Mortgage applications decreased this week but economists say homebuying sentiment has improved over this time last year thanks to an increase in homes on the market.  According to the latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure of mortgage loan activity volume and includes purchases and refinances—decreased 1.6% on a seasonally adjusted…

Read More

Homebuilders appear to be showing some signs of measured optimism as new construction showed significant gains against the tide of market challenges and the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to the latest data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Census Bureau. The New Residential Construction report for March (which also…

Read More

As the conflict with Iran has loomed over the heads of consumers and over the economy, the two-week ceasefire in April contributed to some relief in consumer views, according to the latest data from The Conference Board. The Consumer Confidence Index® saw a 0.6 point increase to 92.8 in April (baseline of 100 is based…

The post Consumer Confidence Ticked Up During Iran Ceasefire appeared first on RISMedia.

Read More

After January’s “weakest start to a year for home prices since the early 2010s,” as noted by Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant, home-price growth has now effectively “stalled” in February, according to the latest data. The February S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index saw a 0.7% year-over-year gain in home prices, shrinking from the…

Read More

Agents have long done some version of pre-marketing—reaching out to their networks, posting on social, circulating a “Coming Soon” to their database. But what hasn’t existed, until now, is a way to make those listings publicly visible: open to every buyer and searchable by anyone.  Zillow Preview changes that. Rather than keeping pre-market listings behind…

Read More

Compass is pushing back hard against the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS), arguing in a new court filing that its 3-Phased Marketing (3PM) strategy fully complies with Washington state’s incoming public marketing law—and that NWMLS’s counterclaims against the brokerage should be thrown out entirely. In a motion to dismiss filed April 23 in the U.S.…

Read More

Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. Hardy v. NAR: Brokers appeal MLS membership antitrust challenge Brokers Douglas Hardy, Glenn Champion and Dylan Tent filed an appeal to the Sixth Circuit after a federal judge dismissed their antitrust lawsuit challenging…

Read More

Editor’s Note: The Mortgage Mix is RISMedia’s biweekly highlight reel of need-to-know mortgage-industry happenings. Watch for it every other Friday afternoon. – Mortgage rates trickled down the week of April 20, with the 30-year fixed-rate dropping from 6.30% to 6.23%, but economists such Bright MLS’ Lisa Sturtevant and Realtor.com®’s Joel Berner said that economic headwinds…

Read More

Subscribe

Search