Shauna Walters and Nicole Plaxen, the broker duo behind the Walters | Plaxen Group, have joined Sotheby’s International Realty. The affiliation follows a standout year for the five-person team. RealTrends Verified shows Walters | Plaxen Group accounting for $222 million in closed volume across 134 transactions in 2024 — with an average home sale price […]
Walters | Plaxen Group joins Sotheby’s International Realty Read More »
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is reopening the public comment period for a review of federal reverse mortgage programs, the agency announced Wednesday in the Federal Register. HUD previously issued a request for information in October, seeking input on the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and HECM Mortgage-Backed Securities (HMBS) programs.
HUD reopens reverse mortgage comment period Read More »
A surge in Sun Belt in-migration for well over a decade blessed Georgia with population growth that prompted a spate of apartment and home construction. Despite a heavy dose of added supply in the past few years, there was no catching up. The state still has a housing shortage, particularly in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Georgia lawmakers aim to speed housing permits for affordability Read More »
Real estate appraisal management company Class Valuation announced Wednesday that Daniel A. Busch has joined the company as its chief financial officer. Busch, who brings more than two decades of financial leadership experience to the role, most recently served as CFO of Continental Services, a private equity-backed provider of food service management solutions operating across
Class Valuation hires Daniel Busch as CFO Read More »
The Fed cut its policy rate by 0.25% today and mortgage rates moved lower after the announcement. That said, those two developments are not related. In fact, there was no movement in the bonds that underlie mortgage rates when the rate cut was announced. Instead, the market (and rates) moved in response to Fed Chair
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In a highly expected move, the Federal Reserve cut its federal funds rate on Wednesday, but Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments ultimately may have more influence on whether policy provides a boost for lenders and home buyers. Processing Content The central bank slashed its funds rate by 25 basis points at the close of the Federal
Fed moves won’t move needle on housing — yet Read More »
The housing markets in the United States that are expected to see the most growth in home sales and prices combined are mostly in the Northeast, a notable shift after the South and West dominated last year’s Realtor.com rankings. Processing Content Hartford, Connecticut, Rochester, New York, and Worcester, Massachusetts, topped the list, which examined the
The top housing markets in 2026 Read More »
Many Americans may not know it, but they’re sitting on a gold mine just waiting to be tapped. The total equity held in real estate by homeowners is now nearly $36 trillion, according to the latest Federal Reserve data. That marks an increase of over $175 billion over the past year. When measured as a
Appraising the evolution of home equity usage Read More »
Optimal Blue’s Market Volume Index, which tracks mortgage rate lock activity, fell below 100 in November for the first time since August, reflecting typical seasonal trends. Processing Content Still, aided by lower interest rates in the second half of the year, November marked the strongest reading for this metric since 2021, strong by any measure,
Lower rates drive best November lock activity in years Read More »
With affordability at the forefront of issues in the housing market, a Democratic senator looks to crack down on owners of manufactured housing communities. Processing Content Sen. Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire sent letters to six corporate owners of these communities Tuesday, looking for clarity on affordability and living conditions for their residents. Hassan, a
Senator presses corporate owners on manufactured home rents Read More »