The Federal Reserve may have voted to leave its short-term interest rates unchanged this week, but that didn’t stop lenders from moving up mortgage rates. Average mortgage rates are continuing an upward trend in 2018.“The Federal Reserve did not hike rates this week, but the market views future hikes as a near certainty,” says Len Kiefer, deputy chief economist at Freddie Mac. “The expectation of future Fed rate hikes and increased borr
Following the largest data breach in the nation’s history, Equifax announced that it is extending its free credit freezes to consumers through June. The data breach this past fall exposed the personal information of about 143 million Americans, and has even prompted warnings from housing analysts that the breach could impact buyers’ ability to complete a home sale.The personal information stolen by hackers could compromise consumers’ Socia
Whether it’s flourishing as an agent or team development at a brokerage, it starts with a willingness to evolve, says Peter J. Strauss, lawyer and author of The Business Owner’s Definitive Guide to Captive Insurance Companies.“Why would you not want to be the best version of yourself?” Strauss says. “Whether you’re talking about your own people in your company or your clients, there is this giant middle market that has no idea of th
If the housing market has a say, the Philadelphia Eagles will emerge victorious against the New England Patriots in this weekend’s Super Bowl LII, the National Association of REALTORS® predicts. But NAR isn’t judging its pick based on defensive or offensive plays. Instead, its forecast is based on both teams’ housing markets. NAR’s prediction looks at the home price increases of the two competing cities, while realtor.com’s looks at h
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it will award more than $1.5 billion to help Puerto Rico homeowners and local businesses recover from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The funds, which are part of HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Program, will support long-term recovery efforts to repair the serious damages.“As local leaders, along with their citizens, develop their recovery plans, HU
Hello y'all,We're ready to kick business in to high gear with the current markets and business growth. This month we've brought on another new record number of members with 17 salespeople hired (a new member every other day). New members include Jason Hannah dealing the DFW area, Lucia Anderson dealing the DFW area, Yosi Cain dealing the Inland Empire, Akm Karim dealing DFW, Reneé Bubetz dealing in Southern California, Gary Bond dealing th
Many Americans begin looking for a home to buy without understanding the fundamentals of applying for a mortgage or what it takes to qualify for one, according to a new survey by Ally Home, a direct-to-consumer mortgage business.Ninety-two percent of the more than 2,000 U.S. adults who responded to the survey admit they don’t know how much mortgage they can afford. Further, most say they’re confused about “rates” versus “points,” and
The millennial generation is the most diverse in American history. Minorities make up 44 percent of the more than 75 million millennials living in the U.S., according to a new report from Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, “The Millennial Generation: A Demographic Bridge to America’s Diverse Future.”By the mid-2040s, racial and ethnic minorities are projected to make up more than half of the nation’s population. “This means that mil
Only two weeks after Congress passed a bill to reopen the federal government following a three-day shutdown, a repeat of that quagmire is looming. The budget bill Congress passed funds the federal government through Feb. 8, when another shutdown is possible if lawmakers don’t agree on a long-term funding before then. What impact will real estate feel should the government close once more?Most home sales likely will be minimally affected because
The Federal Reserve voted on Wednesday to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged, but it continues to leave the door open to future increases this year. The Fed’s benchmark rate will remain in the range of 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent, which is low by historical standards. Fed committee members said that by leaving the rate unchanged, they hope the low rates will help support broader job growth and stronger inflation.Lawrence Yun, chief eco
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