Housing Wire

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Borrowers looking to refinance their VA and FHA loans contributed to another uptick in mortgage applications for the week ending Dec. 18, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage applications jumped 0.8% a week after the 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped five basis points to 2.85%, the trade group noted. The 30-year rate is up to 2.86% in the most recent MBA survey, according to Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting

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Keeping Current Matters

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Once you’ve found the right home and applied for a mortgage, there are some key things to keep in mind before you close. You’re undoubtedly excited about the opportunity to decorate your new place, but before you make any large purchases, move your money around, or make any major life changes, consult your lender – someone who is qualified to tell you how your financial decisions may impact your home loan.

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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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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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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 23, 2020

It may seem hard to imagine that the home you’re in today – whether it’s your starter home or just one you’ve fallen in love with along the way – might not be your forever home. Many needs have changed in 2020, and it’s okay to admit if your house no longer fits your lifestyle. If you’re now working remotely, facilitating virtual school, trying to exercise at home, or simply just spending more time in your own four walls, you may be bursting at the seams in your current house.

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Coldwell Banker

DECEMBER 21, 2020

After a most unique year, it only makes sense that we would launch into 2021 with an unexpected color of the year choice. In fact, Pantone has gone with not one, but two, hues in its annual proclamation. In a news release, Pantone called them “two independent colors that come together to create an aspirational color pairing, conjoining deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the optimistic promise of a sunshine filled day.”.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Comparing single-family houses vs. townhouses can be difficult. What is the right fit for your home purchase? That depends on a whole host of factors — things like your budget , your need for space and privacy, and your penchant for home maintenance. Are you trying to decide whether a townhome or a detached, single-family house is the best use of your money?

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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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Realtor.com

DECEMBER 23, 2020

CarmenMurillo / Getty Images Ever resolve to organize your closet or junk drawer, only to see your efforts devolve into a (slightly different) cluttered mess? Maybe it’s because you tried a method that doesn’t fit your personality. It turns out, people have different approaches to organizing—how to do it, and what they want to get out of it.

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Advertiser: Trellis

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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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 23, 2020

Daryl Fairweather Redfin Chief Economist. This is the second installment of our economist Q&A series of the top housing market forecasts for 2021 that focus on everything from home sales to mortgage rates. To help provide as much guidance as possible on what to expect in 2021, HousingWire interviewed a top economist every Tuesday in December in the HW+ Slack channel.

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Keeping Current Matters

DECEMBER 24, 2020

We talk a lot about why it makes financial sense to buy a home, but more often than not, we’re drawn to the emotional reasons for homeownership. No matter the living space, the feeling of a home means different things to different people. Whether it’s a certain scent or a favorite chair, the feel-good connections to our own homes are typically more important to us than the financial ones.

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Realtor.com

DECEMBER 25, 2020

FollowTheFlow / Getty Images Decorating kids bedroom walls is a tough challenge—that is, if you don’t want them to outgrow that fire engine mural or “Frozen” decals anytime soon. Isn’t there anything out there more original that both parents and kids will enjoy for years to come? Of course there is. “Kids, by nature, are creative and imaginative, so it makes sense that their bedrooms should be just as colorful and full of life,” says Anna Shiwlall , owner of t

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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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The Mortgage Report

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Sellers: learn what home inspectors look for so you can prepare for your home inspection. Buyers: learn how to interpret the home inspection report.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Despite the pandemic, incredibly, the housing market has surpassed all expectations in 2020. Applications to purchase a home hit a low point in the spring due to stay-at-home orders and mandated business closures, but have rebounded swiftly. As of the week ending December 4, purchase loan applications have exceeded year-ago levels for 29-straight weeks, and cumulative purchase applications have surpassed 2019 levels.

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Maximum Exposure Real Estate

DECEMBER 20, 2020

Preventing The Cause of Ice Dams Do you have an ice dam problem at your home? Are you looking for the best methods to get rid of your ice dams? The first part of the process of removing ice dams is to prevent them, to begin with. Preventing ice dams is just smart as they […]. The post Ice Dams: How to Get Rid of and Prevent Ice Damming Including Video appeared first on Massachusetts Real Estate Exposure.

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Realtor.com

DECEMBER 21, 2020

FatCamera/Getty Images In normal circumstances, selling a house involves interacting with a lot of people. In-person house tours, roundtable closings, and handshakes are all standard formalities. But in a world rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic , safety and social distancing are a must, and real estate professionals and sellers have had to adapt to a new way of doing business.

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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

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

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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Fancy Pants Homes

DECEMBER 19, 2020

With the HBO 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland bringing new, bone-chilling stories to light, I felt the need to save a piece of my childhood by leaving Neverland behind myself. And that piece is the actual Neverland Ranch, the very first celebrity home I have any memory of — and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. I distinctly remember when news first came out about this incredible property Michael Jackson had bought, a ranch that stretched on for miles and that he planned o

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Realtor.com

DECEMBER 21, 2020

LifestyleVisuals/Getty Images With so many people spending more time at home due to COVID-19, having reliable and consistent power is more critical than ever. But with winter about to be in full swing—and serious storms already wreaking havoc on parts of the country—many of us are thrust into crisis mode to get the juice back on. If you haven’t done so already, now’s the time to invest in a generator to restore power to your home quickly.

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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

Realty Biz

DECEMBER 20, 2020

A rise in the number of buyers who’re prepared to pay for homes fully in cash means that those who require financing are struggling to compete. Recent data from realtor.com shows that all-cash deals comprise as much as 36% of all real estate transactions in certain U.S. markets. That’s a problem, because those who can pay in cash are often favored by sellers, as it means the transaction can be closed more quickly and with fewer headaches involved.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 24, 2020

The average U.S. mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan fell one basis point this week to 2.66% – the lowest rate in the Freddie Mac ’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey’s near 50-year history. This week’s mortgage rate broke the previous record set on Dec. 17. With this week’s record drop, there have now been 20 consecutive weeks when average mortgage rates have been below 3%, and the 16th time this year rates have broken their own record.

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Brownstoner

DECEMBER 23, 2020

As we find ourselves in the giving season of this tumultuous year, many Brooklynites may be looking around their community and want to help those in need. Below, Brownstoner has compiled a list of mutual aid groups based in Brooklyn that are looking for volunteers, donations and more. This is… Read More > The post Help Out One of Brooklyn’s Many Mutual Aid Groups This Holiday Season appeared first on Brownstoner.

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Better Dwelling

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Canada’s real estate industry expects next year to be slower than this year, but still sees massive price growth. Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the industry group representing Canada’s Realtors, released their 2021 forecast. They expect next year will see large growth, just not as large as we’ve seen this past year. Ontario is forecasted […].

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Agents

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 21, 2020

Private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo will acquire proptech company RealPage in a transaction valued at approximately $10.2 billion, including net debt, according to a release. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the RealPage board of directors, is expected to close during the second quarter of 2021 and will make RealPage a privately held company.

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Point2Homes

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Image: Master1305 / Shutterstock.com. As the year comes to an end, now is a fantastic time to get ready for a brand new one. So, we’ve come up with 7 activities to help you start 2021 on the right foot. Let’s take a look. Out with the Old, in with the New. During the holiday season, there’s a very good chance that your home will see new additions in terms of electronics, decorations, clothes, and so on.

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Realty Biz

DECEMBER 24, 2020

The hospitality industry has been pummeled by the COVID-19 pandemic, and investors are swooping to buy up hotels and reimagine them as rental units instead. Hotel conversions have become a big business in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reported this week. Its report said that investors are buying up struggling hotels at bargain prices and transforming them into rental units in order to “profit from rising demand for cheap housing from households forced to downsize during the recession.”.

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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.

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