One of the nation’s largest processors of consumer mortgage payments—Ocwen Financial Corp.—was sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and also faces a cease and desist order by a multistate committee that's essentially shutting down the lender’s operations in a handful of states.Ocwen, based in West Palm Beach, Fla., services loans for borrowers in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia. As of Dec. 31, 2016, it serviced n
Your clients want to hear more about green real estate and why it matters, surveys show.Whether they're first-time buyers or existing homeowners, consumers are showing more desire to learn more about environmental matters in housing.Indeed, 61 percent of homeowners have researched energy-efficient improvements, according to the Bank of America Homebuyer Insights Report. Eighty-six percent of homeowners say they have some type of energy-efficient
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has fallen to its lowest average since November 2016, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey.“The 30-year mortgage rate fell 11 basis points this week to 3.97 percent, dropping below the psychologically-important 4 percent level for the first time since November,” says Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Weak economic data and growing international tensions are driving investors
Whether it's promoting images you've published on your account or creating video ads up to a minute long, Instagram is becoming marketers' social media platform of choice due to the sheer simplicity of being able to put beautiful content in front of a targeted and engaged audience.Instagram is visually focused and mobile first and offers 60 times the advertising rate of return than Facebook, and 120 percent more user interactions than Twitter, ac
This spring’s housing mantra: Going, going, gone! “Severe” housing shortages are prompting existing-homes to sell significantly faster this year, and propelling home sales to the highest pace in more than a decade, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Friday.Strong sales gains in the Northeast and Midwest were behind most of the nationwide 4.4 percent month-over-month increase in existing-home sales in March. The West was the onl
The most productive activities in real estate are the ones that require the most braveryKey Takeaways Many time-consuming tasks can be delegated. Some agents fear what lies at the end of a successfully leveraged business.Experienced real estate agents will tell you that they are far better at some activities in their daily work than they are at others.Many will readily admit that they can pinpoint exactly which activities net them the most reward
A home's landscape provides curb appeal and, if designed smartly, it can also offer wellness and environmental benefits. When your clients undertake a new landscaping project, it's important that they keep the local ecosystem and environmental considerations in mind.Since some areas of the country are still experiencing drought conditions, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) recently created an infographic that shares what your clients l
Renting out a property can always be a gamble, with the risk of a bad tenant who could, for example, smash a hole in the wall or bail on paying rent. In either case, the landlord is left financially liable.But could landlord insurance help investors better protect their property investments?“Landlord insurance is a vital add-on for anyone planning to rent some or all of a property to another party,” insists James J. Whittle, assistant gener
A golf course is no longer the showpiece of a master-planned community. Instead, buyers are showing a greater preference to live near extensive trail networks and shared gardens. Developers are responding with new developments that are pushing out golf courses in favor of other outdoor areas that foster a sense of community.“What we’re seeing is this trend toward helping people interact with each other and helping them interact in natural env
A college town can be a great spot for investors. Rents are usually stable and there’s generally always a pool of tenants to choose from.“It’s always great to invest in a location where there is a large pool of tenants, which is exactly what you get when you invest in a property near a school like Georgia Institute of Technology,” says Rory Haigler, a Redfin real estate professional. The Georgia Institute of Technology topped Redfin’s l
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