Mortgage and real estate associations have long served as a backbone for their members, with the COVID-19 pandemic only reaffirming this support as members mobilized quickly to provide COVID-19 relief. As their members quickly took action to donate supplies, money
Nexsys partners with digital insurer Lemonade on homeowners’ insurance verification
This article was written for FinLedger, HW Media’s new fintech-focused news brand designed specifically for financial services professionals in banking, insurance and real estate. Stay tuned for updates. The competition in the home insurance space continues to heat up. On the same day that insurtech
DIY landlord platform Avail raises $4.2 million in Series A round
DIY landlord and renter platform Avail announced Wednesday that it raised $4.2 million in a Series A round of funding, led by St. Louis-based venture capital firm Cultivation Capital. The company said the funding will go toward accelerating its position
Home sales jump a record 21% in June, NAR says
U.S. existing-home sales rose 21% in June, the biggest monthly gain on record, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops rose to a seasonally adjusted 4.72 million at an annual pace after
U.S. home prices grew 4.9% in May despite pandemic
U.S. home prices gained 4.9% in May from a year earlier as low mortgage rates and a shortage of listings boosted competition for properties and kept values growing even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The pace was lower than the annualized
Is July’s forbearance extension spike a sign of trouble?
As mortgage forbearances dropped from 8.55% to 7.8% in the past five weeks, forbearances that received extensions jumped from 6.52% to 48.06%. Is this a sign of trouble for homeowners and the economy? Let’s examine what’s driving this trend, key
How To Choose Your Ideal Real Estate Agent
Congratulations, you’re in the market to buy a house. Or perhaps you are ready to sell. It’s time to choose a real estate agent to guide you through what can be a challenging – and sometimes stressful – process. So,
The Nation’s #1 Agent, Kyle Seyboth, Joins the Relentless
It’s safe to say that only the best agents in the game affiliate with the CENTURY 21 brand. It should be no surprise that we just welcomed the *nation’s number one real estate agent, according to The 2020 RealTrends, to
The Key to Pandemic Homebuying? “An Agent that gives 121%” Say Military Families
Before COVID-19, most homebuyers wouldn’t consider purchasing a home without being able to see it in person first. The global pandemic is changing the way homebuyers are finding the perfect home, leaving them to face this new and uncertain reality.
Minneapolis Real Estate Market 2020 Overview
This article has been updated to reflect recent changes in the Minneapolis real estate market due to the coronavirus pandemic. We’ll be discussing the housing market trends for the Twin Cities Metro Area. Our focus for real estate investment would be the
Chicago Real Estate Market 2020 Overview
This article has been updated to reflect recent changes in the Chicago real estate market due to the coronavirus pandemic. We’ll be discussing the latest Chicago housing market trends to find out how they can affect the investors and homebuyers in this
20 Passive Income Ideas To Help You Make More Money In 2020
Passive income is the money you earn in a way that requires little to no daily effort to maintain. What is so fascinating about it? Well, everyone wants to earn a passive income so they can retire rich and enjoy
Anthony Casa steps back as head of AIME following backlash from sexist video
Thursday evening, Association of Independent Mortgage Experts Chairman Anthony Casa announced he will be stepping back as the head of the association following backlash from lewd and sexist videos he sent out. In a statement to HousingWire, Casa said he
Congressional hearing: Servicers dropped the ball on forbearance clarity
The House Financial Services Subcommittee on oversight and investigations held a hearing on Thursday examining how servicers provided clarity and information on the CARES Act and forbearance options for borrowers. The discussion, titled “Protecting Homeowners During the Pandemic: Oversight of
Startup Orchard launches new mortgage product offering
This article was written for FinLedger, HW Media’s new fintech-focused news brand designed specifically for financial services professionals in banking, insurance and real estate. Stay tuned for updates. An increasing number of real estate startups want to offer a fully integrated platform, giving users the
More homebuyers would buy sight unseen, thanks to virtual tours
Popular solutions in the real estate industry, while in-person open houses were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are 3D home tours, virtual home tours and even FaceTime home tours. In April, realtor.com said that about 25% of
[PULSE] HUD should back away from changes to disparate impact rule
If there is one thing to be learned from the #BlackLivesMatter eruption this year, it is that race and racism remain as an alarming and polarizing social chasm that has never been fully addressed. From the founding fathers who debated
Startup Knock gets out of real estate brokerage, shifts into lending
Startup Knock announced Thursday it is getting out of the real estate brokerage business and becoming a lender. This morning, the company unveiled a major shift in strategy with its new Home Swap program, under which Knock serves as the
1.3 million Americans file jobless claims
Another 1.3 million people filed jobless claims last week, the lowest reading since the COVID-19 pandemic began slamming the U.S. economy in mid-March, and the overall number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits dipped. Initial claims fell just 10,000 from the
June’s new construction activity sees greatest year-over-year decline since 2015
Single-family housing authorizations in June sunk 10.02% year-over-year – the steepest year-over-year decline in the past five years, according to a report by Buildfax, a property condition data service provider. Month over month, June experienced a 3.77% decline in single-family
Average U.S. mortgage rate falls below 3% for the first time
The average mortgage rate fell to 2.98% this week, breaking the 3% threshold for the first time, as investors concerned about a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic fled to the safety of the bond markets and the Federal Reserve continued
Plaza suspends sponsorship of AIME over chairman’s “misogynistic behavior”
Plaza Home Mortgage announced it is suspending its sponsorship of the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts over “harassment and misogynistic behavior” by Chairman Anthony Casa. Over the July 4 holiday, Casa sent a video to Quicken Loans Vice President Austin Niemiec in
U.S. Median Home Sale Price up 3% to a New High in June
Buyers, powered by record-low mortgage rates and untethered by the pandemic, continue to outnumber sellers, resulting in intense competition and rising prices. The national median home price rose 2.8% year over year to an all-time high of $311,300 in June,
Home Sales Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels for the First Time as Mortgage Rates Hit Another Record Low
Key takeaways for the week ending July 5 Home sales were up 2% from pre-pandemic levels and are likely to continue rising; pending sales were up 10% during the same period. Weekly average mortgage rates fell to a new low