Wells Fargo’s new down payment grant program offers $10K to eligible buyers

Wells Fargo rolled out a down payment grant program that will offer $10,000 to eligible buyers or homeowners who currently live in or are purchasing homes in underserved communities in eight metropolitan areas.The Homebuyer Access grant program is available to those who have a combined 120% or less
Read MoreSettlement agreement in buyer broker commission case hits a snag

A little over a month after filing an agreement in one of the ongoing buyer broker commission lawsuits, New England’s largest multiple listing service (MLS), MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN)’s attempt to settle the Nosalek case, has hit a snag.Originally filed in December 2020, the Nosalek
Read MoreInflation data laying groundwork for the Fed to pivot

Has the recent inflation data given the Federal Reserve a pathway for a 2024 pivot? The Fed has whispered about what can happen if the inflation growth rate falls more into 2024 and it’s a positive take. Some have thought the Fed would need to keep the fed funds rate elevated for years until they se
Read MoreCPI rose 3.2% in July, but shelter inflation will continue to decelerate

The Consumer Price Index climbed 3.2% in the year through July, the first acceleration in 13 months. But that figure requires a closer examination. Inflation soared in June 2022 and was slightly slower the following month. When this year’s figures were measured against last year’s readings, June loo
Read MoreThe share of owner-occupants buying foreclosures has doubled — here’s why

The share of distressed property auction buyers who say they are owner-occupants nearly doubled over the last year, boosted by a game-changing government policy that took effect last August.The increasing share of owner-occupant buyers is also evidence that extremely tight housing inventory is promp
Read MoreBlend narrows losses in Q2, accelerates path to profitability in 2024

Mortgage tech firm Blend Labs narrowed its financial losses in the second quarter on the strength of its platform business as well as cost-cutting measures. Blend, whose white-label software processes billions in mortgage transactions for lenders, reaffirmed its goal of reaching profitability by 202
Read MoreChic Ultra-Modern Home Amps Up Tony Toronto Boulevard

Forest Heights Boulevard is a tony residential street in Toronto’s St. Andrew-Windfields area.
Read MoreHome buyers gain breathing room with late-summer slowdown on the way

Real estate agents: What’s your winning morning ritual

There are thousands of methods to motivating a team. Today’s leaders have been inundated with resources centered on various approaches, doctrines, mantras, etc. advising them on how best to influence and empower. Authoritative, collaborative, transactional, democratic or laisses-faire, it must align
Read MoreThe Real Brokerage posts $4M loss in Q2 as agent count swells

Fast-growing The Real Brokerage posted a $3.97 million net loss during the second quarter of 2023, but revenues shot up from a year ago. “During the second quarter, Real once again delivered best-in-class growth with our agents closing a record number of transactions,” said Tamir Poleg, the CEO of R
Read MoreeXp Olympian Chad Hedrick on the power of a real estate team

“Life is all about transitioning from one stage to the next. Everything is always a transition,” said Chad Hedrick, founder of the Gold to Sold Group and former Olympic speed skater. Hedrick and his team provide the best possible service to the luxury real estate market in Houston, Texas. He founded
Read MoreFour ways real estate agents and brokers can leverage artificial intelligence

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has been sending shockwaves across nearly every industry, and real estate is no exception. While our industry is notorious for its lethargic adoption of new technologies, it is inevitable that AI will reshape many of the traditional and archaic processes th
Read MoreFidelity records $3 billion in revenue in Q2

Despite a 18% annual decline in purchase title orders opened per day in Q2 2023, Fidelity National Financial executives believe housing demand remains strong.“We’ve seen solid sequential growth with residential purchase open orders per day up in both Q1 and Q2 and even holding strong in the month of
Read MoreDataDigest: Tracking the jumbo downturn

Over the last year, the nation’s largest banks, spooked by surging rates and increased regulatory risks, have shied away from the jumbo mortgage market. A select group of regional bank challengers have suffered a worse fate: dead, sometimes directly because of their own calamitous jumbo strategies.
Read MoreWhy company culture remains a priority

The last few years have been a proving ground for lenders in a major way. The market has swung from record-low mortgage rates and high purchase volumes to a refi boom to lower volumes and rate increases alongside inflation. Lenders have had to adapt quickly not only to the market conditions but to a
Read MoreUWM is profitable in Q2 as origination volume jumps to $32B

UWM Holdings Corporation, the parent of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), was another mortgage lender that returned to profitability in the second quarter of 2023, just like its primary competitor Rocket Companies and the origination segments of Mr. Cooper and Pennymac. UWM’s performance was boosted
Read MoreThe jumbo market is up for grabs (Part II)

Large banks have historically been the rulers of the jumbo market. Economic conditions, however, are opening up space for new entrants eyeing market share. This is because surging mortgage rates, upcoming regulatory changes and regional bank collapses have forced large depositories to pull back. The
Read MoreMortgage payoff fraud rises 532% quarter-over-quarter: CertifID

With home sale transactions down, fraudsters are turning to mortgage payoff fraud to secure bigger payouts.Mortgage payoff fraud occurs when a title company mistakenly sends a mortgage payoff to a fraudulent bank account after receiving wiring instructions that appear to be from the mortgage service
Read MoreThe Moral Dilemma Of Eminent Domain

Eminent domain is a real-world example of the Trolley Problem from moral philosophy. Eminent domain allows the government to take private property for the public good.
Read More$12.5 Million Is The Record-Setting Sales Price To Beat On California’s Palos Verdes Peninsula

Two properties—a 6,000-square-foot estate in Palos Verdes Estates and a 10-acre hilltop residence in Rolling Hills Estates—sold for the top price in the last six months.
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