Sat.Aug 17, 2024 - Fri.Aug 23, 2024

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Lower mortgage rates are slowing down inventory growth

Housing Wire

Have lower mortgage rates already started to slow down housing inventory? I have a simple weekly growth model with the Altos inventory data: when rates are high, over 7.25%, inventory should grow between 11,000-17,000 weekly. This has happened six times this year and even though that would be an average inventory growth level with higher rates, it didn’t happen even once last year.

Inventory 499
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Commercial and Multifamily Borrowing Experiencing Gains

Appraisal Buzz

In the second quarter of 2024, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 3% increase in commercial and multifamily borrowing compared to the previous quarter. This growth highlights a sustained demand for multifamily loans and certain commercial properties, even as the market grapples with higher interest rates. The MBA credits favorable economic conditions and a strong market for bolstering demand in these segments.

Investing 435
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Real estate’s day of change is here: 3 things to know

Real Estate News

Important practice changes required by the NAR settlement take effect today, affecting buyer agent agreements and compensation. “We are in this together.

Agents 313
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Homie sues NAR and others, alleging boycott and conspiracy

Inman

The suit accuses NAR and major franchisors of breaking antitrust laws. The company's complaint includes alleged text messages in which agents refused to show Homie listings.

Law 193
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Powell signals September rate cut: ‘The time has come for policy to adjust’

Housing Wire

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Friday that “the time has come for policy to adjust,” signaling a cut in the federal funds rate at the September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) as expected by monetary policy watchers. “The direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks,” Powell said during a speech at the Kansas City Fed’s annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Mortgage 468
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Forbearances on the Rise Nationwide 

Appraisal Buzz

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) monthly Loan Monitoring Survey , the total number of loans now in forbearance increased from 0.23% to 0.27% as of July 31, 2024. The MBA estimates that 135,000 homeowners are currently in forbearance plans, as the nation’s mortgage servicers have provided forbearance to approximately 8.2 million borrowers since March 2020.

Mortgage 435

More Trending

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Consumer group behind Moehrl flags commission workarounds

Inman

Doug Miller of Consumer Advocates in American Real Estate, the initiator behind the first bombshell antitrust lawsuit, sounds alarm against Realtor talking points that "continue steering.

Realtors 187
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The renovation ripple effect in underserved neighborhoods

Housing Wire

More than four in 10 distressed properties purchased at auction are in underserved neighborhoods with low incomes or high minority populations, neighborhoods that often have been overlooked and left behind. “Those areas that I’m now developing I grew up in. And I remember being in those areas without hot water. I remember what it’s like to have slumlords,” said Jermaine Morgan, a Columbus, Georgia-based local community developer who purchases distressed property at auction.

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Revealing the Hottest U.S. ZIPs Offering Convenience and Value

Appraisal Buzz

While buyers weigh many factors when it comes to purchasing a home, in 2017, Realtor.com released its first Hottest ZIP Codes Report. This year, 43230 in Gahanna, Ohio, became the top-ranked ZIP code for the second year in a row. The Midwest and the Northeast are home to all of this year’s hottest ZIP codes, according to the 2024 report that was just published.

Buyers 434
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It’s official: Nykia Wright named NAR CEO

Real Estate News

The transformative newspaper exec moves into the permanent CEO role at the National Association of Realtors — the U.S.’s largest trade association — this week.

Realtors 286
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Consumer group: Stop trying to ‘force’ sellers to pay buyer brokers

Inman

Doug Millier and Wendy Gilch of Consumer Advocates in American Real Estate revealed to Inman on Tuesday the origins of the Moehrl case while sending a warning that the industry will be "under a microscope.

Sellers 180
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No ’horror stories’ from agents on the first weekend of NAR settlement changes

Housing Wire

The landmark date of Aug. 17, 2024 , has come and gone, and the real estate industry is still plugging along, despite the business practice changes mandated by the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement agreement now being implemented nationwide. In the Greater Boston area, Linda O’Koniewski , the broker-owner of Leading Edge Real Estate , described the first few days of the business practice changes as “uneventful.

Agents 438
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The Week Ahead: Expanding Into the World of Commercial REO

Appraisal Buzz

The Five Star Academy-Powered by the FORCE , will present its latest webinar, “ Commercial Short Sale ,” set for Wednesday, August 28 from 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Central. Open to FORCE members and non-members, the Five Star Academy is more than an educational hub, but a repository of FORCE resources. It’s a platform that offers comprehensive education crafted and presented by top real estate professionals to help hone your skills and uncover new markets.

Realty 393
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‘Unfiltered’: Betting on Zillow — and a mass exodus of agents?

Real Estate News

Watch the conversation with analyst John Campbell on the winners — and “not winners” — among public real estate firms, plus a bold guess about agent attrition.

Agents 279
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DOJ takes aim at RealPage rent-pricing algorithm in antitrust suit

Inman

"Americans should not have to pay more in rent because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law," Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Friday.

Landlords 178
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Keller Williams launches resource guide for agents to navigate NAR settlement

Housing Wire

Keller Williams is doing its best to live up to its reputation as a brokerage firm heavy on agent education. On Monday, the firm announced the launch of an agent resource webpage known as “Buyer and Seller Agent Tools to Thrive.” The resource guide is focused on helping agents navigate the business practice changes outlined in the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement agreement.

Agents 431
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Fannie Mae Weighs in on Existing Home Sales Trends 

Appraisal Buzz

According to the Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group’s August 2024 commentary , total home sales are predicted to be lower than previously predicted through the end of 2024 and then not significantly increase until later in 2025, even with the recent decline in mortgage rates. In reaction to the more favorable rate environment, purchase mortgage applications have hardly changed, according to the ESR Group, and high-frequency indicators of house purchase demand, such as mortgag

Mortgage 396
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Anywhere encourages offers of comp, asks ‘big question’ of MLSs

Real Estate News

Top execs discussed how the company is addressing industry practice changes, including its intention to display compensation on its listings.

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Today marks the dawn of a new day for real estate. Make the most of it

Inman

The best real estate agents will thrive, the profession will be elevated, rot will be removed and the brands that are built on trust and integrity will rise to the top, Inman founder Brad Inman writes.

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South Florida, a senior enclave, sees more people ‘unretiring’ due to living costs

Housing Wire

As the cost of living remains elevated, more seniors — even those in “senior strongholds” like South Florida — are choosing to return to work. This pattern among seniors living in and around Fort Lauderdale was recently profiled in an article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. It falls in line with a broader national trend indicating that nearly 20% of Americans ages 65 and older remain in the workforce, totaling about 10.6 million people.

HOA 427
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Pending Home Sales Fall to Lowest Level Since April 2020

Appraisal Buzz

Sales of existing homes rose 0.6% month over month in July but fell 2% year over year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4,094,991. That’s the lowest July level in records dating back to 2012, according to a new report from Redfin. Meanwhile, pending sales – a more current gauge of demand that includes both existing and newly-constructed homes – fell to the lowest level of any month on record aside from April 2020, when the pandemic brought the housing market to a halt.

Buyers 397
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Housing Market Decoded: Is prime shopping season about to hit?

Real Estate News

The pendulum is swinging in buyers' favor this fall. See which three trends could finally give them some leverage.

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Michael Ketchmark: Every move you make, we’ll be watching you

Inman

In a phone interview, lead plaintiffs' counsel Michael Ketchmark weighed in on the consequences of violating the NAR settlement, Zillow's business model, and the "monster case" that remains.

Business 180
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Top Tennessee agents launch new team at Compass

Housing Wire

The largest brokerage in the country by sales volume is working to further solidify its presence in middle Tennessee. On Wednesday, Compass announced that real estate industry veteran Grant Hammond, the owner and president of Metropolitan Brokers , is joining the firm. At Compass, Hammond will partner with Brandon Knox and Darin Cunningham to form BDG Partners , a full-service team that will be based in the Nashville metro area.

Agents 418
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Flipping the Rent-vs.-Own Dynamic in U.S. Markets

Appraisal Buzz

As housing prices continue to rise, the age-old question of whether it makes more financial sense to rent or buy has become more complex. However, recent analysis by First American Financial Corporation suggests that in 27 of the top 50 U.S. real estate markets, the financial scales have tipped in favor of homeownership, largely due to the wealth-building benefits of equity accumulation.

Marketing 397
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Mortgage rates still not low enough to spark buyer interest

Real Estate News

The Fed is expected to cut interest rates next month, but it could take a big drop to spur a rebound in sales — though things are starting to look up.

Buyers 247
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Redfin lays off nearly 100 Redfin Concierge service employees

Inman

Seattle-based brokerage and portal Redfin laid off almost 100 Redfin Concierge support and sales managers on Thursday. The company said agents will now take the lead on Concierge services.

Brokerage 175
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Nykia Wright named NAR’s permanent CEO

Housing Wire

The National Association of Realtors has made things a bit more official with Nykia Wright. In an email sent by President Kevin Sears to trade group members, obtained by HousingWire, NAR has decided to name Wright as its new CEO. Wright was named as NAR’s interim CEO in early November 2023 , after long-time CEO Bob Goldberg retired over a year earlier than planned.

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Record Share of Million-Dollar Homes Makes Buying More Challenging

Appraisal Buzz

According to a new Redfin study , nearly one in ten (8.5%) American houses are valued at $1 million or more, the largest percentage ever. This is more than twice the 4% proportion that existed prior to the epidemic and up from 7.6% a year earlier. The record high in home prices—the median sale price nationally increased by 4% in June—has led to a record high in the percentage of American homes valued at $1 million or more.

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Brokerage Beat: News from Realty ONE, Compass, Coldwell Banker, C21

Real Estate News

MVP Realty joins Realty ONE in Florida; Compass adds two top NYC agents; Coldwell Banker gains luxury Boca Raton agent; No. 1 C21 team moves to SoCal franchise.

Realty 235
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In lawns and on key chains, stealth commission offers raise red flags

Inman

Images that conceal commission offers, like a "3%" mowed into freshly cut grass, have become a phenomenon on message boards and online residential listings, according to an Inman analysis.

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Fannie Mae economists lower their expectations for 2024 home sales

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates have moved lower in recent months, but Fannie Mae economists said Wednesday that this won’t be enough to increase the number of homes sold in the foreseeable future. Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group downgraded its forecasts for 2024 and 2025 home sales based on a number of reliable metrics that have “barely budged in response to the more favorable rate environment.“ These include purchase mortgage application levels, home tour requests and online views of l

Mortgage 404
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HOA Fees Surging in the Sunshine State 

Appraisal Buzz

In Tampa, FL, the median monthly homeowners association (HOA) fee jumped 17.2% year over year during the three months ending July 31, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. That’s the steepest increase among the 43 U.S. metropolitan areas Redfin analyzed, and compares with a median increase of 5.7% across those metros.

HOA 370
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The story behind the ‘hard line’ of MLS fines

Real Estate News

“We have to protect our brokers and agents” from the risks of violating the NAR deal to settle commissions lawsuits, said Merri Jo Cowen, CEO of Stellar MLS.

Agents 231