– NAR hosts industry-wide forum on Fannie, Freddie reform GSE reform may be the most important national issue that rank-and-file Realtors know little about. If a Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac transition from fed ownership is done badly, the 30-year mortgage could disappear and leave buyers with fewer loan options....
– Mortgage rates hit 10-month low The 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.41% this week, its lowest point since last April. That down .05 percentage points from last week’s 4.46%. Spring selling season comes early, groundhog shadow or not Is the dip in mortgage rates temporary? Buyers don’t know and...
– No pay stub? No problem. Unconventional mortgages return The number of unconventional loans – they may be outsized relative to a borrower’s income, interest-only or last longer than 30 years – rose 24% year-to-year. Fla.'s water woes: What do we do next? Local Fla. governments have spent $17.3M...
– Fla. sees more out-of-state buyers from high-tax states New York faces a big fiscal shortfall that its governor blames, in part, on tax reform. He says more residents are now moving to lower-tax states – notably Fla. Study: Even female-dominant industries have glass ceilings Coldwell Banker study: 1...
– Top Realtor issues prioritized in Fla. governor's budget “Realtors should be very excited by what we’re seeing,” says Pres. Eric Sain. It’s significant money “that can help address some of Fla.’s biggest issues.” Zillow spends $1M trying to improve its 'Zestimates' The home estimates aren’t very accurate –...
– New home sales surged nearly 17% in Nov. New-home sales jumped 16.9% month-to-month. The Nov. report was delayed by the government shutdown; a date for Dec. numbers hasn’t been announced yet. Fed agencies propose private flood insurance fix Proposals would fix part of the problem, but some homeowners...
– Realtors: Apply for NAR's Good Neighbor Award According to NAR, nearly 70% of Realtors give back to their communities through volunteer work in addition to helping consumers buy and sell homes. To recognize those efforts, NAR is currently accepting applications for its Good Neighbor Awards. Realtor.com: More online...
– 1 in 10 borrowers now opting for an adjustable rate In Dec., ARMs posted their highest share of originations since Ellie Mae, a maker of software used to process mortgage applications, began tracking them in 2011, another “indication of how demand has outpaced supply in the housing market.”...
– HUD sending Fla. $78.7M for homelessness programs The money will go to 249 homelessness aid programs throughout Fla. with an average $336,000 for each, though the actual amounts vary. Fla. has many programs to help first-time homebuyers “First-time” may apply to more people than the name implies, since...
– Florida expects extra money for Hurricane Michael recovery Panhandle local gov’ts could potentially get millions more in storm recovery money after the federal government extended the days it would help pay for cleanup. Florida Realtors Real Estate Trends: No home price bubble Influencing factors aren’t the same as...
