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‘Find buyers before agents!’ Mortgage industry reacts to the NAR settlement

Housing Wire

Mortgage pros have closely monitored the commission lawsuit developments since a Kansas City, Missouri jury determined that NAR, HomeServices of America , and Keller Williams conspired to inflate or maintain high commission rates through NAR’s so-called Participation Rule. You should be finding buyers before real estate agents anyway.”

Buyers 504
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As rising mortgage rates push buyers to the brink, sellers are starting to cut prices

Housing Wire

Even with demand buoyed by a sparse housing inventory, growing financial challenges for buyers are forcing home sellers to cut prices to close deals, a new Redfin research report found. And because mortgage rates have been above 7% for about two months consecutively, the cost of financing is extreme. the month prior.

Sellers 504
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GSEs will not count buyer agent commissions as IPCs

Housing Wire

The GSEs noted that this guidance was not an update to their selling guides but a clarification on the treatment of seller-paid real estate agent fees. Moving forward, the GSEs say that if these fees continue to be “customarily paid by the property seller according to local convention, they will not be subject to financing concessions limits.”

Buyers 530
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New G-Rate program allows sellers to permanently buy down their buyer’s mortgage rate

Housing Wire

Guaranteed Rate has introduced a new feature that allows sellers working with a G-Rate loan officer to pay a fee that locks in a permanently discounted mortgage rate for a buyer. But with RateReduce Sell, sellers will be able secure a lower rate by buying down points permanently.

Sellers 415
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Mortgage demand picks up as seller concessions rise

Housing Wire

Loan officers saw an increase in mortgage demand during the first week of 2023 as mortgage rates ticked down. And to close deals, sellers are increasingly coming to the table with concessions and rate buydowns. . According to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), mortgage applications rose 1.2%

Sellers 527
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11 Tips for hosting real estate workshops for buyers and sellers 

Housing Wire

From fine-tuning the initial listing to completing the mountains of paperwork needed for closing , homebuyers and sellers can find themselves juggling a wide range of issues. Find your audience Not every real estate transaction is the same because not all buyers and sellers are the same. mortgage lenders, home inspectors, etc.)

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Opinion: No benefit to home sellers is worth sacrificing first-time homebuyers

Housing Wire

The recent settlement involving the National Association of Realtors and major real estate firms revolves around the practice of “broker cooperation,” where agents representing sellers share commissions with agents representing buyers. Last year, mortgage rates increased from 3% to 8% and home prices still increased in most markets.

Sellers 460