Real estate news

• CFPB ignores request from OCC to postpone arbitration rule

  18-07-2017 23:46
  
  Despite a heated exchange of letters between the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency asking for the delay of the newly announced arbitration rule, the rule will carry on as planned and be published in the Federal Register this week. Check out the article for a timeline of events regarding the controversy behind the rule.
  
  Read more

• FHFA wants more input on improving credit access for borrowers with limited English proficiency

  18-07-2017 23:34
  
  In May, the Federal Housing Finance Agency asked the housing market to provide input on how to increase access to credit for borrowers with limited English proficiency. Originally, the FHFA set a deadline of July 10, 2017 to receive all input, but the FHFA announced Tuesday that it is extending the deadline to get more feedback from the market.
  
  Read more

• Louisiana repealing controversial appraisal laws after FTC accused state of price-fixing

  18-07-2017 22:49
  
  A controversial Louisiana law that governed how much appraisal management companies pay real estate appraisers for their work is now set to be repealed after the state’s governor took action in response to the Federal Trade Commission accusing the state of price-fixing.
  
  Read more

• Foreign Home-Buying in U.S. Bounds to Over $150 Billion

  18-07-2017 22:08
  
  Foreign home-buying in the U.S. leaped 49 percent to $153 billion in the last year, a record high in the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Profile of International Activity in U.S. Residential Real Estate, recently released for 2017. The boost came as activity from Canada exploded to $19 billion, with buyers from China, India, Mexico and the UK also contributing considerable volume.“The political and economic uncertainty both here and abroad did not deter foreigners from exponent
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Your Online Destination

  18-07-2017 22:07
  
  NAR PULSE—.REALTOR is more than a web address. It’s your domain, your website, your email—it’s a complete web solution. With .REALTOR, you and your team can leverage the recognition and exclusivity of the REALTOR® brand. A .com can’t do that. And remember, .REALTOR now offers affordable email options including Professional email from Google. Learn more.
  Why Use the RPR® App? Hear From These Seven REALTORS®REALTORS® spend much of their day on the road
  
  Read more

• Opportunities Abound in Bulgaria’s Luxury Market

  18-07-2017 22:06
  
  As managing partner of Bulgaria’s Unique Estates, Vesela Ilieva brings more than 16 years of marketing and leadership experience to the luxury real estate firm. Find out more about what’s driving home sales in this Balkan country, and how Unique Estates is seizing the opportunity.
  Real Estate magazine: Please describe your firm.Vesela Ilieva: Unique Estates was established in 2006 as a specialized consulting company in Bulgaria. We work with clients and properties in the luxury and c
  
  Read more

• Economic Outlook: Slow Going to Push Rate Hike to End of Year

  18-07-2017 22:05
  
  Analysts anticipate a slowdown for the economy in the latter half of 2017, with housing having less bearing on growth due to constraints in supply, according to Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group’s recently released Economic and Housing Outlook for July 2017. The Outlook maintains the economy will grow 2.0 percent over the course of the year, but also projects a delayed key interest rate hike.“While second quarter growth is poised to rebound, we expect g
  
  Read more

• Leading by Example Key to Attracting Top Agents

  18-07-2017 22:04
  
  In the following interview, Gretchen Pearson, president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties in Danville, Calif., discusses the firm’s approach to acquisitions, culture, recruitment, and more.
  Region Served: Northern California and Northern Nevada
  Years in Real Estate: 33
  Number of Offices: 37
  Number of Agents: 1,031
  Average Sales Price: $495,553
  What is the first thing you do when you arrive at the office each morning? To start my day, I make birthday calls to all my bir
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• 5 Movie Homes in Real Life

  18-07-2017 22:03
  
  Editor’s Note: This was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. See what else is cookin’ now at blog.rismedia.com:How to Avoid High Auto Insurance Premiums
  The Industry Weighs In: 87% Say Instant Offers Signals Shift by Zillow to Become a Brokerage
  5 Crazy Beautiful Outdoor Kitchens
  Movie fans, looking to lurk around some of your favorite film locations? You’re not alone. Stalking cinema hot spots is an obsession for many, and we’re no exception. Below a
  
  Read more

• Canadians struggle with near-record household debt

  18-07-2017 22:02
  
  Canadians are dealing with near record levels of household debt, but mortgage delinquencies continue to improve. As the country worked to cool its heating housing market, home sales dwindled. So now where are the latest round of potential homebuyers looking? Here, in the U.S.
  
  Read more

• Fortress acquires Colony American Finance

  18-07-2017 21:55
  
  Fortress Investment Group is about to be acquired by SoftBank Group in a $3.3 billion deal, but Fortress isn’t done making its own acquisitions while that deal works its way through the legal process. Fortress announced Tuesday that it is acquired Colony American Finance, a lender that provides financing for real estate investors who want to purchase single-family rental homes, townhomes, condos, and small multifamily properties.
  
  Read more

• Promising Cities for Commercial Real Estate - Barron's

  18-07-2017 20:33
  Barron's
  Promising Cities for Commercial Real Estate
  Barron's
  Commercial real estate in the U.S. is at a turning point, with primary markets like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco showing signs of overheating—that's according to online marketplace for real-estate investments RealtyMogul.com. As is common ...
  
  Read more

• LenderLive brings in new executive leadership team

  18-07-2017 19:39
  
  As LenderLive seeks to enter the next stage of its growth and expand its footprint in the mortgage industry, the company brought on a new CEO and chief operating office. Now-former CEO Rick Seehausen explained he will be staying with the company through the transition process.
  
  Read more

• Federal judge rules Quicken Loans wrongly influenced home appraisals

  18-07-2017 18:57
  
  A judge slapped Quicken Loans with nearly an $11 million penalty after it found the nonbank guilty of wrongly influencing home appraisal values leading up to the financial crisis. But Quicken Loans is quick to fight back, saying it will appeal the ruling. By the looks of things, the case is far from over.
  
  Read more

• These are the four hottest suburban real estate markets - Crain's Chicago Business

  18-07-2017 18:33
  
  Crain's Chicago Business
  These are the four hottest suburban real estate markets
  Crain's Chicago Business
  Photo by ReMax/Showcase This house on Sixth Street in Winthrop Harbor sold in three days, for more than its asking price. Two pairs of towns, one far north and the other far south, had the fastest-moving real estate markets in the suburbs in the first ...
  
  Read more

• Homebuilder confidence slips on rising material costs

  18-07-2017 18:25
  
  Home builders were less confident in July due to a rising concern on the price of building materials. As all three of the Housing Market Index components fell, the market for newly built homes saw a decreasing confidence in the current and future sales conditions.
  
  Read more

• Goldman Sachs earnings reveal little on recent mortgage endeavors

  18-07-2017 17:38
  
  Goldman Sachs performed well in the second quarter, beating earnings expectations. But the new earnings release, once again, did little to shed any extra light on the mega banks private mortgage endeavors. Given the bank's small footprint in residential mortgages, it's no surprise the release barely mentioned mortgages. But this doesn't mean the bank does nothing in the mortgage world.
  
  Read more

• Foreign investment in U.S. real estate surges 49%

  18-07-2017 16:01
  
  Transaction growth from foreign buyers exploded over the past year, climbing a full 49%, to an all-new high. While Chinese investors hold the number one spot on U.S. real estate investment, the sudden surge can be credited to a hike in sales volume among Canadian buyers, whose unprecedented growth also hit a new high.
  
  Read more

• Bank of America reports drop in mortgage banking income

  18-07-2017 13:29
  
  Bank of American reported a boost in earnings in the second quarter of 2017. As expected, however, a drop in mortgage banking income created a drag, and even pulled down noninterest income in the consumer banking sector.
  
  Read more

• The 30-Year-Old Texas Tycoon Who Is Building A Real Estate Empire - Forbes

  18-07-2017 12:03
  
  Forbes
  The 30-Year-Old Texas Tycoon Who Is Building A Real Estate Empire
  Forbes
  Unlike other successful Millennial entrepreneurs, Nate Paul is not a T-shirt or hoodie kind of guy--his uniform is a suit. He has worn one to work, usually with a vest, every day since he dropped out of college nearly ten years ago. "I always wanted ...
  
  Read more

• Why professional photography in real estate isn't a 'nice-to-have' but a necessity - Inman.com

  18-07-2017 09:23
  
  Why professional photography in real estate isn't a 'nice-to-have' but a necessity
  Inman.com
  There are a lot of real estate agents who do not hire professional photographers. Peter Lorimer of PLG Estates doesn't agree. Here are his thoughts on why you absolutely must use a professional photographer for your listing photos. Ten years ago, when ...
  
  Read more

• Dallas real estate firm launches new industrial-focused fund with the help of $46M loan - Dallas Business Journal

  18-07-2017 08:26
  Dallas Business Journal
  Dallas real estate firm launches new industrial-focused fund with the help of $46M loan
  Dallas Business Journal
  A Dallas-based real estate firm has formed Xebec Industrial Trust LP with the help of a $46 million loan, which was used to buy the fund's foray investment: A fully-leased, seven-building portfolio in Los Angeles and Chicago.
  
  Read more

• China Real Estate: Sunac Plunges; Evergrande Upgraded to Buy - Barron's

  18-07-2017 06:11
  
  Barron's
  China Real Estate: Sunac Plunges; Evergrande Upgraded to Buy
  Barron's
  The biggest loser among Chinese real estate developer stocks in Hong Kong this morning is Sunac China Holdings (1918.HK). Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties would probably be wallowing in steeper losses if it was still publicly traded (the company ...and more »
  
  Read more

• Tucson Real Estate: Chicanos Por La Causa opening new north side high school - Arizona Daily Star

  18-07-2017 03:54
  
  Arizona Daily Star
  Tucson Real Estate: Chicanos Por La Causa opening new north side high school
  Arizona Daily Star
  The parking lot is being repaved at the former Carrington College at Oracle and Prince roads, where Chicanos Por La Causa plans to open a new high school next month. Nick Smallwood / for the Arizona Daily Star. prev. next. Chicanos Por La Causa has ...
  
  Read more

• Real estate: Peregrine Group pays $30M for dozens of residential buildings - The Providence Journal

  18-07-2017 03:02
  
  The Providence Journal
  Real estate: Peregrine Group pays $30M for dozens of residential buildings
  The Providence Journal
  The apartments at 100 Park Place in Pawtucket are among the $30.2 million in residential properties recently acquired by Peregrine Group. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig]. By Kate Bramson Journal Staff Writer ...
  
  Read more

• Where Will Commercial Real Estate Be 1 Year From Now? - HuffPost

  18-07-2017 01:46
  
  HuffPost
  Where Will Commercial Real Estate Be 1 Year From Now?
  HuffPost
  CEO of Magilla, Chris Meyer, sees no slowing down in commercial real estate in the next year. “In fact, I see a steady increase. That is what we are witnessing on our site, and we see an increased appetite for these types of loans from our lenders. Now ...
  
  Read more

• Freddie Mac joins Fannie Mae in reducing mortgage modification interest rate

  18-07-2017 00:29
  
  Last week, Fannie Mae announced it was cutting its benchmark interest rate for standard mortgage modifications for the second time this year, but Freddie Mac didn’t lower its rate, or so it appeared. As it turns out, Freddie is indeed cutting its benchmark rate to the same level as Fannie, but Freddie just took a little extra time to update its website to reflect that change.
  
  Read more

• Will pending IPO establish Redfin as a billion-dollar real estate company?

  18-07-2017 00:22
  
  Online real estate brokerage Redfin filled in a few blanks originally left empty on its recent initial public offering request with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, revealing the company thinks it is worth around a billion dollars. When the company first filed its request for IPO, it left out key details on how many shares it would sell, along with how much it would sell them for. Well, the wait’s over. Here are the missing details on exactly much capital Redfin wants to raise.
  
  Read more

• OAR offers cybersecurity tips for avoiding real estate scams - Miami News Record

  18-07-2017 00:10
  
  Miami News Record
  OAR offers cybersecurity tips for avoiding real estate scams
  Miami News Record
  As much of the real estate landscape moves online, it is becoming increasingly common for the industry to be the target of hackers and scams. Hackers recently stole $54,000 from a Tulsa man who was in the process of purchasing a rental property.
  
  Read more

• Attorney gets 30 months for conspiring to steal distressed borrowers’ homes

  18-07-2017 00:10
  
  An attorney will spend the next 30 months in federal prison after being convicted for his role in a scheme that effectively stole the homes of distressed homeowners under the guise of helping the borrowers avoid foreclosure, before turning around and renting the homes out through Craigslist.
  
  Read more

• 3 Strategies Will Improve Your Negotiations

  18-07-2017 00:00
  
  Know your best case, your worst case, and what your clients will settle for, and you'll be in the lead as you work through a transaction.
  
  Read more

Follow @RealEstate_Nws_ on Twitter!