Good morning! Today is Monday, November 2. On election eve, candidates and their surrogates are making closing arguments and businesses in Washington, DC, are boarding up to prepare for civil unrest. Airlines are resorting to buy-one-get-one-free ticket offers to help travelers feel comfortable flying again and keep at least some cash coming in. In filming Avatar 2, Kate Winslet held her breath underwater for seven minutes, breaking Tom Cruise’s underwater record.
And in mortgage and housing news …
EASY MONEY: Government efforts to stimulate growth are lifting markets of all kinds everywhere, especially housing.
MORTGAGE DELINQUENCIES: The number of mortgages that are seriously delinquent dropped by 43,000 in September, according to Black Knight. That’s the first improvement in that data point since the pandemic began back in March.
SCARING HOMEBUYERS: Here are seven things that will make most homebuyers get right back into their cars and look elsewhere.
MORTGAGE RATE TRENDS: A closer look at why mortgage interest rates could drop even more this year.
DEPRECIATION: Fifteen U.S. cities where real estate won’t be a great investment over the next few years.
GREAT DIVERGENCE: The economy has delivered luxury homes for some and evictions for others.
REAL ESTATE OFFICE TRENDS: Hybrid models, consisting of some in-office staff and agents, and others at home, may be part of the future of the real estate office.
BOOMER HOME BOOM: Tens of millions of homes nationwide will soon come up for sale as baby boomers slowly release their 46 million homes, worth $13.5 trillion, according to Fannie Mae data.
STIGMATIZED HOMES: Do you have to disclose a home’s history of murder, suicide, rumored ghosts and other “adverse material facts”?
RETAIL TRANSFORMATION: Changes to city policies, zoning, and leasing agreements are needed to accommodate the altered commercial landscape brought on by the pandemic.