Thu.Dec 14, 2023

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A sub-7% mortgage rate brings holiday cheer

Housing Wire

The holidays have come early for the mortgage industry. Mortgage rates fell below the 7% threshold this week as markets prepared for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s announcement on Wednesday. The 30-year, fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.95% for the week ending Dec. 14, according to Freddie Mac ‘s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That’s down from last week’s 7.03% and up from 6.31% the same week a year ago.

Mortgage 485
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Brokers in Focus: ‘There's no half doing this anymore’

Real Estate News

Laura Ellis, Baird & Warner’s strategy leader, believes changes spurred by Sitzer/Burnett will be “good for the serious, competent real estate professional.

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Thrive Mortgage and Lower strike merger deal

Housing Wire

Texas-based lender Thrive Mortgage plans to merge with digital multichannel rival Lower , which will create a unified lender with more than 650 loan officers and 120 active branches across the country. Financial details of the merger, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, were not disclosed. Over the last 12 months, Thrive has originated about $1.42 billion while Columbus, Ohio-based Lower has originated $1.88 billion during the same time period, according to mortgage recruiti

Mortgage 432
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Rates fall below 7%, driving momentum in the market

Real Estate News

The seventh straight week of mortgage interest declines has led to more holiday season homebuying activity.

Marketing 274
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Opinion: Title and settlement fees aren’t a barrier to homeownership

Housing Wire

In 2023, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced plans to make it easier to buy a home and close the racial homeownership gap in the United States. Homeownership is one of the most important decisions in a person’s life and is a primary vehicle for wealth creation for the majority of households. In fact, our most recent analysis of the benefits of wealth creation from homeownership shows that for families in the bottom 20% of the income distribution, the median net worth of home-owning households w

Insurance 432
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Stop! Before you send that buyer listings, ask these 47 questions

Inman

If you don't ask your buyers the right questions, writes broker associate Cara Ameer, before you travel too far down the road with them, you could end up wasting their time and yours.

Buyers 184

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Is Aalto the alt brokerage consumers want? Tech Review

Inman

At its heart, the company is a brokerage, but with twice the number of coders and designers than advisers, it's more of a "technology company" than Keller Williams and Compass.

Brokerage 176
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RESO announces 2024 board of directors election results

Housing Wire

The Real Estate Standards Organization is welcoming many new and returning board of director members in 2024. The organization announced its board of directors’ election results, as well as director and executive committee appointments in a release on Thursday. Of the nine open board of director seats, four went to MLS or Realtor association representatives and five went to members representing technology companies, developers, partners or consultants.

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5 listing lessons that will transform your next deal

Inman

Luxury agent and new Inman contributor Tamer Howard shares a case study that's filled with strategies for getting that struggling listing sold for top dollar.

Agents 187
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Fannie Mae expands use of AOLs in selling guide update

Housing Wire

In an update to its selling guide , Fannie Mae announced Wednesday that it was expanding the use of attorney opinion letters in lieu of title insurance. Previously, the only transactions ineligible for an AOL were those that involve loans secured by a unit in a condo project, co-op share loans, loans secured by a dwelling on a leasehold estate, including leasehold estates on property owned by a community land trust, loans secured by a manufactured home, HomeStyle Energy and HomeStyle Renovation

Insurance 436
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Texas homesellers file new commission suit as cases pile up

Inman

The new suit is the second in Texas since the Sitzer | Burnett verdict, and is one of a growing number of antitrust cases challenging the way agents get paid.

Agents 176
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OneKey MLS acquires Mid-Hudson MLS

Housing Wire

New York State’s largest multiple listing service just got larger. OneKey MLS has acquired Mid-Hudson MLS according to an announcement on Monday, growing its membership to nearly 50,000 agents. The Poughkeepsie-based Mid-Hudson MLS is a broker-owned MLS serving over 1,400 agents in Dutchess County and the Mid-Hudson Valley area. Founded in 2018 and owned by Long Island Board of Realtors and the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors , OneKey MLS already serves agents in New York (Manhattan), Suf

Agents 410
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24 of the best ways to generate real estate leads in 2024

Inman

Whether you're looking to appeal to buyers or sellers, Jimmy Burgess offers a range of paid, low-cost and no-cost lead generation activities that are working now.

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How to empower agents and grow your brand in the wake of commission lawsuits

Housing Wire

We’ve all experienced that liberating feeling when you confront a serious issue with an honest and open conversation. It’s like a weight lifted off your shoulders, right? Well, those are the types of conversations many agents are looking for right now, underscoring why your words post- commission lawsuit are more important than ever. Crafting a content and communication strategy that genuinely acknowledges their insecurities can pave the way for substantial agent recruitment and business g

Agents 410
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Merger of Lower and Thrive would give Veritex 12.5% ownership stake

Inman

Parent company of Veritex Community Bank, which paid $54.9 million to acquire a 49 percent interest in Thrive Mortgage in 2021, expects a $25 million to $30 million loss if the deal closes.

Mortgage 166
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Stairs Financial platform launches to help first-time homebuyers

Housing Wire

Texas-based mortgage platform Stairs Financial launched on Thursday after completing a $3.5 million funding round. With first-time buyers accounting for just 26% of all home purchases in 2022 — a 41-year low — the mortgage market place aims to help first-time homebuyers with the right program and mortgage products. “Thousands of down payment assistance and credit programs have sprung up to help first-time homebuyers overcome the challenges, but these home-buying options are hard for homebuyers t

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22 renters vie for each unit in America’s toughest rental market

Inman

Miami saw an average of 22 renters compete for every available apartment in 2023, compared to a national average of just nine, according to a new report released earlier this week from RentCafe.

Marketing 166
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5 Things To Know Before Buying Columbus OH Commercial Real Estate

The Robert Weiler Company

Thinking about relocating your business? Buying Columbus OH commercial real estate is a great investment. Why is that, you ask? Columbus OH is one of the fastest-growing major metropolitan areas in the U.S. And it’s celebrated as the second strongest metro in the U.S. for job creation. Below are several quick facts about Columbus, Ohio: The unemployment rate is a very low 3.3% (0.3% lower than the state of Ohio and 0.4% lower than the national average).

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Broker Spotlight: Corey Hasting, Engel & Völkers First Coast

Inman

Find out how this former NFL player applied his work ethic to building an award-winning, billion-dollar brokerage in just five years.

Brokerage 190
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4 Ways GoFormz Can Support Your Solar Team

GoForrmz

How GoFormz can help your solar field and office personnel simultaneously GoFormz revolutionizes the way businesses manage and process data. Organizations can seamlessly transition from traditional paper forms to dynamic, customizable digital forms – without disrupting existing processes. Users can design forms tailored to their specific business needs, incorporate smart fields, leverage Conditional Logic , and gain access to real-time data.

Legal 78
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3 reasons you should be using a buyer agreement now

Inman

According to broker Joseph Santini, buyer agreements are good for buyers and good for buyer agents. Find out more about these valuable tools and how to get them signed.

Buyers 165
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Building a $1 Million Net Worth in Only 3 Years by Investing in Real Estate

BiggerPockets

Most people know that investing in real estate is one of the best ways to reach financial independence, but very few ever take action.

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Closing escrow: Rebate-based Prevu lands $6M Series A

Inman

Alternative brokerage model Prevu secured $6 million in a Series A round of funding to continue providing its “Carvana-like,” technology-first brokerage service.

Brokerage 165
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Tina Davis-Chiruna Sworn in as 2024 President – Women’s Council of REALTORS® South Shore

Lamacchia Realty

December 5th, 2023 – Last week at their annual Holiday Party and Installation event, the Women’s Council of REALTORS® South Shore officially swore in Tina Davis-Chiruna as their 2024 President! In her new role, Tina will plan and execute networking and educational events for the organization, be an advisor for all members, and continue to lead the organization based on their values of success, harmony, and achievement.

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Industry headwinds push Plunk in new direction

Inman

Plunk President and co-founder David Bluhm said a number of issues led to the decision, which included the release of three employees to date and the possibility of more.

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Real Estate Gone Wrong: The House Flip That Fell Over (-$380K)

BiggerPockets

One real estate investing mistake cost house flipper James Dainard $380,000.

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CoStar acquires popular UK real estate portal

Inman

The acquisition of OnTheMarket, a major portal in the U.K., comes as CoStar continues to push further and further into the residential space.

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Reverse mortgage in action – a flexible financial tool to help retirees

Mortgagebroker News

It may be time to put the solution in front of your clients…

Tools 79
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Teams Spotlight: The Pargh Team

Inman

Learn how this Nashville team focuses on relationship-building and how it's paying dividends as they grow their impact.

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Canadians splashing out more to cover debt

Mortgagebroker News

The household debt service ratio reached a new high in the third quarter

75
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5 people you need in your corner when starting out in real estate

Inman

Mauricio Umansky helps you build your ideal team to inform, challenge and fuel the growth of your real estate business.

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TD sheds light on Canada's debt struggles

Mortgagebroker News

A more resilient job market and unspent excess deposits may provide support

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‘Trying to save my life:’ San Diego broker shares ovarian cancer fight

Inman

An ovarian cancer diagnosis turned TriSon RoeCo Investments owner Danielle Thompson's life upside down in February. She shares her struggle to get properly diagnosed, keep her business afloat and reach remission holistically.

Investing 128
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Scotiabank turns attention to North America in strategy makeover

Mortgagebroker News

It will shift its focus away from Latin America following poor returns

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