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.

Mortgage 462
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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.

Mortgage 369
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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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Biased Unbiasedness?

George Dell

Biased thinking, biased analysis — a part of the appraisal process? The Appraisal Institute is starting to address some bias-related critical issues — head on. Cindy Chance, the CEO of the AI, in her recent posts noted the role of human bias as a natural phenomena of the survival of the species. She cited the […] The post Biased Unbiasedness?

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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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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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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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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.

Investing 446
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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.

Appraisal 349
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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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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.

Brokerage 183
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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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What’s new and what’s next, post-NAR commissions deal?

Real Estate News

The Supreme Court passes on a chance to weigh in, objections pile up, and Fannie and Freddie say it’s all right to exclude commissions from seller concessions.

Sellers 260
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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.

Realtors 201
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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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Brokerage Beat: News from Real, Corcoran, C21, BHGRE, Sotheby's

Real Estate News

Real nabs top Chicago team; Rabbitt Group forms at Corcoran Reverie; Baltimore indie joins C21; Oklahoma firm signs on with BHGRE; Sotheby's opens in Poland.

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Once bright buyer hopes plummet as agents process NAR changes

Inman

Agent optimism over future buyer pipelines fell from 44 percent before the deal to 27 percent afterward — one of the starkest monthly shifts in sentiment that Intel has recorded in the last year.

Buyers 178
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Industry vet launches new mortgage CE company, MLO Force

Housing Wire

Nathan Knottingham, COO at Vetted VA , announced the launch of a new mortgage continuing education provider, MLO Force , from the stage at HousingWire’s The Gathering this week. The company, operated by 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching , will be led by Knottingham as CEO and video producer Sawyer Jones. The aim is to leverage the pair’s experience in content, training and digital production to make required NMLS training more fun, Knottingham said.

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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.

Inventory 195
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People on the Move: C.A.R. CEO resigns; eXp names new CMO

Real Estate News

John Sebree is leaving the California Association of Realtors, while Wendy Forsythe will move into the role of CMO at eXp.

Realtors 253
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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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California Association of Realtors CEO resigns

Housing Wire

California Association of Realtors CEO John Sebree has departed the trade organization. In an announcement on Saturday, CAR said that Sebree was resigning to “pursue other opportunities. “On behalf of CAR’s leadership team and the Board of Directors, I’d like to thank John for his contributions and service as CEO and State Secretary for our organization.

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Informative Research Hires Kurt Raymond as Senior Vice President 

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage industry veteran Kurt Raymond, CMB, has joined Informative Research as senior vice president and borrower journey engineer. Raymond co-founded mortgage industry consulting firm Excelerate Advisors and serves as owner and founder of KATANTCO2, specializing in connecting small and emerging companies to other mortgage industry entities. He spent over a decade in various executive and managerial positions, where he led a highly successful team that included analytics, risk management, train

Lending 195
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CoStar acquires Matterport — and all its data

Real Estate News

The move gives the Homes.com parent company access to a massive amount of digital property information as it looks to strengthen its residential presence.

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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.

Brokerage 186
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In its war on ‘junk fees,’ CFPB targets mortgage servicing

Housing Wire

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Wednesday released a new edition of its Supervisory Highlights publication, which includes the agency’s actions to combat what it calls “ junk fees charged by mortgage servicers , as well as other illegal practices.” Examinations conducted by the bureau found mortgage servicers levied charges it deems “illegal,” including prohibited property inspection fees, the issuance of “deceptive” notices to borrowers, and violations of loss-mitigation rule

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Research Shows Snapdocs Accelerates Loan Production Timeline

Appraisal Buzz

Research conducted by STRATMOR Group shows that mortgage lenders using Snapdocs ’ e-closing platform are 18 days faster than industry peers across the loan production timeline—from loan application through delivery to the secondary market. The research is based on self-reported performance data from over 150 mortgage lenders. It shows that lender participants using the Snapdocs e-closing platform averaged only 41.1 days from application to closing and 11 days from closing to shipping—a 26% overa

Mortgage 195
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CoStar revenue up 12%, but Homes.com advertising eats into profits

Real Estate News

Homes.com subscription sales to agents are the biggest product launch in CoStar history, said CEO Andy Florance, as the company pursues portal dominance.

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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.

Brokerage 186
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What are the potential home equity and tax strategies for wealthy seniors?

Housing Wire

Seniors could choose to employ home equity through a reverse mortgage or other equity-tapping product to manage a series of expenses in retirement , but when it comes to managing their tax burden , it can get more complicated. Steve Resch, vice president of retirement strategies at industry-leading lender Finance of America Reverse (FAR), told Financial Advisor that the utility can vary when it comes to tax savings.

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Corporate Settlement Solutions Appoints Ashley Jelinek CEO

Appraisal Buzz

Ashley Jelinek is the new CEO of Corporate Settlement Solutions (CSS), a regional provider of residential and commercial real estate settlement solutions. With the new appointment, Jerome Jelinek, the company’s founder and CEO, will become chairman. Ashley had been chief operating officer of CSS since 2015. In her new role, she will be responsible for leading the company’s growth initiatives and setting the strategic direction.

Valuation 195
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Home sellers make another bid for consolidation in Missouri

Real Estate News

Plaintiffs in Umpa and Gibson have asked the court to merge the two lawsuits. The antitrust cases cover similar ground and name several of the same defendants.

Sellers 213