Zillow and Redfin are among the companies that are signing on to The Board Challenge, a pledge to add a Black member to their board of directors within one year. Rolled out this week, the Board Challenge is part of
America’s Housing Shortage Is Intensifying During the Pandemic—Especially in Relatively Affordable Places Like San Antonio and Baltimore
Meanwhile, San Francisco has experienced a flood of homes for sale as Americans flee dense, expensive cities. America’s housing shortage was intense before the coronavirus hit, with the number of homes for sale slumping 7% year over year in February.
More Than Half of Redfin Offers Faced Bidding Wars in August as the Housing Market’s Competitive Streak Continues
Nearly 55% of Redfin offers for homes faced bidding wars in August. Competition is still fierce in coastal California, and the market is also hot in more affordable places like Sacramento and Phoenix. Nationwide, 54.5% of Redfin offers on homes
It hasn’t been this hard to get a mortgage in six years
Mortgage credit in August was the tightest in more than six years as a weak economy prompted lenders to tighten standards, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a report on Thursday. The group’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index fell 4.7% to
Opendoor could make public debut via reverse merger at $5B valuation
Opendoor, the largest instant home buying platform in the country, could debut on the public market at a $5 billion valuation, according to a new report. Chamath Palihapitiya’s Social Capital is in talks to use one of his blank-check companies,
Housing Market Sees Biggest Uptick in New Listings in Almost 2 Years as Pending Sales Surge 21%
Record-low inventory of homes for sale has “created a complete storm of insanity,” in small, affordable markets like Boise, which is seeing an influx of buyers leaving the West Coast. Key housing market takeaways for 434 U.S. metro areas during
How many homes did iBuyers purchase in Q2?
The second quarter was a tough one on iBuyers, as only 0.1% of the homes sold across 418 metros — only 880 homes total — were purchased by top iBuyers Redfin, Zillow, Opendoor and Offerpad, according to a report by
The refinancing boom is just getting started
Even with refinancings driving a record $1.1 trillion in originations in the second quarter and testing the limits of lenders’ capacity, LOs, mortgage executives and economists say all the conditions are right for a string of even bigger quarters. According
Home Maintenance Tips: Keep Your Home in Tip Top Condition
Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions and purchases a person may make. Not only does it come with the financial responsibility of paying a mortgage, but also making sure to keep up on your home maintenance. If
Clarifire’s Jane Mason: Tech opportunities spring up from mass urban exodus
As the mortgage industry continues to navigate record-low interest rates in the midst of a pandemic, many companies are seeing tech opportunities, and rising up to modernize outdated processes in order to keep up with demand. “For [mortgage servicers and
What you need to know about refinancing your home
With mortgage rates at historic lows, it’s not surprising so many people are looking to refinance their home. Is such a move right for you? Here are a few things you need to know. Several refinancing options Many homeowners seek
Seemingly Invincible, the Housing Market Posts More Strong Gains—Pending Sales Up 20%, Prices up 11%
Key takeaways for the 4-week period ending August 23: New listings of homes for sale were up 4% from a year ago—the largest increase since the four-week period ending March 15—but active listings continued to fall, down 28% from 2019.
11 Tips to Win a Bidding War on a House
You’ve been house hunting for weeks, possibly months, and now you’ve finally found a beautiful home that would be just perfect for your family. Already familiar with how to make an offer on a house, you submit what you believe
Colorado Springs Real Estate Market & Investment Overview 2020
The Colorado Springs housing market continues to break all the records even when the COVID pandemic has not ended. The real estate market has reached record high prices with a lack of homes for sale. The Colorado Springs real estate
Homebuyers on a $2,500 Monthly Budget Can Afford $33,000 More With Low Mortgage Rates, But Higher Home Prices Cancel Out Increase
Historically low rates are motivating homebuyers even though prices were up 8.2% year over year in July, effectively cancelling out the 6.9% increase in purchasing power. A homebuyer with a $2,500 monthly housing budget can afford a home priced $33,250
Tiny Tasks to Help De-clutter
When was the last time you smiled with pride upon opening a cleaned-up junk drawer or closet? If you can’t recall ever having this feeling, it’s time to hit these hot spots! And you don’t need all weekend to make some progress.“Mini tasks make a big difference—like the ones you can accomplish during a TV commercial […]
The post Tiny Tasks to Help De-clutter appeared first on Signature Real Estate Services.
The Typical Home Pending Sale Is 3.7% Bigger Than Last Year, Sales of Large Homes Up 21% as People Seek More Space Amid Pandemic
But prices of small homes were up 8.1% year over year in July, compared with 6.7% for large homes, reflecting the continuing importance of affordability for homebuyers. The typical home that sold in the four weeks ending August 16 was
What Fixes are Mandatory After a Home Inspection?
A savvy homebuyer will schedule a home inspection for any home they’re serious about buying. After all, who wants to find out after moving into their dream home that the furnace is on the fritz or that termites have taken
Biden’s $15,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit explained
Former Vice President Joe Biden has proposed a $15,000 tax credit to help first-time homebuyers purchase a property. As is typical for campaign proposals from either party, the details remain to be fleshed out. And before any tax credit would
Q&A: 2020 HW Insider winner Dean Kirchen on the top servicing trends to watch
In honor of the 2020 HW Insiders list that was announced on Monday exclusively for HW+ members, HousingWire interviewed Dean Kirchen, senior vice president of WFG Default Services at WFG National Title Insurance Company, to get his insight on the
Realtor.com now discloses flood risks – Here’s why its competitors won’t
The Zillow listing for 3913 Pirates Beach Circle in Galveston, Texas highlights the “incredible water views of Marina Boulevard Lake,” and praises the home’s recently remodeled kitchen and original hardwood floors. For just $244,000, the waterfront home is “a must
Adverse-market fee was a “shock,” mortgage brokers say
It was almost midnight on Aug. 12, when Matt Rasetta received a text message from one of his loan officers: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had just announced a 0.5% adverse-market fee. The owner of Superior Rate Mortgage of New
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will keep buying loans in forbearance through Sept. 30
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced on Wednesday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would continue to buy qualified loans in forbearance until Sept. 30, extending the previous deadline of Aug. 31. The GSEs will also extend other loan flexibilities
Fannie and Freddie: Borrowers and servicers have options as natural disasters rage on
As the nation grapples with the effects of an ongoing pandemic, Mother Nature has shown little mercy as wildfires have been burning in parts of Northern California since last week and residents of the Gulf Coast face evacuation orders with