Thu.Jun 30, 2022

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Buy the Worst House in a Nice Neighborhood

Realty Biz

Some people call it buying the worst house in the best neighborhood, but most nice neighborhoods work just fine – especially when houses to choose from are scarce. But either way, this equity-building strategy isn’t for the faint of heart. Back Door Entry to a Ritzy Area. The theory is that lower-priced homes in upscale neighborhoods will appreciate at a higher percentage than all the other houses in the neighborhood.

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After implosion, FGMC files for bankruptcy

Housing Wire

Less than a week after laying off hundreds of workers and refusing new mortgage applications, First Guaranty Mortgage Corp. (FGMC) and its affiliate Maverick II Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late Wednesday. . “While we have made considerable efforts to address our ongoing financial challenges related to the state of the mortgage market, we ultimately must do what is best for our borrowers and consumers,” Aaron Samples, chief executive officer of FGMC, said in a

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If You’re Selling Your House This Summer, Hiring a Pro Is Critical

Keeping Current Matters

It can be tempting, especially with how hot the housing market has been over the past two years, to consider selling your home on your own.

Marketing 229
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HW+ Member Spotlight: Budge Huskey

Housing Wire

This week’s HW+ member spotlight features Budge Huskey, president and CEO at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. He also serves as vice chairman of Peerage Realty Partners and has previously held executive roles at Coldwell Banker Real Estate. Below, Huskey answers questions about the housing industry: HousingWire: What is your current favorite HW+ article and why?

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3 Real Estate Office Hacks to Help Kickstart the Busy Season

Ready to better your Back Office? Dive into the secrets to a powerhouse back office with Brokermint expert, Jessica Souza. In this free download, she shares her 3 transformative hacks designed to clean house, get everyone on the same page, and set yourself up for success. From optimizing agent profiles to ensuring flawless transactions and boosting agent retention, these strategies are your ticket to a seamless operation.

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8 Tips for Controlling Your Life with Calendar Time Blocking

Tom Ferry

One of the most challenging aspects of being an independent real estate professional is being in control of your own time. For example, do you ever feel like you: Don’t know what to do first thing in the morning? Are overwhelmed and buried in paperwork? Spend too much time waiting for the phone to ring? […]. The post 8 Tips for Controlling Your Life with Calendar Time Blocking appeared first on Tom Ferry.

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Cleaning House to Sell? Checklist for Homeowners

HomeLight

Deep cleaning a house for sale sets the stage for professional-quality photos and effective staging that enables buyers to visualize a property as their future home, according to 82% of buyers agents surveyed for the 2021 Profile of Home Staging published by the National Association of Realtors®. Moreover, a clean house gets your listing buyer-ready for successful showings.

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Stake, a fintech that offers cash rewards to renters, raises $12M

Housing Wire

Stake , a financial tech company that provides cash back and banking services to renters , raised $12 million in Series A funding to build out its platform and suite of solutions for renters and property owners. The financing round was led by real estate technology investment firm RET Ventures and also included participation from Enterprise Community Partners , Hometeam Ventures , and Second Century Ventures , the investment arm of the National Association of Realtors , Stake said Monday. “

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Active inventory records largest annual gain in June

Real Trends

The number of active listings rose 18.7% year over year in June, according to Realtor.com’s Monthly Housing Trend Report, released Thursday. The increase represents the fastest yearly pace ever recorded by Realtor.com. Despite the increase, the number of active listings remains 53.2% below its June 2019 level. Active inventory increased year over year in 40 of the 50 largest U.S. metros with Austin, Texas experiencing the largest annual increase at 144.5%, followed by Phoenix at 113.2% and Ralei

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FGMC owes Customers Bank $25M, bankruptcy filing shows

Housing Wire

First Guaranty Mortgage Corp. (FGMC) and its holding company, Maverick II Holdings LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday, June 30, leaving one of the country’s major warehouse lenders as its largest unsecured creditor, according to court filings. Pennsylvania-based Customers Bank , which has warehouse lending operations located in Hamilton, New Jersey, is listed as the largest unsecured creditor in the FGMC Chapter 11 case — with a claim of $25 million, court pleadings show.

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Need Curated Pre-foreclosure Lists to Generate New Real Estate Leads? Trellis Has the Data!

Trellis is a state trial court research and analytics platform that provides Real Estate Professionals (Buyers, Foreclosure, Loan Modification, etc.) with LEADS on Pre-Foreclosures, Lis Pendes, Distressed Assets and more — to help uncover **new** opportunities and grow their business. The process is quick and easy — and all in real time. Trellis will supply you with a link to the relevant dockets, a Leads sheet and access to its UI where applicable.

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How To Connect To Real Estate Leads During Rising Interest Rates

Easy Agent Pro

Rising interest rates for home buyers make buyers, sellers, and agents a bit more cautious. Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve increased its benchmark interest rate by ¾ of a percent, making it the largest hike since 1994. This increase is the third example of rising interest rates that has been enacted in 2022. Combined high interest rates with high inflation has mortgage rates on the rise. .

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Title industry prepares for changing market conditions

Housing Wire

As mortgage rates rise and home price appreciation continues , employees in the housing industry are hard at work preparing for shifting market conditions. Rising mortgage rates have affected the entire industry, including in the title insurance sphere, with refinance volumes dropping nearly 60% for some companies during the first quarter of 2022 — and things are only expected to get worse when we get the Q2 numbers, as interest rates are now at the highest level in years.

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State-Level GDP in the First Quarter of 2022

Eye on Housing

Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased in 46 states and the District of Columbia in the first quarter of 2022. New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Michigan saw modest GDP growth. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the percent change in real GDP ranged from 1.2 percent increase in New Hampshire to 9.7 percent decline in Wyoming.

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2 senior HUD officials to leave department

Housing Wire

Two senior officials at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will resign at the end of the week, according to correspondence reviewed by HousingWire. Both Peggy Bailey, senior advisor on rental assistance at HUD, and Meaghan Lynch, press secretary at HUD, announced Thursday they would be leaving the department. It wasn’t immediately clear why the women chose to resign.

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Accelerating Real Estate Sales Pipelines to Streamline Buyer Journeys

Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.

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Out-of-the-Box Spare Room Ideas

Coldwell Banker

Have an extra room that’s just taking up space? Lucky you! Put your creativity to work and transform it into the “play” place you’ve always wanted. Here are just a few suggestions for using that unused area. Rock Out Let the rock-n-roll in you rip loose in a room designed to be your very own […]. The post Out-of-the-Box Spare Room Ideas appeared first on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter.

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How mortgage lenders are qualifying the value of fintech solutions

Housing Wire

An increasingly digitized world has given way to new solutions that are making business easier for everyone, mortgage lenders included. HousingWire recently spoke with Sue Woodard, senior advisor to Total Expert , about the ways lenders can measure the effectiveness of their fintech solutions and what they can do to keep pace with the digital mortgage revolution.

Mortgages 369
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Tips for Selling Your Airbnb Property For Top Dollar

HomeLight

The trend of “ workcationing ” has changed the landscape for Airbnb travel. With the flexibility of remote work, long-term stays have increased 50% since 2019 , according to Airbnb data. Airbnb owners are busier than ever in 2022 and vacationers are paying for relaxation and adventure in popular and remote destinations with unique lodging options. With attractive opportunities to make money owning an Airbnb or similar property, current owners looking to get out of the short-term rental game may

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Champions Funding’s non-QM solutions empowerbrokers to service borrowers’ unique needs

Housing Wire

Facing a housing market in transition, mortgage lenders are striving to provide funding access to a growing population of non-traditional borrowers. As these borrowers begin to comprise a significant part of overall housing demand, brokers and LOs want to partner with wholesale lenders who understand how to serve this emerging customer base. With demand for alternative lending expected to increase, Champions Funding empowers their broker partners to service diverse borrower needs by providing so

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Maximizing Your Online Presence: Tips for Real Estate Agents on Social Media

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.

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LGBTQ+ REAL ESTATE ALLIANCE CALLS ON NAR AND RPAC TO CEASE FUNDING THOSE WHO SUPPORT ANTI-LGBTQ+ LEGISLATION

Realty Biz

LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance CEO Ryan Weyandt and President Dave Gervase, on behalf of the organization’s 13-person Board of Directors, Officers, and 2,500-plus members, have sent a letter to National Association of Realtors® (NAR) President Leslie Rouda Smith and Realtor® Party Director Hagan Stone calling on NAR and the Realtor® Political Action Committee (RPAC) to cease funding local, state or nationally elected officials or candidates who participate in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric or publicly suppor

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Flagstar Bank offers brokers direct access to seasoned specialty lending experts and powerful tech solutions

Housing Wire

The housing market has undergone a significant transformation over the past two years. While a booming market kept brokers busy in 2021, the 2022 housing market has been underscored by rising interest rates, inflation and geopolitical turbulence. In response, many brokers are relying on extra support, and Flagstar Bank offers exactly that. With 35 years of experience in the mortgage business, Flagstar has reputation for successfully navigating the ebb and flow of an ever-changing housing market.

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Daily Links: Vandal Breaks Tombstones in 18th Century Graveyard at Flatbush Dutch Church

Brownstoner

In the News A Brooklyn Food Crawl That’s Powered by the Australian Crawl [NYT] New York Files Lawsuits Against a Flood of ‘Ghost Guns’ [NYT] How Brooklyn Artist Steve Keene Became So Prolific [Gothamist] Experts Discuss Brooklyn’s Journey to Embracing Renewable Energy [BKP] Crumbling Clinton Hill Building Suffers Collapse, Officials Say [Patch] Park Church Activists Plan… Read More > The post Daily Links: Vandal Breaks Tombstones in 18th Century Graveyard at Flatbush Dutch Church appea

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Wholesale Lenders Special Report

Housing Wire

Refinance volume was projected to fall after last year’s record-breaking boom, and this year’s rising mortgage rates have further pronounced the downward trend in volume. In light of this, brokers are compelled to find new areas of opportunity, such as expanding their product offerings. When venturing into the world of non-QM and other specialty lending options, it’s important to partner with experts in the field who can provide reliable training, support and solutions.

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Rise of The Apps: Building Your Dream Tech Stack For Real Estate Success

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.

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The Insider: Inventive Rethinking of Bed Stuy Townhouse Pulls Together Old and New

Brownstoner

It's an unusual developer who gives architects and designers the time and freedom to develop and execute a nuanced, soulful, one-of-a-kind program for the renovation of an investment property. Yet that is exactly what happened when Bretaigne Walliser and Thom Dalmas of the design studio TBo were called on to… Read More > The post The Insider: Inventive Rethinking of Bed Stuy Townhouse Pulls Together Old and New appeared first on Brownstoner.

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United Wholesale Mortgage’s program Boost helps independent mortgage brokers connect with borrowers

Housing Wire

Intuitive technologies developed and built by experts in both mortgages and technology can drive efficiency, reliability and profitability when paired with exceptional customer service. To further catapult wholesale channel growth, United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) remains committed to developing proprietary technology and amplifying state-of-the-art training programs for mortgage brokers across the country.

Mortgages 363
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What is a home equity investment? Guide to equity sharing agreements

The Mortgage Report

A home equity investment could help you tap your home's cash value without refinancing. Learn more about equity sharing agreements here.

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HousingWire Magazine: July 2022

Housing Wire

Brena Nath, Director of HW+ and Events. Last September, I ran into Dalila Ramos, who now is founder of Love and Tacos Media , but at the time, she served as vice president of diversity and growth at Equity Prime Mortgage. I was getting ready to lead a panel on minority homeownership for our own conference — HousingWire Annual — and was asking leaders in minority homeownership for their input on the topic.

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5 Data Proven Ways Agents Can Do 18% More Business

Curious as to how you could do 18% more business? How about 14 more transaction sides per year? Check out this infographic with data from a RealTrends study to learn more.