Current News & Events
New York Attorney General Letitia James Indicted in Mortgage Fraud Case
James, who called the charges “baseless,” is scheduled to make an initial appearance in the federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, on Oct. 24. Continue Reading New York Attorney General Letitia James Indicted in Mortgage Fraud Case
Tech Trends: Smarter Ways to Do Business
This week’s edition of Tech Trends features artificial intelligence, deepfake detection and predictive analytics. A New App on Mr. Altman’s Platform. Zillow (NASDAQ: Z, ZG) announced it has become the first and only real estate app available in ChatGPT. According to...
Real-Estate Agents Gear Up for Fight to Save Their Commissions
Source: The Wall Street Journal --- The residential real-estate industry is bracing for a challenge to the commissions charged by its sales agents, one that could put downward pressure on the fees paid by home buyers and sellers. The Justice Department is...
Multimillionaire real estate heir Robert Durst is convicted of murder in L.A.
Source: Reuters --- A California jury on Friday found multimillionaire real estate heir Robert Durst guilty of murdering his best friend Susan Berman in 2000, the first homicide conviction for a man suspected of killing three people in three states over the past 39...
Fed Is Meeting As Inflation Slows—What That Means For Mortgage Rates
Source: Forbes --- Inflation is beginning to show signs of slowing, which means that the long streak of low mortgage rates is likely to extend into next year. So if you’re considering refinancing your home, this is still a good time to do so. Consumer prices—a key...
While still one of the hottest in the country, Austin housing market is ‘calming’
Source: KXAN --- Is one of the hottest housing markets in America finally cooling down? Perhaps, the Austin Board of Realtors say. Compared to August 2020, home sales in the Austin-Round Rock housing market during August 2021 decreased 4.6%. However, median home...
Americans Haven’t Been This Down on Housing Market Since 1982
Source: Yahoo Finance --- The last time Americans were this turned off by the U.S. housing market, borrowing costs were over five times the current rate. The share of people who think now is a good time to buy a home fell in September to 29%, extending the plunge from...
Why the U.S. Housing Market Might Be Better for Buyers in 2022
Source: Home Buying Institute --- It’s no secret that home buyers in the U.S. have had a tough time in 2021. Tight inventory commissions and fast-rising prices have presented challenges for buyers all across the country. Now, as we approach the fall of 2021, many are...
FHFA Reverses Previous Housing Market Reform Progress
Source: American Action Forum --- Executive Summary The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has suspended restrictions from earlier this year that prevented the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) from purchasing “high-risk” mortgages; it also announced a...
How Does the Housing Market Look Heading Into Fall?
Source: Yahoo Finance --- When it comes to real estate in 2021, there’s just one word to describe it. Hot. It started in 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic, as urban dwellers fled the dense cities and moved to the spread-out suburbs, snapping up properties sight...
Brunswick County again sees higher real estate prices, tight inventory in August
Source: WWAYTV3--- Brunswick County’s residential real estate market once again saw increased prices and low inventory in August, that’s according to Brunswick County Association of REALTORS®. While total sales volume was slightly down in August, total year-to-date...
Study: Real estate firms thrive on repeat and referral business
Source: Housing Wire --- Referrals from past and repeat customers still generated the greatest number of inquiries for real estate firms in 2020 with 30% of brokerage business coming from this source, the same amount as in 2018, when the survey was last completed. On...
