Housing Wire

DECEMBER 22, 2020

The next time you apply for a mortgage, or your lender services that loan or sells it on the secondary market, you might be helping to disrupt an industry. That’s because the entire transaction, or at least parts of it, may be powered by blockchain in the not-too-distant future. Robyn A. Friedman HW+ Columnist. Blockchain – most simply defined as a decentralized, immutable digital ledger – is perhaps best known as the technology underlying digital currency.

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Keeping Current Matters

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Over the past year, mortgage rates have fallen more than a full percentage point, hitting a new historic low 15 times. This is a great driver for homeownership, as today’s low rates provide consumers with some significant benefits. Here’s a look at three of them. 1. Move-up or Downsize: One option is to consider moving into a new home, putting the equity you’ve likely gained in your current house toward a down payment on a new one that better meets your needs – something that’s truly a perfect

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Existing home sales decreased 2.5% in November, ending the five-month streak of month-over-month gains, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.85 million, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors on Tuesday. Compared to last November, home sales are still up 25.8%. “Home sales in November took a marginal step back, but sales for all of 2020 are already on pace to surpass last year’s levels,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

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Lighter Side of Real Estate

DECEMBER 22, 2020

With the arrival of each new year, it’s fun to freshen up your home and make it look and feel contemporary. Especially as we usher out 2020—a year we’ve spent far too much time looking at the same interiors—you’re probably eager to create a different vibe with the help of some new decor. What’s going to be in style for 2021? Designers agree it’s all about comfort and color!

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Adoption of remote online notarization soared 547% in 2020, according to a new survey from the American Land Title Association of major vendors working in the RON space. The increase in adoption is largely due to protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that 29 states have passed permanent RON legislation. “Today, RON is being utilized most extensively in Florida, Texas and Virginia,” ALTA told its members.

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Realtor.com

DECEMBER 22, 2020

lookslike/Getty Images As the new year brings new resolutions, many of us have put home renovations high on our list. Maybe you’re pledging to fix up your home in preparation for selling it in 2021. Or perhaps you’re looking to enliven the place in which you’ve spent many, many hours of the day while sheltering in place in 2020. No matter your motivation, updating your flooring may be a good place to start. “Homeowners are seeking tranquility and peace from all the noise

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HomeLight

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Social distancing and work-from-home opportunities caused many urbanites to rethink their housing situation when the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020. A late 2020 Harris poll showed that as many as 39% of city dwellers at least considered moving to a less-populated area due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Add in historically low interest rates and a generally cheaper price-per-square-foot, and suburban homeownership has never looked more attractive.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 22, 2020

New York-based mortgage lender InterContinental Capital Group plans to make a big investment in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lender will add 500 jobs in Charlotte over the next five years as a part of a $5.8 million capital investment, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a news release on Tuesday. Overall, $8.45 million in incentives has been offered by the state, including $7.7 million through the Job Development Investment Grant program, $650,000 from the community college system and $109

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Realty Biz

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Image Source: Pexels. For some people, renting a space and calling it home in Toronto is a much more economical option than buying property. However, this brings us a few things that, as a tenant, you need to consider before you decide to live in a rented place. For your convenience, here is a list of a few very important things you need to consider before renting in Toronto.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 22, 2020

The mortgage application process can be a confusing one — especially if you’ve never gone through it before. There’s a lot of red tape, a ton of moving parts and, worse yet, dozens of terms and phrases you’ve probably never even heard of. Are you planning to buy a home in 2021? Here are the top five mortgage-related terms you’ll want in your arsenal: 1.

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Loans

Real Trends

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Want to learn from the brightest minds in real estate, then you'll love our REAL Trending special edition podcasts. Editor-in-chief of content, Tracy Velt, interviews brokerage leaders, top agents and teams and industry experts on leadership, recruiting, marketing, and more. Subscribe today on realtrendsinc.podbean.com.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Retail lender Movement Mortgage has invested $200 million to expand its nonprofit Movement Foundation , and to accelerate the development of its growing charter school network. The investment will also aide in the development of adjacent affordable housing and health clinics in Central America, the company said in a statement this week. Movement Foundation uses dividends from the mortgage company for affordable housing and related projects to support community stability through homeownership.

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Marco Santarelli

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Mortgage note investing is one of the best real estate investment opportunities available but it is rarely discussed. In this article, we shall discuss the various types of mortgage notes and how to invest in them. Real estate or mortgage note investing is owning real estate without property management or without becoming a landlord where the homeowner pays the investor instead of the bank.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 22, 2020

The post Creating a more secure closing process for everyone involved appeared first on HousingWire.

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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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Better Dwelling

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Canadian real estate is back on its way to becoming more unaffordable. RBC Economics’ latest report shows affordability got worse in Q3 2020. Temporary government transfers had improved the measure when observed in aggregate. However, as those transfers are gradually reduced, affordability is once again deteriorating. This isn’t a big city thing either.

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GeekEstate

DECEMBER 22, 2020

In our latest real estate tech entrepreneur interview, we’re speaking with Ben McDougal from OpenOpen. Without further ado… Who are you and what do you do? My name is Ben McDougal. I’m a tech founder, multimedia marketer, aspiring author and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in our connected era. What problem does your product/service solve?

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Realty Biz

DECEMBER 22, 2020

More than a third of young Americans are interested in homes with smart technology features that provide security, energy efficiency and entertainment, a survey from realtor.com has found. The survey published last week shows that a quarter of Americans are more interested in smart home technology after spending much more of their time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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RIS Media

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Agents and brokers: Have you reflected on how your business is performing when it comes to ethical conduct? For decades now, I’ve held the power of granting homeownership. Like many of you, I give it my all to find solutions when there are roadblocks. Are you noticing the same patterns that I have? To this day, I find great pride in helping all families fulfill their dream of homeownership, yet I noticed a huge problem in our industry very early on in my career.

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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

Point2Homes

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Image: Photographee.eu / Shutterstock.com. A new year brings with it a fresh slate of new colors. And while some years it can be hard to see where they got their inspiration, this year’s color trends are clearly a reflection of what’s happening in the world. They recognize a need for uplifting colors intended to bring a bit of joy to the everyday.

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RIS Media

DECEMBER 22, 2020

2020 has brought us on a wild ride. With the COVID-19 pandemic completely changing the way we live and work, we head into the new year with a unique set of guidelines and tools. But for real estate agents looking for success in the upcoming year, learning new guidelines and understanding how to best utilize these tools are just the starting point. As we prepare for the new year, it is vital for agents, brokers and real estate professionals alike to develop a new and improved social media strateg

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Point2Homes

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Image: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com. When it comes to owning a home, there are some bad habits that should’ve been ditched long ago. So, with the new year upon us, now is the perfect chance to shake them off. In the long run, it’ll be better for you and your home! Postponing Maintenance. Every season, draw out a list of the maintenance tasks you need to perform.

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RIS Media

DECEMBER 22, 2020

You put a great deal of time, money and energy into marketing your listings, and of course you need to get a good return on that investment. One of the best, most effective steps toward that goal is to have a professional home inspection prior to listing. A pre-listing inspection can uncover previously unknown conditions—major and minor—allowing sellers the opportunity to make repairs, updates or replacements as needed or as they choose.

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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

Point2Homes

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Image: Photographee.eu / Shutterstock.com. We’re all looking forward to 2021 with hope and anticipation. While one of our wishes for the new year will likely be to spend less time at home, we’ve also discovered that home isn’t so bad. But after really putting our living spaces to the test, it’s become obvious that some changes may be in order. We can see how the lessons of the past year are reflected in the design trends for 2021.

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The Mortgage Report

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Today’s mortgage and refinance rates Average mortgage rates inched higher yesterday, but only by the smallest measurable amount. Many will still be able to lock at their all-time low. Yesterday’s […].

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Brownstoner

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Here's an attractive, affordable prewar studio in Park Slope one block from Prospect Park -- but there's a catch. The deal must be all cash. Located on the fifth floor of a seven-story elevator co-op, No. 51 at 300 8th Avenue offers prewar details and charm in a compact floor plan… Read More > The post Petite Park Slope Studio With Prewar Charm, Two Closets, Subway Tile Asks $255K All Cash appeared first on Brownstoner.

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Realtor.com

DECEMBER 22, 2020

realtor.com A modern home designed by the renowned midcentury architect Moritz Kundig in Nine Mile Falls, WA, has had only two owners since 1962: the original family and the home’s current seller, who bought it just two years ago. It’s now on the market for $1.1 million. Kundig designed the 3,390-square-foot home for the Wallmark family on a wooded, 10-acre lot just outside Spokane, hugging Long Lake.

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BubbleInfo

DECEMBER 22, 2020

After an insanely unpredictable real estate market in 2020, will our strong sellers’ market continue in North San Diego County’s Coastal region? Probably, but it should be more balanced. Mortgage rates around 3% (and under) will continue through at least the first half of next year, but how about the low inventory? The number of […].

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Realtor.com

DECEMBER 22, 2020

FatCamera/iStock The numbers: Existing-home sales fell after five straight months of increases in November, as buyers were met with a record-low number of homes for sale. Total existing-home sales dipped 2.5% from October to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.69 million, the National Association of Realtors reported Tuesday. October’s sales figure had been the highest in 15 years.

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RIS Media

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Quality leads from Homes.com help Nevada real estate professional meet—and exceed—her goals. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. But for Henderson, Nev. team leader Josie Stewart, a picture she decided to use with her listings ended up being worth thousands in commission after she closed her first deal on a Homes.com lead less than a month after returning from an extended hiatus using the service.

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Realtor.com

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Gabe Ginsberg / Contributor / Getty Images After almost a year of quarantine, it seems like everyone’s itching for a house party—which may explain the “Property Brothers” stars’ latest renovation on their show “Celebrity IOU.” In the episode “ Allison Janney ’s Showstopper,” Drew and Jonathan Scott help the actress renovate the house of her assistant of 20 years, Ilana.

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Speaker: Mary Maloney, Founder & Team Leader at Hometown Realty

The sales cycle in real estate is frequently measured at 3+ months. During this time, real estate agents frequently lose contact with clients and miss out on opportunities because they fail to follow up and provide value to the client. Top real estate agents are distinguished from developing agents by their ability to convert organic connections into sales opportunities.

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