Real estate news

• Even With Headwinds, Hispanic Homeownership Rises

  05-03-2018 22:06
  Hispanics are a dominating force in homeownership, closing in on their pre-downturn homeownership rate sooner than the U.S. as a whole, according to the annual National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) report.
  The Hispanic homeownership rate increased to 46.2 percent in 2017—just 3.5 percent away from the 49.7 percent it was in 2007, prior to the recession. To compare, though the country’s homeownership rate increased to 63.9 percent in 2017, it re
  
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• Consumer Confidence Leaps

  05-03-2018 22:04
  Consumer confidence leapt in February, posting a 130.8 reading in the latest Consumer Confidence Index® from The Conference Board. The Expectations reading of the Index rose to 109.7, while the Present Situation reading rose to 162.4. January’s reading was 124.3.
  “Consumer confidence improved to its highest level since 2000 (Nov. 2000, 132.6) after a modest increase in January,” said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, in a statement. &ldqu
  
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• Tax Scammers Use Refund Ruse

  05-03-2018 22:03
  (TNS)—Wait, what? You didn’t file your income tax return yet, but, suddenly, somehow, you spotted a bunch of money in your bank account from a refund?
  Seriously?
  Believe it or not, criminals are using real bank accounts in a fast-spreading scam that could gain more traction as we move into prime refund season, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
  “It’s super sophisticated,” says Luis Garcia, a spokesperson for the IRS in Detroit. “If you haven’t fi
  
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• Amazon rumored to be looking for big bank partner

  05-03-2018 18:00
  
  Online shopping giant Amazon may be looking to get into the mortgage lending business, or at least that's the rumor among mortgage lending professionals. While limited in scope, Amazon's plans are to start with offering checking programs first, then maybe move into the debt product space after. Here's the latest.
  
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• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Announces First Global Franchise Alliance

  05-03-2018 17:01
  Carsten Heinrich, co-founder and managing director of Rubina Real Estate, left, and Gino Blefari, CEO, HSF Affiliates LLC
  Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices today announced the signing of its first global franchisee, Rubina Real Estate GmbH, a real estate brokerage serving central Berlin and neighboring regions. The brokerage will operate as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Rubina Real Estate starting in April.
  “Rubina Real Estate is an ideal fit for our network and we’re excited that it
  
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• Monday Morning Cup of Coffee: HUD morale said to hit all-time low

  05-03-2018 06:01
  
  A new report revealed morale at HUD just hit an all-time low under HUD Secretary Ben Carson. But HUD isn't the only place facing challenges. Black Knight released today its latest Mortgage Monitor which showed increasing mortgage rates and home prices pushed affordability to its lowest point since 2009.
  
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