Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 23, 2021

We may never again see a year like 2020. That’s somewhat somber news for the lenders who benefited from a series of downright strange conditions to generate more refi business than anyone in March could have imagined. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reported that refis made up about 70% of their mortgage activity in 2020, and, driven by weeks upon weeks of record low mortgage rates, refis accounted for 51% of all the volume LO’s funded in Q4, soaring 158% from the same period in 2019.

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Mortgages Loans As-is Marketing 503

Keeping Current Matters

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

In today’s housing market, it seems harder than ever to find a home to buy. Before the health crisis hit us a year ago, there was already a shortage of homes for sale. When many homeowners delayed their plans to sell at the same time that more buyers aimed to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates and purchase a home, housing inventory dropped even further.

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Sales Marketing As-is Mortgages 279

Lighter Side of Real Estate

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

There’s no denying that low inventory and increasing prices have presented challenges for buyers in today’s market—and that includes first-time buyers. But the market also offers a slew of benefits for first-time buyers—and many have had a positive experience buying a home in recent months. A recent survey from realtor.com asked over 1000 recent and prospective first-time buyers about their experience buying a home in today’s market—and much of the news was good.

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Marketing Mortgages 145

Better Dwelling

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Canada’s central bank isn’t really that worried about real estate, it appears. Bank of Canada (BoC) governor Tiff Macklem held a Q&A after a speech for the Edmonton and Calgary Chambers of Commerce yesterday. During the Q&A, the governor dismissed concerns about an overheated housing market. In fact, he welcomed its contribution to the economy […].

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Banks Marketing Mortgages 145

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Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

During breaks in nearly every televised basketball game, it’s there: Tracy Morgan imploring pensive homebuyers “pretty sure” is not enough, and that they can only be certain about their giant life choice with Rocket Mortgage. “Find the right mortgage with a local broker and Rocket technology,” intoned the narrator on the commercials, which premiered during the Super Bowl.

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Loan Officer Commercial Banks Mortgages 465

Keeping Current Matters

FEBRUARY 23, 2021

We’re currently experiencing historically low mortgage rates. Over the last fifty years, the average on a Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been 7.76%. Today, that rate is 2.81%. Flocks of homebuyers have been taking advantage of these remarkably low rates over the last twelve months. However, there’s no guarantee rates will remain this low much longer.

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Mortgages Fixed-rate mortgage Principal Loans 263

Better Dwelling

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Canada’s population growth may have slowed, but new home completions are still moving at a breakneck speed. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) data shows developers delivered over 50,000 new homes in Q4 2020. The number of new homes began outpacing population growth in the prior quarter. The ratio went parabolic in the latest numbers […].

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Development Mortgages New Construction Construction 140

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

For the first time since March 2020, the national mortgage delinquency rate fell below 6% to 5.9% in January, according to data from Black Knight on Wednesday. At the current rate of improvement, the data giant estimates 2.1 million borrowers remain 90 or more days past due though are not yet in foreclosure. While modest mortgage delinquency improvements have occurred for several months, loans considered seriously delinquent are still five times that of pre-pandemic levels.

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Mortgages Equity Loans Development 456

Keeping Current Matters

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Some Highlights. Over the past year, homeowners have gained an unprecedented opportunity to sell with great success while buyer demand is soaring. With homes selling twice as fast as they did last year at this time, getting multiple offers , and rising in price , homeowners are in the driver’s seat. Reach out to a local real estate professional today if you’re ready to learn about the leverage you have as a seller in today’s housing market.

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Marketing As-is 250

Maximum Exposure Real Estate

FEBRUARY 20, 2021

What to Know About Waterfront Homes For Sale Are you looking into buying a waterfront home for sale? Waterfront homes are naturally appealing to buyers. Who wouldn’t want to live right on the water? Although waterfront homes are of interest to most buyers, not many people know the particular risks and issues that can arise […]. The post Waterfront Homes For Sale: What to Ask When Buying Waterfront Property appeared first on Massachusetts Real Estate Exposure.

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Sales 136

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Loans

Better Dwelling

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Canada’s government bond market is seeing yields surge, and it’s going to be felt in real estate. The Government of Canada‘s (GoC) 5-Year benchmark bond yield jumped yesterday. We know, we already covered rising yields just a few days ago. I promise this is kind of a big deal, and I’m not just harping on […]. The post Canadian Bond Yields Soar, And It May Be A Drag On The Spring Real Estate Market appeared first on Better Dwelling.

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Marketing Mortgages 137

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Rocket Companies , the parent company of Rocket Mortgage , cleared another $2.48 billion in profits during the fourth quarter, giving the nation’s biggest mortgage lender a total of $9.5 billion in profits for 2020. Rocket originated $107.2 billion in mortgages, with net rate lock volume of $96 billion in the fourth quarter, the company disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Mortgages Technology Closing Agents 430

Realty Biz

FEBRUARY 20, 2021

Contingencies in Real Estate Explained. Do you know what a real estate contingency is and how it works? Real Estate contingencies are when some defined action or outcome must occur before a contract becomes legal and binding. From a buyer’s perspective, a real estate contingency is an escape clause that can be used under defined circumstances.

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Purchase and sale agreement Inspection contingency Earnest money deposit Home sale contingency 135

Realtor.com

FEBRUARY 23, 2021

HGTV “Home Town” stars Erin and Ben Napier know that sometimes a little goes a long way. In fact, that’s how they approach the renovation of their latest midcentury build. They want to modernize it, but not too much. On the Season 5 episode “Closer to Mom,” the Napiers meet Brach and Ashley Robinson. These two live in New Orleans but started shopping for a home in Laurel, MS, so that they’d have a comfortable place to stay when they visit Ashley’s mom.

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Design Renovation 134

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Sales

Better Dwelling

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Risk models from Canada’s largest bank shows a wider range of uncertainty for real estate. RBC’s latest models, shared with analysts this week, shows a general forecasted improvement. The downside hasn’t changed much, indicating a little more uncertainty. They also shared they are considering two new and “more severe” scenarios for energy and real estate. […].

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Banks 129

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Josh Team is out as president of Keller Williams , a few months after what appeared to be a promotion. Team wrote on his personal Facebook page Monday that, “I’ve decided to move on to my next opportunity from Keller Williams. In conversations with Gary, Carl, and the team we all mutually agreed to a plan where I’ll be helping in the transition over the next couple of weeks.”.

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Brokerage Agents Technology Sales 414

Realty Biz

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

What is an HOA? Are you confused about the meaning of an HOA? HOA is short for a homeowners association. Lots of people ask real estate agents how an HOA works and what purpose does it serve. Once they understand the purpose of a homeowners association they ask what the HOA fees cover. An HOA is a group or organization in a neighborhood that makes and enforces rules and regulations for homes or condos for the benefit of its owners.

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Due diligence Agents As-is 126

Realtor.com

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Rene Scott/Houzz If you’re anything like us, you’ve looked around your home more than a few times over the past year and wished you could hire a designer to instantly elevate your space. But alas, for whatever reason—you don’t have the budget, or you’re lying low during the COVID-19 pandemic—professional design help just isn’t in the cards right now.

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Design Lending As-is Industrial 131

Speaker: Sarah Santa Ana, Real Estate Coach, Move4Free Realty

Networking is one of the crucial elements in every real estate organization's success. Both agents and real estate companies need to maintain robust networking links. This is why social media is essential for any real estate professional! Social media enables you to stay in touch with your present clients, maintain connections with your past clients, and engage potential customers and investors.

Agents

Better Dwelling

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Canadian home buyers may be looking at higher mortgage rates sooner than expected. At least if they want to lock in their mortgage interest rate. The 5-year Government of Canada (GoC) benchmark bond yields in February, are almost double last year’s lows. Since 5-year fixed mortgages are influenced by these rates, they are likely to […]. The post Canadian Mortgage Rates Most Likely To Climb, Despite Low Overnight Rate appeared first on Better Dwelling.

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Mortgages 126

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Compass wants to make a big splash in the nation’s smallest state, and it’s fueling intrigue and apprehension in a close-knit brokerage ecosystem. The New York City-based company announced in January they acquired Lila Delman Real Estate , a Newport, Rhode Island-based brokerage that has been around since 1964 specializing in the grand mansions that dot the state’s seashore.

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Brokerage Agents Closing As-is 401

The American Genius for Real Estate

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

(HOMEOWNERSHIP) People often forget what changes and additions they've made to a house until it is too late. This Twitter thread is a hilarious reminder to take everything with you when you leave. The post Hilarious things left behind when people move out of their house appeared first on The American Genius Real Estate.

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Realtor.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Getty Images Pretty much everyone over the age of 5 knows never to stick their fingers in an outlet or poke a fork into a toaster, but beyond that, most of us don’t really expect to suffer a serious electrical shock at home. But there’s no doubt those risks exist, and it’s important to be aware of electrical hazards both indoors and outside.

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Speaker: Trey Willard, Realtor/Team Leader at Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

In order to create continued success in today’s real estate market, realtors need to utilize an arsenal of technology that will increase their efficiency and presence on social media. Using technology to manage your prospects and tap into their needs through websites, social media, and other channels is critical for real estate success in 2022 and beyond.

Agents

Better Dwelling

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Canada is searching for inflation, but the whole index gets a massive boost by removing mortgage interest. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) consumer price index (CPI) made a slow increase in January. However, if one were to exclude falling mortgage interest rates, inflation jumps by almost a third. Canada’s CPI Is 1% Higher Than Last Year […]. The post Removing Mortgage Interest From Canada’s CPI Makes Inflation 30% Higher appeared first on Better Dwelling.

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Mortgages 124

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

As origination volumes hit record highs in 2020, Truework’s verification experts saw a spike in fraud, and expect that trend to continue this year. HousingWire recently spoke with Jeffrey Morelli, General Manager of Truework Verifier, about what lenders can do to prepare for and overcome the growing threat of fraud and data inaccuracy. HousingWire: As we head into 2021, what are some challenges you foresee for lenders regarding employment verification?

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HR Lending Loans Mortgages 397

Realty Biz

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

The vast majority of existing homes sold in the U.S. need one or two things to be patched up, with 86% of all home inspections turning up some kind of problem, according to a study by the home improvement website Porch.com. The average home inspection can cost from $300 to $500 depending on where the home is and how big it is, but Porch.com’s study indicates that this is an investment that will save the average buyer around $14,000 in renovation costs.

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Inspection Inspection contingency Renovation Agents 122

Realtor.com

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

iStock The past year was the ultimate roller-coaster ride in real estate—long upward climbs, steep drops, and no shortage of hairpin curves along the way. And the ride hasn’t come close to slowing down so far in 2021. According to the data on realtor.com® for the first month of the year, it’s clear that the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped house-hunting patterns, and is also driving a whole lot of buying activity.

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Marketing Days on market Closing Sales 126

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Agents

Eye on Housing

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

After reaching a record high in August, pending home sales slid for the fifth consecutive month, as surging home prices and low inventory constrain buyers. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts. The PHSI fell 2.8% from 126.4 in December to 122.8 in January, a.

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Sales As-is Mortgages 122

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Digital notary startup Notarize is now offering free notarizations in an effort to eliminate racial covenants in title insurance documents. The issue came to light after real estate brokerage Windermere Real Estate earlier this month publicized the existence of title documents with racist language such as “no person or persons of Asiatic, African or Negro blood, lineage, or extraction shall be permitted to occupy a portion of said property” as well as “this property shall not be resold, le

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Title Brokerage Closing Sales 376

Realty Biz

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

So many people imagine building their dream home in an ideal location. Finding that location and buying land to build a house is the first step in fulfilling this dream. . Paying for this lot with cash is the ideal scenario but with lot prices climbing into the hundreds of thousands of dollars range, most buyers will need a loan to purchase a lot. The loan you use for buying land to build a house on is very different than the traditional home mortgage loan.

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Land Loans MLS Finance 122

Realtor.com

FEBRUARY 23, 2021

realtor.com, Anna Webber/Getty Images It’s no surprise that the massive estate of the prominent radio host Dave Ramsey , in Franklin, TN, has turned out to be a great investment—that is, if he can sell it for anywhere near his $15.45 million asking price. Ramsey bought the main portion of the property back in 2008 for a mere $1,552,000. He paid cash back then, as he advises all his listeners to do if they can afford it.

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Speaker: Ari Capogeannis, Director - Revenue Marketing at NVIDIA and Bill Pappa, Sales and Marketing Leader at Ai Media Group

Building strong personal and professional relationships with clients is a critical success factor. Sales professionals who focus on relationship building generate more leads and raise their brand awareness. Because this can take time, having regular engagements can help you cultivate these relationships more efficiently. The most effective way to accomplish this is through direct hyper-personalized touchpoints.

Sales