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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.

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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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Bridge Loans in Ohio: Smart Equity Use to Buy Before You Sell

HomeLight

If you’re juggling the sale of your current Ohio home with the purchase of a new one, it might feel like walking a financial tightrope. You can then make a strong offer on your next home with no home sale contingency. Think of it as a temporary loan that taps into the equity of your existing home.

Equity 101
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Appraisal firm, loanDepot sued by Black couple for bias

Housing Wire

The lender approved their application for a loan with a 2.25% interest rate, with a “conservative” estimated value of the house at $550,000, pending approval. How borrowers can stay afloat with home equity products during difficult economic times. Some homeowners are confronting a difficult choice: sell or face foreclosure.

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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.

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