Home services tech startup Porch.com made its debut on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange Thursday morning at a valuation of $523 million. The software firm, which merged with special purpose acquisition company Proptech Acquisition Corp., opened trading on Thursday at $15
Where To Buy Atlanta Investment Properties in 2021?
Atlanta investment properties are sought by all types of investors because you’re paying for quality real estate when you decide to buy them in good neighborhoods. Starting at just $70,000, the Atlanta investment properties provide good cash flow and a 3-year
Merry Christmas: Mortgage rates reach another record low
The average U.S. mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan fell one basis point this week to 2.66% – the lowest rate in the Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey’s near 50-year history. This week’s mortgage rate broke the previous record set on
ALTA highlights over 51,000 title jobs saved by PPP loans
In the wake of the new financial stimulus bill, the American Land Title Association looked back at the thousands of jobs that have been saved so far by the Paycheck Protection Program. This week Congress passed a $900 billion stimulus
Will 2021 bring more balance to home sales?
Daryl FairweatherRedfin Chief Economist This is the second installment of our economist Q&A series of the top housing market forecasts for 2021 that focus on everything from home sales to mortgage rates. To help provide as much guidance as possible
How to tackle the affordable housing crisis in 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issues around affordable housing and access to it. In particular, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted housing opportunities for individuals and communities of color. Millions of jobs have been lost, and a lot of those
New home sales begin to cool in November
Sales of newly built homes occurred at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 841,000 in November – 11% below October’s 945,000 revised rate, the Census Bureau reported on Wednesday. Despite a double-digit decline, November’s numbers are still nearly 21% higher than
Why new home sales are finally moderating
Reports on housing data are headline-driven, and headlines are designed to cause folks to overreact in both positive and negative ways. We’ve seen our share of hyperbolic headlines in the housing reports this year, and for that reason, I have
FHFA extends multifamily forbearance through March 31
Multifamily property owners who are struggling to make mortgage payments due to the coronavirus pandemic now have a reprieve through the end of March for mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced on
The good, the bad, and the likely for housing in 2021
Despite the pandemic, incredibly, the housing market has surpassed all expectations in 2020. Applications to purchase a home hit a low point in the spring due to stay-at-home orders and mandated business closures, but have rebounded swiftly. As of the
Real estate technology adoption in a post-pandemic world
The impact of COVID on the real estate market is significant and has forever changed the way our industry operates. This change, while disruptive and uncomfortable for some, has provoked the rapid adoption of real estate technology, the likes of
LoanDepot creates joint venture with Brookfield Residential
LoanDepot and Brookfield Residential announced on Wednesday the creation of a joint venture, BRP Home Mortgage. BRP will deliver a streamlined mortgage experience for Brookfield Residential homebuyers, said Dan Peña, executive vice president of national joint ventures for loanDepot. Homebuyers
Mortgage applications increase for second straight week
Borrowers looking to refinance their VA and FHA loans contributed to another uptick in mortgage applications for the week ending Dec. 18, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage applications jumped 0.8% a week after the 30-year
Intercontinental Capital Group to add 500 jobs in Charlotte
New York-based mortgage lender InterContinental Capital Group plans to make a big investment in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lender will add 500 jobs in Charlotte over the next five years as a part of a $5.8 million capital investment, North
The mortgage industry is ripe for blockchain in 2021
The next time you apply for a mortgage, or your lender services that loan or sells it on the secondary market, you might be helping to disrupt an industry. That’s because the entire transaction, or at least parts of it,
FHFA announces proposed rule on living wills for GSEs
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) took another step in its quest to remove Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship on Tuesday, seeking public comment on a rule that would require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop plans
Existing home sales are still too hot
In recent articles, I have written that although current sales data for the U.S. housing market has outperformed expectations, I expected these upward trends to moderate. Growth in home sales in recent months, I proposed, was primarily due to the
RON transactions increase 547% in 2020
Adoption of remote online notarization soared 547% in 2020, according to a new survey from the American Land Title Association of major vendors working in the RON space. The increase in adoption is largely due to protocols related to the
Movement Mortgage invests $200M into charter school network
Retail lender Movement Mortgage has invested $200 million to expand its nonprofit Movement Foundation, and to accelerate the development of its growing charter school network. The investment will also aide in the development of adjacent affordable housing and health clinics in
Housing industry reacts to second stimulus bill
The housing and mortgage industry welcomed yesterday’s announcement of a second round of stimulus payments to citizens, set at $600 per person and potentially arriving as early as next week, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnunchin. But representatives also called
Title insurance premium volume surges 17.6% in Q3
Mortgage title insurance premiums surged by 17.6% year-over-year in the third quarter this year to $5.1 billion, according to the latest market share analysis from the American Land Title Association. This surge was up substantially even from the 8% increase
Top 5 mortgage terms to know before you buy a house
The mortgage application process can be a confusing one — especially if you’ve never gone through it before. There’s a lot of red tape, a ton of moving parts and, worse yet, dozens of terms and phrases you’ve probably never even
Existing home sales end five-month streak increase in November
Existing home sales decreased 2.5% in November, ending the five-month streak of month-over-month gains, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.85 million, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors on Tuesday. Compared to last November, home
Qualia hits unicorn status, acquires Adeptive Software
Digital closings firm Qualia announced Monday that it had reached unicorn status with a fresh infusion of venture capital. And for good measure, it also announced that it had acquired a rival in the title and escrow software space. Qualia
