Curb appeal is for all seasons. Temperatures are cooling as Autumn is upon us. Now is the time to take a look around the outside of your home with a critical eye. Early fall is a great time to plant grass seed filling in bare or damaged areas of your lawn. Overseeding is the process […]
Fun Halloween Home Decor
We all know first impressions and staging a home go hand-in-hand … however, Halloween can bring out the silliness in all of us! Still have that blow-up kiddie pool handy? Stick a “mummy” or “skeleton” sitting in it & place in your front yard. Fill it with leaves, pumpkins, candy, juice boxes … use your […]
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 […]
Meteor Shower in Your Backyard
If you find yourself needing a backyard to star gaze, we have the tools available to help you in your search. Maybe you’re wishing on a star for a country get-away to go camping at. Or maybe that wish upon the star is for a home with a bigger yard.
How to Build a Tree House
Kids love to climb trees. And kids love to have a place to call their own. Remember having a tree house growing up – or wishing you had one? It’s a place kids can decorate with their own style. A place to sleep out; a place to giggle and tell secrets to one another. […]
How To Find A Mentor As A Real Estate Agent
One thing that can make an enormous difference in your career success as an agent is whether or not you have a high-quality mentor who can help you navigate the ins and outs of real estate. In fact, many agents discover that they operate very well if they have more than one mentor to tap for questions and advice.
Avoiding Burnout As A Real Estate Agent
Every industry contains a danger of job burnout. Although it’s not an actual medical disease, the Mayo Clinic defines burnout as “a special type of work-related stress — a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.”
Mortgage applications on the rise again
Mortgage applications jumped 8.15% from the week ending Jan. 29, breaking a two-week streak of decreases, according to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The refinance index also increased 11% from the previous week – up to its
Ginnie Mae guarantees first digital MBS
Ginnie Mae announced its first guarantee of a mortgage-backed security backed by digital pools, or pools of loans that consist entirely of eNotes. The MBS were loans closed by Rocket Mortgage in December, are issued as of Jan. 1, 2021
CoreLogic’s Selma Hepp to speak at Spring Summit
CoreLogic Deputy Chief Economist Selma Hepp will be speaking on the economic outlook at HousingWire’s Spring Summit on March 4. It’s a topic she’s well-suited to speak on — at CoreLogic, Hepp is responsible for analyzing, interpreting and forecasting economic
Old Republic’s title insurance income soars in 2020
Old Republic International Corp. reported positive revenue for 2020, in large part because its title insurance arm made up for a decrease in general earned premiums. The Chicago-based company saw a total of $670 million in net income in 2020,
White homeownership rate hits nine-year high
Despite an unrelenting COVID-19 virus and economic recession, U.S. homeownership rose in the fourth quarter of 2020 from the same period last year. And it’s reached a record high for white homeowners, but fallen for Black Americans. The overall homeownership
Biden plans to release Puerto Rico aid blocked by HUD
The Biden administration has begun making plans to release $1.3 billion in aid that Puerto Rico can use to protect against future climate disasters, alongside the removal of various spending restrictions Housing and Urban Development originally put in place by
A closer look at HousingWire’s February magazine
Today’s HousingWire Daily focuses on the newly released HousingWire February magazine issue. In this episode, HW+ Managing Editor Brena Nath discusses what readers will find in this issue, which focuses on the unique challenges servicers face in 2021. HW Magazine
33 states go after Ocwen/PHH Mortgage over servicing fees
A coalition of 33 state attorneys general filed a motion against PHH Mortgage and its predecessor Ocwen Loan Servicing for allegedly charging unlawful servicing fees to nearly 1 million borrowers. The attorneys general, co-led by New York’s Letitia James and
Divvy Homes snags $110 million Series C funding
Housing startup Divvy Homes announced a $110 million Series C funding round – headlined by Tiger Global Management – bringing its total debt and equity raised since 2017 to more than $500 million. The Divvy Homes business model is aimed
13 Ways to Convert a Bonus Room into Usable Space
So, you have extra space but you don’t know what to do with it. While bonus rooms are a great commodity to have, many homeowners struggle to make good use of the space. If this sounds like you, there are
10 Unique Valentine’s Day Ideas to Celebrate at Home This Year
The home is where the heart is – so there’s no better place to celebrate Valentine’s Day than at home with your loved ones. Whether you’re looking to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city or a cozy and
Building an Online Community: The Secret Sauce
Let’s face it. If you’re an entrepreneur or a real estate professional, there’s almost no way to avoid marketing your business without using social media. Social has become one of the top ways business professionals connect with potential clients and
Digital servicer Valon snaps up $50M in Series A round
Digital mortgage servicer Valon (formerly known as Peach Street) announced on Tuesday it picked up $50 million in a Series A funding round spearheaded by venture capital heavyweight Andreessen Horowitz. Valon now boasts $53 million in total funding to date,
Walk a Mile in Their Shoes
When you think of superpowers, what comes to mind? How about empathy? Jenna Roberts, of Century 21 Platinum in Clarksville, TN has developed a meaningful way to connect with her clients through empathy. When you ask Jenna about her ‘why’
In it For the Long Haul
Relentless Agent Award winner, Banny “Life-Changer” Lim, didn’t get his nickname from just helping his clients with their homes. It comes from his unique perspective for what it truly means to service his clients throughout the home buying and selling
20 Reversible Home Design Ideas to Instantly Revamp Your Space
Transforming your home’s look and feel doesn’t require a complete remodel or a shopping spree for all new furnishings. There are many inexpensive and reversible ways to spruce up your space to make it feel more like home. Simple things
Will the WFH trend affect the housing market after COVID?
Now that several vaccines are being distributed and hospitalizations appear to be on the decline in many areas, we can start thinking about life after COVID-19. I am interested to see what habits and cultural shifts stay with us and