- HUD joined seven other agencies, saying that “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits antisemitism, Islamophobia and related forms of discrimination.”
- A diverse group of RE professionals – Asian, Hispanic, LGBTQ+ and women – say they will jointly oppose the “vocal minority” who fight against diversity.
- But a new report suggests growth along Fla.’s coast undermines those hard-won building-code gains and fuels the rising cost of windstorm insurance.
- Buyers may be able to make rising mortgage rates less onerous by using one or more of these nine tips suggested by RE agents and lenders.
- While inflation rose 3.5% year-to-year in Aug. – still above the Fed’s 2% goal – it was only up 0.1% month-to-month after backing out higher gas prices.
- Without more funding in a new federal budget, FEMA will ration aid efforts. It still appears likely new flood policies and other RE must-haves expire at midnight Sat.
- Last week, a 30-year, fixed-rate loan averaged 7.19%; a year ago, it was 6.70%. The last time rates were this high was in 2000 when home values weren’t going up.
- NAR Chief Economist Yun says “increased housing inventory and better interest rates are essential” for a real estate market rebound.
- The “insurer of last resort” lowered its end-of-year policy-count forecast to 1.3M as more private insurers offer coverage. Earlier estimates called for up to 1.7M.
- The potential-for-high-growth cannabis industry is held back by banks fearful of making loans to a segment not yet fully legal. But a bill in Congress could change that.
- Agents who once enjoyed an edge because they wrote dynamic content must now compete with a robot. How can agents continue to make their writing stand out?
- 2022 borrowers paid 22% more in closing costs, largely paying points to snag a lower interest rate. Even so, average monthly mortgage payments rose 46%.
- Study: Fla. leaped past New York to be No. 2 in housing values, trailing only Calif. S. Fla. (No. 5) and Tampa (No. 18) made the “top 20 most valuable metros” list.
- A continuing resolution (extension) may postpone the Oct. 1 government shutdown – but don’t count on it. See What a Government Shutdown Means for Realtors.
