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
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
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
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
10 Tips on How to Prepare Your House for a Hurricane
On top of the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s also hurricane season once again for many in the south and eastern part of the U.S., especially if you live in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or West Palm Beach, FL. Though hurricanes have been
6 Modern Mansions That Will Make Your Jaw Drop
If you’re in the market for a modern mansion or you’re just looking for inspiration, you’re in the right place. From the outside, modern homes often have a structured boxy look with large windows. Oftentimes, architects will use materials like
Diversity at Redfin in 2020
Every year, Redfin reports on our workforce diversity. This report reflects our company’s focus on racial, ethnic and gender diversity, but other forms of diversity are also important to Redfin’s success: age, political opinions, sexual orientation, military service, mental health,
1031 Exchange Rules: What Every Investor Should Know In 2020?
Taxes rarely make for exciting reading material, but if you own an investment property, there’s at least one set of IRS regulations you absolutely will want to understand: 1031 exchange rules. Why? Because normally when you sell an investment property
PRMG issues statement on AIME chairman’s lewd messages and a response video made by Chief Lending Officer Kevin Peranio
Paramount Residential Mortgage Group issued a statement Monday condemning the lewd video messages produced and distributed by Association of Independent Mortgage Experts Chairman Anthony Casa several weeks ago that resulted in a defamation lawsuit, while defending a response video made
Quicken and NAR ask HUD to withdraw proposed amendments to Fair Housing Act
In recent days, both Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest lender, and The National Association of Realtors, the nations’ largest trade organization, have called on the Department of Housing and Urban Development to withdraw its proposed rule to amend the HUD
Big bank roll call: Wells Fargo, JPMorgan and Citi Q2 earnings tell three very different stories
Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup reported their second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, revealing how the banks fared as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses across the country. While the pandemic and recession are still ongoing, the earnings of the three
Young adults are more likely to have moved because of COVID-19
Nearly a quarter of Americans said they moved or know someone who moved due to COVID-19. According to a survey from Pew Research Center, 3% of respondents said they moved permanently because of the pandemic, 6% said someone moved into
Caliber stops all support of AIME after Anthony Casa makes sexist comments
Caliber Home Loans announced it is suspending all support of the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts after Chairman Anthony Casa sent out videos where he made lewd comments about a Quicken Loans executive’s wife. The company expressed that what was
Report: Optimal Blue could sell for $1 billion
Optimal Blue is on the market, according to a news report from Barron’s. The publication reported last night that Optimal Blue’s owner, GTCR, is gearing up to put Plano, Texas-based Optimal Blue up for sale. Barron’s cited unnamed bankers and