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Buyers will have more options in 2024, but affordability woes will persist: Bright MLS

Housing Wire

Bright MLS released its National Housing Market Outlook on Wednesday, which shows that affordability will remain the biggest challenge for homebuyers next year. Homebuyer traffic will increase in 2024, fueled by lower mortgage rates and more existing-home inventory. for much of the year before reaching 6.2% by the year’s end.

MLS 451
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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.

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Opinion: Local MLS broker marketplaces, rules equitably advance American homeownership

Housing Wire

In reality, consumers are better off and business competition thrives very much because of NAR’s rules and how well local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) broker marketplaces function. These local MLS broker marketplaces work in favor of consumers every day. They coordinate with lenders and research mortgage rates and terms.

MLS 457
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Mortgage rates inched up ahead of inflation reading

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates ticked up this week as the 10-year Treasury yield made its way back above 4%. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.66% as of Jan. 11, a slight increase from last week’s 6.62%, according to Freddie Mac ‘s Primary Mortgage Market Survey released on Thursday.

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GSEs will not count buyer agent commissions as IPCs

Housing Wire

Based on the selling guides in use by the GSEs, property sellers are allowed to make financing concessions toward the borrower’s closing costs at a maximum amount of 2% to 9% of the property value. The Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA) expressed support for the GSEs’ announcement.

Agents 527
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NAR, MBA ask for clarification on underwriting rules

Housing Wire

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) are asking federal housing officials to confirm their treatment of interested party contributions (IPCs) to home purchase transactions. Sellers or buyers can pay the buyer’s agent’s fees.

VA loan 425
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Optimal Blue PPE adds investor content from 54 state-based HFAs

Housing Wire

HFAs provide affordable homeownership options to low- and moderate-income borrowers through down payment and closing cost assistance, as well as reduced mortgage payments. Last month, Black Knight’s Optimal Blue released a product comparison feature in the company’s cloud-based Loansifter PPE engine for mortgage brokers.

Investor 339