Sat.Apr 20, 2024 - Fri.Apr 26, 2024

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DOJ charges one of America’s top LOs in alleged mortgage fraud scheme

Housing Wire

Two former New Jersey -based mortgage loan originators have been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger. Christopher Gallo has been noted as a top-producing loan originator, at one point being Scotsman Guide ‘s fourth-ranked LO in the country.

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New Home Sales Jumped in March Despite Higher Mortgage Rates

Appraisal Buzz

New home sales in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 693,000, an increase of 8.8% compared with February and up 8.3% compared with March 2023, according to estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The median sales price of a new home sold in March was $430,700. The average sales price was $524,800.

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The insurance crisis is affecting the housing market

Sacramento Appraisal Blog

Insurance has been a glaring mess in California, and it’s really starting to affect the housing market. Today, I want to share some things I’m hearing from the real estate community after asking for feedback on my social channels about home and fire insurance. The goal is to give some perspective and advice to sellers […] The post The insurance crisis is affecting the housing market first appeared on Sacramento Appraisal Blog.

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Zillow CEO: ‘Keep your head down and deliver for your customers’

Real Estate News

At the T3 Leadership Summit, Rich Barton discussed what’s in store for Zillow and the industry — and encouraged the audience to “resist the urge to chaos.

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HomeServices settles commission lawsuits for $250M

Housing Wire

HomeServices of America , the last remaining brokerage defendant in the landmark Sitzer/Burnett antitrust commission case , has agreed to pay $250 million in damages to settle lawsuits that will change agent compensation across America. The New York Times first reported the story. The deal comes just days after the federal judge overseeing the commission case in Missouri approved a preliminary settlement that will see the National Association of Realtors and multiple other residential brokerages

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What’s the Deal with Short Term Rentals?

Appraisal Buzz

Today, host Hal Humphreys chats with Jason Ferris, MAI, SRA and owner of Bell Ferris, Inc. Ferris discusses his background in the industry and his experience with Short Term Rentals. It seems like bringing up Short Term Rental valuation is the quickest way to start a fight on social media. Why is there such wild variance of opinions on how to handle these?

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NAR deal ‘could be detrimental’ to Black agents, buyers

Real Estate News

In a conversation with Real Estate News, Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose of NAREB discussed the pros and cons of the recent settlement and upcoming rule changes.

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The best real estate podcasts for agents and brokers in 2024

Housing Wire

Who doesn’t have a podcast these days? Anyone with a microphone and a cup of coffee can wax poetic about the ebbs and flows of the industry. While there is plenty of noise out there, we dug for podcast gold to come up with a list of the best real estate podcasts that are worth your time. We curated a shortlist of the top real estate podcasts that provide useful information for agents at every stage of their careers.

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Bidding For Appraisal Assignments Doesn’t Have to Suck

Appraisal Buzz

Let’s get real for a moment. When that email from an AMC hits your inbox, asking for your best fee and quickest turnaround, do you feel that twinge of annoyance? You’re not alone. A lot of folks in our field are downright peeved (and quite vocal) about the whole bidding process. They see it as a race to the bottom, a game where the only winning move is not to play.

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HomeServices of America agrees to pay $250M to settle lawsuits

Inman

HomeServices was potentially on the hook for the remaining $4.7 billion in damages from an Oct. 31 jury verdict in Sitzer | Burnett, which awarded plaintiffs $5.3 billion.

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Judge grants preliminary approval of NAR settlement

Real Estate News

A hearing for final approval is scheduled for Nov. 26. The court filing also included information about who is covered in the nationwide class action.

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Judge grants preliminary approval of NAR commission lawsuit settlement 

Housing Wire

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) can breathe a small sigh of relief. The trade group’s nationwide settlement of the commission lawsuits has passed its first hurdle as Judge Stephen R. Bough, who oversaw the Sitzer/Burnett lawsuit , granted preliminary approval to NAR’s settlement on Tuesday. While the agreement still must receive final approval from the court, the industry is now one step closer to operating under the new rules outlined in the settlement agreement.

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Mortgage Applications Fell Last Week as 30-Year Increased to an Average 7.24 Percent

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage application volume decreased 2.7% during the week ended April 19, as the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased to 7.24%, up from 7.13% the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey. Applications for refinances decreased 6% compared with the previous week but were up 3% compared with the same week one year ago.

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6 ways AI and blockchain will bring more deals to real estate agents

Inman

As the real estate industry continues to evolve, embracing the transformative potential of AI and blockchain technology to gain a competitive edge.

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Realty ONE, @properties reach settlements in commission cases

Real Estate News

The brokerages are the first to settle following preliminary approval of the NAR agreement by a Missouri judge earlier this week.

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Finally, some healthy housing inventory growth

Housing Wire

Housing inventory finally hit my target level of growth last week with mortgage rates now over 7.25% , something I couldn’t get all last year. Of course, what is different this year versus last year is that new listing data is growing yearly instead of trending at the lowest levels recorded in history. This is something I talked about last week on Yahoo Finance.

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Homebuyer Affordability Declined in March as Rates, Home Prices Increased

Appraisal Buzz

Homebuyer affordability worsened in March, as the average mortgage payment applied for by purchase borrowers increased to $2,201, an increase of $17 compared with February and up $108 compared with March 2023, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI). The index measures how new monthly mortgage payments vary across time – relative to income – using data from MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey (WAS).

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Sitzer judge grants preliminary approval for NAR settlement

Inman

Judge Stephen R. Bough ruled that the sweeping changes NAR agreed to were "fair, reasonable and adequate" and set a final approval hearing for November.

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Real estate’s AI era is just starting — here’s what you need to do

Real Estate News

It’s not too late to get on board, but “you have less than a year to figure it out,” AI expert Allie K. Miller told execs at the T3 Leadership Summit.

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U.S. mortgage delinquency rates remain near historic lows: CoreLogic 

Housing Wire

In February 2024, the national delinquency rate for residential mortgages stood at 2.8%, marking an 0.2 percentage-point decrease from February 2023. The rate remained unchanged from January 2024, according to the latest CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights report. The data provider examined all stages of delinquencies to gain a complete view of the mortgage market and loan performance health.

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Mortgage Rates Continue to Rise With Average Rate for 30-Year Hitting 7.17 Percent

Appraisal Buzz

The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased to 7.17% as of April 25, up from 7.10% last week and up from 6.43% the same week one year ago, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. “Mortgage rates continued rising this week,” says Sam Khater, chief economist for Freddie Mac, in a statement. “Despite rates increasing more than half a percent since the first week of the year, purchase demand remains steady.

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Sign a buyer brokerage agreement to see a property? No way!

Inman

Buyers and sellers are confused about the new rules of the road. Trainer Bernice Ross and Jeff Lobb discuss how agents can change up the conversation and add clarity and confidence.

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‘Change will absolutely happen’ — so build something new

Real Estate News

Real estate has gone through massive changes over the past 50 years, says industry icon Stefan Swanepoel, but it’s time to focus on the future.

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Technology’s role in rental property investment market

Housing Wire

The rental segment has been marked by strong demand and looks to continue on this trajectory given mortgage rates that continue to hover around 7% and record property prices across many U.S. regions. In spite of some slowdown, rents have continued to appreciate, being nearly 30% higher than prior to the pandemic, with February levels up 3.5% as compared to the previous year.

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Pending Home Sales Increased in March But Meaningful Gains Won’t Occur Until Rates Fall

Appraisal Buzz

Pending home sales increased 3.4% in March compared with February and were up 0.1% compared with March 2023, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Regionally, the Northeast, South and West posted monthly gains in transactions while the Midwest recorded a loss. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR, says pending home sales in March marked “the best performance in a year, but it still remains in a fairly narrow range over the last 12 months without a measurable breakout.

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60-day clock begins for brokerages seeking to opt into $418M NAR deal

Inman

Sitzer | Burnett plaintiffs on Friday asked the court to preliminarily approve the proposed deal. Brokerages and MLSs that were left out initially will have to take action by June 18 to be covered.

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Tech Bytes: T3 Sixty announces Fusion Website Award finalists

Real Estate News

Awards recognize residential real estate brokerage sites for excellence in website design, functionality and performance.

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Best real estate continuing education schools for quick and easy license renewal in 2024

Housing Wire

Vetted by HousingWire | Our editors independently review the products we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Is your license renewal on the horizon? Every 12 years, a cosmic thing happens, and agents in all 50 states come due for their real estate continuing education (CE) and licensing renewal. 2024 is that year!

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Truv Now Integrated With BeSmartee

Appraisal Buzz

Truv , a provider of income, employment and asset verification solutions, is now integrated with BeSmartee , a provider of point-of-sale (POS) software for mortgage lenders. The integration will automate manual verification processes and transform the mortgage experience for lenders and borrowers with easier mortgage approvals, heightened data transparency and faster closings.

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CoStar to acquire 3D scanning company Matterport for $1.6B

Inman

Matterport's board of directors unanimously approved the deal, which will be finalized later this year. CoStar purchased its outstanding stock for $5.50 per share, reflecting a value of $1.6 billion.

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HomeServices makes $250 million deal to settle commissions lawsuits

Real Estate News

The last defendant standing in the Sitzer/Burnett case reaches a whopping settlement that will protect its 70,000 agents plus brands and franchises.

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Realty One Group joins growing list of firms to settle commission lawsuits

Housing Wire

Realty ONE Group International has joined six other real estate brokerages in settling the commission lawsuits. The firm announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a nationwide settlement agreement with the commission lawsuit plaintiffs. The settlement, which is still subject to court approval, will settle all claims against Realty ONE Group, its franchises and affiliated agents.

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Loan Performance Remained Stable in March, ICE’s First Look Report Shows

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage delinquencies were at a rate of 3.2% as of the end of March, a decrease of 4.15% compared with February but up 9.4% compared with March 2023, according to ICE Mortgage Technology’s First Look report. As of the end of the month there were about 1.7 million residential properties 30 days or more past due but not in foreclosure, according to the report.

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Flat-fee brokerage Homie makes remarkable pivot amid upheaval

Inman

The Utah-based disruptor "moved our real estate agents from W2 to 1099" while other "non-Homie" agents were laid off last week due to "role redundancy," a Homie spokesperson confirmed to Inman.

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