Appraisers Say ‘We Have Targets on Our Backs’ How professionals are managing the biggest obstacles to the home valuation process. From allegations of appraiser bias in the home valuation process to new controversial methods of conducting an appraisal, the profession is under intensifying scrutiny—and a new National Association of REALTORS® survey offers insights into these …
Tag: News
Oct 12
Netflix’s Next Real Estate Star on the Future of the Luxury Market
Netflix’s Next Real Estate Star on the Future of the Luxury Market Mauricio Umansky, husband of “Real Housewives” star Kyle Richards, has his own show following his brokerage, The Agency. He offers a peek inside the occu-soap “Buying Beverly Hills” and makes predictions for high-end housing in 2023. Mauricio Umansky’s The Agency(link is external) caters …
Oct 11
Pros Show Community Pride During REALTOR® Volunteer Days
Pros Show Community Pride During REALTOR® Volunteer Days Real estate professionals across the country are joining in a week-long nationwide effort through Sunday to give back to their communities. During REALTOR® Volunteer Days, which is part of the REALTORS® Are Good Neighbors program, the National Association of REALTORS® is urging associations, brokerages, and members across …
Oct 10
Happy Halloween? Mortgage Rates Average 6.66%
Happy Halloween? Mortgage Rates Average 6.66% Despite a slight decrease this week in mortgage rates, the average for the 30-year fixed-rate loan remains more than double what it was a year ago, adding hundreds of dollars per month to financing costs for home buyers. This is prompting more buyers to retreat from the market: Mortgage …
Oct 07
A Passion for Giving That Outlasted a Pandemic
A Passion for Giving That Outlasted a Pandemic Five REALTORS® whose selfless drive and ingenuity helped fuel their charitable efforts to new heights in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic have been named the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2022 Good Neighbor Awards winners. For 23 years, the Good Neighbor Awards has recognized real estate professionals …
Oct 06
New Wire Fraud Scheme Exploits Virtual Meetings
Wire fraud schemes are evolving, and scammers are finding new ways to infiltrate real estate transactions—including exploiting virtual meeting platforms to dupe home buyers and sellers. A hacker may break into an email account and invite your client to a virtual meeting. How will the client know he or she is being targeted by a …
Oct 05
Renovation Startup Revive Wins iOi Pitch Battle
Renovation Startup Revive Wins iOi Pitch Battle Revive, a technology startup enabling home sellers to update their properties with no upfront costs, was named Thursday as the winner of the fourth annual Pitch Battle at the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2022 Innovation, Opportunity & Investment (iOi) Summit in Los Angeles. Twelve companies bringing solutions to …
Oct 04
Mortgage Rates Inch Closer to 7%
Mortgage Rates Inch Closer to 7% Home buyers who waited to buy a home this month compared to last month may have some regrets. Home buying is 12% more expensive than just a month ago. Fast-rising mortgage rates—up one percentage point in September alone—have added an extra $250 more onto monthly mortgage payments over the …
Oct 03
FHA Moves to Include On-Time Rental Payments for First-Time Buyers
FHA Moves to Include On-Time Rental Payments for First-Time Buyers The Federal Housing Administration published a letter to lenders on Tuesday urging them to consider including a borrower’s positive rental payment history when applying for FHA-insured financing. The move is believed to be a boost for first-time home buyers to help to improve their credit …
Sep 29
Decade-High Rates Deeply Cut Into Contract Signings
Decade-High Rates Deeply Cut Into Contract Signings House hunters are backing away from the housing market as mortgage rates continue to rise sharply. The National Association of REALTORS®’ newly released Pending Home Sales Index—a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings—fell 2% in August compared to July and is down 24.2% compared to …
Sep 28
Realtor.com® Acquires Agent Matching Platform
Realtor.com® Acquires Agent Matching Platform Move Inc., the operator of realtor.com®, announced it was acquiring UpNest, a tool to help home buyers or sellers compare real estate agents and select the best match for them. Realtor.com® already connects home sellers with agents through its ReadyConnect Concierge referral network, but, according to company officials, the UpNest …
Sep 27
Homes With Higher Fire Risk Sell for Nearly $120K More
Homes With Higher Fire Risk Sell for Nearly $120K More The risk of a house fire isn’t slowing buyers in this market frenzy. The median sale price of homes that have conditions creating a high risk of fire was $550,500 in April, compared to $431,300 for homes with a low risk of fire, according to …
