Real estate services and technology firm SitusAMC on Monday announced its acquisition of mortgage and title outsourcer Assimilate Solutions – the second acquisition by the New York-based firm in January, and its fourth overall in less than a year. Terms of the
Homes With a New Kitchen List for More and Often Sell Above List Price
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home, serving as both a central meeting place for family and a functional area necessary for preparing meals. So it’s easy to understand why a state-of-the-art kitchen is a
Forbearances hold steady as exits slow
The U.S. forbearance rate held relatively steady last week, rising one basis point to 5.38% of servicers’ portfolio volume, according to a survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association released on Monday. The virtually unchanged rate of forbearance volume can be attributed to a stalemate between
Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2021
With 2020 in the rearview mirror, what’s in store for the real estate market in 2021? Strong demand and more homes hitting the market in 2021 will mean a healthy rate of growth for 2021. Expect seasonal trends to normalize
2020 U.S. Housing Market Gains Were Biggest in 15 Years
Zillow expects bigger growth in 2021 as sustained demand pushes home values higher Go to Source Author:
Biden’s executive order will extend foreclosure moratorium
Following his inauguration on Wednesday, President Joe Biden revealed that he plans to sign 17 executive orders his first day in office, including a further extension of the eviction and foreclosure moratorium to at least March 31. Brian Deese, Biden’s
5 tips for finding the right mortgage lender for you
Before you buy a home is you should first do some research. And not just research on the best down payment or neighborhood to live in – you should also search the right mortgage lender. The type of mortgage loan
Housing industry welcomes President Joe Biden
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, and Vice President Kamala Harris became the first woman to serve in the office. In his inaugural address, Biden pledged his commitment to bringing
Don’t let COVID crisis mask affordable housing opportunity
As the U.S. rushes to inoculate the current global health crisis, the real estate and mortgage finance industries are facing their second wave of significant industry headwinds in little over a decade. Though the pandemic is causing pain throughout the
CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger resigns at Biden’s request
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger announced Wednesday she is resigning from her post at the request of President Joe Biden’s administration. “As requested by the Biden administration, today I resigned as Director of the CFPB,” Kraninger said. “I
Here’s how to find property owners ready to sell
As 2021 unfolds, the real estate industry is still dealing with ongoing concerns introduced and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, leaving agents and brokers facing multiple challenges with their work. “There’s still a massive amount of buyers and
HUD declares FHA once again backing DACA mortgages
In one of former President Donald Trump administration’s last acts, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development declared Wednesday that the Federal Housing Administration will once again back mortgages for immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
FHFA ponders climate risk for Fannie and Freddie
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced Tuesday that it is requesting input on the current and future risk of natural disasters and climate change on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, especially as it relates to the housing financial system overall.
Rising costs, COVID cases dip builder confidence
Homebuilder confidence in the U.S. fell to a four-month low in January as builders expressed concerns about higher house prices, COVID-related supply chain issues and construction costs. Builder confidence in single-family homes dropped to 83 in January from 86 in
Don’t Skip These 7 Home Projects Before Selling Your House
Maybe you’ve decided it’s time to leave your condo in New York City for a more spacious house in Dallas now that you can work from home. Or, maybe your family is growing and you’re looking for a house with
Mortgage applications decrease as rates move higher
Mortgage applications decreased 1.9% for the week ending Jan. 15 from one week earlier, per data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey. The drop comes after a robust 16.7% jump in applications the prior week. The 30-year fixed rate
In defense of the individual real estate agent
I saw a social media post recently by our local ‘mega-agent’ entitled: “Breaking News: Individual Real Estate agents added to Endangered Professions List!” This post compares the individual real estate agent to “a tennis player using a wooden racket” or
CFPB clarifies role of supervisory guidance
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a final rule Tuesday clarifying that supervisory guidance is not backed by the same force as law or regulation. First proposed in October 2020, the CFPB’s final rule codifies the statement, with amendments, that
CFPB exempts some credit unions from escrow regulations
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Tuesday some insured depository institutions and insured credit unions will now be exempt from regulations to establish escrow accounts for some higher-priced mortgage loans. The final rule will take effect upon publication in the
Yellen vows economic shakeup if confirmed for Treasury
Ensuring Americans have a “competitive economy” will be Janet Yellen’s focus as the next U.S. Treasury Department secretary, she told lawmakers Tuesday at her confirmation hearing before a vote on her nomination. Both Republicans and Democrats have indicated they will
Mortgage forbearance rate continues to drop
The U.S. forbearance rate fell nine basis points last week to 5.37% of servicers’ portfolio volume, according to a survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association on Monday. While this decline may be the largest drop in forbearance share in the past nine weeks, it is
6 Reasons Why You Should Remodel Your Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home, serving as both a central meeting place for family and a functional area necessary for preparing meals. So it’s easy to understand why a state-of-the-art kitchen is a
FHFA extends foreclosure, eviction moratorium to February
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will once again extend moratoriums on single-family foreclosures and real estate owned evictions, this time until Feb. 28, 2021. “To keep our communities safe, and families in
Fannie Mae increases 2021 economic growth forecast
Fannie Mae‘s latest forecast projects economic growth to hit 5.3% in 2021, an increase of 0.8 percentage points from what the government-sponsored enterprise projected last month. The forecasted growth is significantly more than the revised numbers for 2020, which Fannie
