housing when There’s a Recession?

Keeping Current Matters

Since the 2008 housing bubble burst, the word recession strikes a stronger emotional chord than it ever did before.

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11 Real Estate Memes You Need to See If You’re Addicted to HGTV

Lighter Side of Real Estate

Home and Garden Television, better known as HGTV, is a great way to get your real estate fix without leaving the comfort of your own home. You can vicariously sell a house, buy a house, flip another, and go look for a vacation home in the matter of a couple of hours. It can almost make you feel like a real estate expert if you’re not careful! The next thing you know, you’ll be getting up off the couch and becoming a real estate agent.

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Buyers’ Expectations of Housing Availability Continue to Improve

Eye on Housing

For the second straight quarter, more prospective buyers expect housing availability to improve. In the third quarter of 2022, 37% of buyers expect the home search to get easier in the months ahead, up from 17% and 22% in the first and second quarters of the year, respectively. More for-sale inventory and less competition from buyers priced-out by higher mortgage.

Mortgages 115
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HousingWire Annual On-Demand 2022

Housing Wire

All Things Housing. HousingWire Annual is where the community from across the housing ecosystem comes together to share strategies, drive business, discover new technologies, discuss best practices, and meet industry leaders. During this year’s conference, content spoke to questions about the economy, how to build a winning team, and attract a community of loyal customers.

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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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Asking this simple question may convert more sales

The American Genius for Real Estate

Will you read this article? According to the latest research, if you got as far as reading that question, the answer is more likely to be yes.

Sales 111
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2023 Real Estate Market Predictions

The Residential Specialist

As the real estate market shifts, expert agents share what the industry will look like heading into 2023. By Caroline Heller. 2022 marked the beginning of the end for what was an unprecedented seller’s market. Mortgage interest rates climbed from around 3% to above 5%, and by June 2022 inflation had reached its highest annual rate since November 1981.

Marketing 111
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From Costs to Hurricane Preparedness: How to Buy a New Construction Home in Florida

HomeLight

The wind is whipping and it’s 20 degrees outside. You’ve just stepped back inside from shoveling the snow off of your driveway, shaking off your boots, coat, scarf, and hat. “How many more winters of this can I handle?” you ask yourself, and your mind starts to daydream about sunshine and warm beaches. According to Florida’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research, the state gained approximately 329,000 new residents between April 2020 and April 2021.

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[Wo]mentorship: How to Find and Maintain One

Housing Wire

This panel will explore the power of mentorship and allies among women within lending and real estate and the benefits that these relationships can have for both junior-level and executive women in the industry. How can this relationship help support emerging leaders and balance out a male-driven industry? In what ways can those in the industry help to create an environment that sets women up for success and allows for a sustainable, long-term career?

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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.