In the debate between residential vs commercial real estate investment, many ask, “Which is better?” The answer depends on a variety of factors such as your budget, your existing area of expertise, and your risk tolerance. We’ll explain how each
Home Energy Audit Checklist
We have so many ways to measure the efficiency of our work, our cars, and other areas of our lives. But how do you measure the efficiency of your home? The answer is simple: a home energy audit. Although it
How To Become A Real Estate Mogul or Multi-Millionaire?
Becoming a real estate mogul is every investor’s dream. If you’ve been in the business of real estate investing, you must have had that burning desire inside your heart to know, “how to become a real estate mogul.” What is
13 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home
The science behind climate change can be overwhelming and complex. When it comes to its impact on the future, much is still undetermined. So how can you take control and do your part to help slow the impact of climate
Move-in Checklist: A Guide for Landlords and Tenants
Before new tenants start unpacking their boxes and settling into their new rental property, there is one very important document that needs to be completed, the move-in checklist. A move-in checklist, also called an apartment inspection checklist or a rental
Basement Remodeling: How Much Does it Cost to Finish a Basement?
Picture your unfinished basement – a cold, dark, uninviting space that you have been wanting to finish for years. An unfinished basement is the perfect blank slate to design a space that fits your needs. You can create an extra
New House Checklist: What to Do Before Moving In
After all the paperwork, long nights, and the back and forth with your real estate agent – you did it, you have the keys to your new home. So what’s next? You may have the urge to start making your
Are refinance and agency volumes truly threatened in 2022?
It is possible to continue to increase your volume this year despite current challenges. We know that refinance volume is declining, Agency business will shrink and get more expensive and an increasing number of borrowers will not qualify under Agency
Mortgage rates blow past industry predictions
Some mortgage rate indices topped 4% on Thursday, blowing past predictions that rates might reach those levels by the end of 2022. Economists had predicted rates would rise as the overall economy stabilized. The latest mortgage rate survey from Freddie
Will rising interest rates impact VA loans for first-time homebuyers?
The VA loan is an important financing tool for VA-eligible borrowers to achieve their homeownership dream. In 2021 one in two VA borrowers was a first-time homebuyer (FTHB). Last year, mortgage interest rates reached record lows. The average VA FTHB’s interest rate was 2.90% and the quarterly FTHB VA purchase loan volume stayed elevated. In
As the market shifts to purchase, LOs get creative
Maryland has over a dozen Eastern European stores that sell products like caviar, pumpernickel bread and salo, a Ukrainian-style bacon. Apart from selling produce that is popular in former Soviet countries, these stores represent a marketing opportunity for Alex Naumovych,
Mr. Cooper, Sagent to jointly build cloud servicing platform
Mr. Cooper, one of the nation’s top servicers, and Sagent, a loan servicing software developer, announced on Friday that they will join forces to create a cloud-native servicing platform. The definitive agreement reached by both parties stipulates that Mr. Cooper
Dallas Real Estate Market: Prices | Trends | Forecasts 2022
The Dallas housing market is doing great after recovering from the blows of the pandemic since July of the pandemic year. Demand for single-family homes has risen and supply has lagged since the second half of 2020. According to Texas
HW+ Virtual 2022 Forecast Event
Forecasts take on a new meaning this year as we enter our second year of economic forecasting in a COVID-19 world. This 2022 forecast event brought together some of the top economists and researchers in the housing space, equipping attendees
Licking its wounds, Zillow bets on a ‘housing super app’
Zillow CEO Rich Barton. When Zillow stunned the housing world last November by announcing a wind down of its iBuying program – and beginning the process of laying off a quarter of its workforce – the question became what’s next.
Latest Better exit? It’s the head of real estate
Back in August, Christian Wallace spoke effusively about her future at Better.com. The digital lender generated so much money through mortgage refinancing that it bankrolled a formidable real estate division. And Wallace, a former Sotheby’s agent and Opendoor manager, was
Chicago Housing Market: Prices | Trends | Forecasts 2022
We’ll discuss the latest trends and projections for the Chicago housing market. Prices are expected to continue to increase through the rest of the year while the number of sales is expected to decrease. In December, median prices rose in
ReverseVision acquired by Constellation Software
Reverse mortgage software solutions and loan origination system (LOS) provider ReverseVision announced on Thursday morning that it has been acquired by a division of Toronto-based Constellation Software, a holding company that bought another mortgage LOS in 2019. Staff at San
First American reports record breaking year
Just like other “Big Four” member Old Republic last week, First American Financial announced record-breaking earnings during its fourth quarter earnings call on Thursday. The company’s total revenue for 2021 was up 30% from 2020 to a record of $9.2
UWM sues broker shop for sending loans to Rocket, Fairway
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) is making good on its threat to take legal action against partnering broker shops that also send business to Rocket Mortgage and Fairway Independent Mortgage, a violation of the wholesaler’s controversial broker agreement. UWM filed a
Where appraisal tech is concerned, ‘It’s not a benefit, it’s a requirement’
The appraisal space has seen its share of challenges and changes in the past two years. Facing the difficult combination of record-breaking volume and a shortage of appraisers, many mortgage and appraisal professionals have turned to appraisal technology solutions. HousingWire
Positive jobs report sends bond yields higher
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 467,000 jobs were created in January. This was a big surprise as some people, including me, thought the rise in the number of sick days being reported could impact this month’s job
HW+ Member Spotlight: Gary Scott
This week’s HW+ member spotlight features Gary Scott, president at Allen Tate Realtors. With more than 30 years of experience in the real estate industry, Scott has held positions with multiple brokerage firms across the East Coast, which includes B.
US job growth records strong start to the year
After two months of disappointing job growth, the U.S. jobs report released Friday shows that 467,000 non-farm payroll jobs were added in January. Despite this increase, the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.0% in January from 3.9% in December. The