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Better launches ‘Equity Unlocker’ to help Amazon employees buy homes

Housing Wire

Digital mortgage lender and nonbank home loan provider Better.com has launched “Equity Unlocker,” a mortgage innovation that allows employees to pledge vested stock equity as collateral for a down payment without selling their stock. Equity Unlocker is currently available in Florida, New York and Washington state.

Equity 380
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How online auctions deliver on the promise of pre-foreclosure sales

Housing Wire

The great promise of short sales and other distressed pre-foreclosure sales as a foreclosure alternative is most fully realized in a competitive and transparent online auction marketplace, according to recent data from the Auction.com Market Validation Program (MVP) for pre-foreclosure sales. Falling Short.

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Dream of homeownership feels unattainable to many Americans: Redfin

Housing Wire

The median sale price was $378,250, up 4.5% starter home, up 8% from a year ago and up nearly 100% from pre-pandemic figures, Redfin reported. Redfin commissioned Qualtrics to survey 3,000 U.S. residents, including about 1,000 renters, in February 2024. During the four weeks ending April 7, the median monthly U.S.

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A housing boom doesn’t portend a bust

Housing Wire

Homes that reach the market sell quickly, bidding wars are the new normal and the investor share of sales continues to rise. Mortgage credit availability remains tighter than it was pre-pandemic. The mortgage debt-to-income ratio is near a four-decade low and homeowner equity is at a historic high.

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How Andrew Marquis plans to close more loans in a low-inventory market  

Housing Wire

Even if I write seven pre-approvals a day, when there is one house and there’s 20 people that want to buy the same house, we still can’t do a lot of deals,” Marquis said. I know that sounds crazy, but we have a lot of clients reaching out for pre-approvals. But [production] levels are not pre-pandemic.

Loans 356
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The Real Brokerage looks to build on 2023’s explosive growth

Housing Wire

With its supercharged growth over the past two years, it is no surprise that The Real Brokerage topped the 2024 RealTrends 500 Top Movers list for both transaction side count and sales volume. In 2023, Real recorded 48,905 sides, up 14,721 sides from 2022, and a sales volume of $21.2 billion, up $6.80 billion over the prior year.

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Buyside launches a new home valuation pages feature

Housing Wire

By the time the average US homeowner retires, it’s often stated that 83% of their wealth will come from their real estate’s equity, however, the challenge is most homeowners don’t consider their home an asset. For more information, visit getbuyside.com or email sales@getbuyside.com.