By KIMBERLEY HAAS
As the end of the year nears, mortgage professionals are hustling, and although it may seem like it takes a lot more to get consumers to say “yes” in 2023, a leading real estate trainer and coach says it’s all about preparing for positive interactions with borrowers.
Ron Vaimberg started in the real estate business in 1983 and founded The New York Mortgage Institute in 1997. Today, he is the president of Ron Vaimberg International in Jefferson Valley, NY, working with professionals in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Vaimberg said market frustrations – whether they be over a lack of inventory or the fact that borrowers are qualifying for less due to high interest rates –…
By NICOLE MURRAY
The holiday season can be a tricky time of year in the real estate industry. For many agents, business slows down because people generally don’t want to sell, buy, or move during peak celebrations.
But whether it be a new job or a life update, buying and selling during the holiday season happens more than one would think.
The Mortgage Note spoke with real estate industry professionals across the country to discuss the pros and cons of listing during the holiday season and what to know if you do.
To start, there is less inventory on the market and therefore less competition for those who decide to sell.
Shant Banosian, EVP of sales at Guaranteed Rate, said…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Distressed homeowners who get behind on their mortgage bills are avoiding foreclosure.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Delinquency Survey was released last week and it showed that delinquencies increased in the third quarter to a rate of 3.62%, up 25 basis points from the second quarter and 17 basis points from a year ago.
Marina Walsh, MBA’s vice president of industry analysis, said that despite the increase, later-stage delinquencies – those 90 days or more past due – declined to the lowest level since the first quarter of 2020.
“The decline in later-stage delinquencies, along with a foreclosure starts rate of 0.14% – which is well below the historical quarterly average of 0.40% – suggest that distressed…
Scores of workers are being called back to their offices after more than three years of working remotely, influencing homebuyers’ choices as commutes are reintroduced to their lives.
The typical American commute is 26.4 minutes long, according to a new analysis by LendingTree. Based on median hourly earnings of $30.80, commuting costs $27.10 a day in lost time — or $5,724.56 a year.
Losses associated with commuting go beyond working time, according to LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz. Gas, parking, car maintenance, child care, and the toll on the mind and body add to the overall stresses of a workday involving travel. Price-wise, the typical commute costs nearly 50 cents a mile when total expenses are added together.
“The…
By SCOTT KIMBLER
As the debate about returning to the office continues nationwide, people in the city of Atlanta and its surrounding communities are adapting to the reality that hybrid and remote work are likely here to stay.
Over six million people live in the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has long been a hot market for housing for a variety of reasons, including job opportunities with companies such as Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola, and UPS.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, a lot of changes happened as the region was introduced to shelter-in-place, which morphed into a work-from-home model. Now in the post-pandemic period, many companies have adopted a hybrid work schedule, with employees driving into the city about three…
KeyBank and non-profit Operation HOPE have teamed up to empower underserved Americans who want to own homes, the companies announced in a press release.
An Operation HOPE financial coach will be placed in KeyBank’s East Delavan branch in Buffalo, NY, to provide education and programming to anyone at no cost.
“By joining forces with Keybank, we can expand Operation HOPE’s reach and impact, bringing financial education and resiliency to those who need it the most. Together, we are creating a pathway to financial success and homeownership, empowering individuals and families to build a better future for themselves and their communities,” said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE.
Through this partnership, anyone in Buffalo can access personalized…
By NICOLE MURRAY
The joy and satisfaction of buying a home has been diminished because of remorse for many Americans. Experts say it doesn’t have to be this way.
Due to bidding wars, rising interest rates, and a scarcity of options, in recent years homebuyers put themselves under pressure to make quick decisions about the places they now call home. So it’s not surprising that a recent survey by Clever Real Estate showed that a high percentage of people had regrets about buying in 2022 and 2023.
First-time buyers were particularly affected. 51% said the seller of their home took advantage of them and 67% said they felt pressured to submit an offer.
More than half of all the buyers…
Data released today shows annual home price gains were stagnant in June but continue heating up in the short term, with month-over-month prices rising.
Year-over-year, prices remained unchanged after slipping 0.4% the prior month, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price NSA Index.
Prices were up 0.9% month-over-month before seasonal adjustment and 0.7% after. This is the fifth consecutive month of increases.
Home prices are now at all-time highs in half the cities analyzed, and the National Composite sits just 0.2% below its all-time high from last year.
Craig J. Lazzara, managing director at S&P DJI, noted that regional differences remain “striking.”
The West Coast hubs that saw a huge migration during the pandemic performed the worst (-5.9%).…
Property taxes are on the rise, another source of financial stress for Americans.
According to new data released by ATTOM Data, total property taxes on single-family homes across the United States increased by 4% in 2022, totaling $340 billion.
This marks a significant increase from the previous year, with the average property tax bill for a single-family home rising to $3,719.
Property taxes were highest in the Northeast, with New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut topping the list. The lowest were seen in the South, with Alabama, West Virginia, and Arkansas having the least expensive property taxes.
Increasing taxes are an effect of soaring home prices, which have increased by 19% over the past year.
Though homeowners have benefitted from…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Officials in New York say leaders at a top provider of title insurance for the real estate and mortgage industries will terminate “no-poach” agreements, pay the state $3.5 million, and cooperate with ongoing investigations in the industry.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the news on Wednesday. The settlement with Fidelity National Financial, Inc. is one of at least five cases James has pursued against title insurance companies as she works to stop “no-poach” agreements in the state.
“New Yorkers deserve fair pay for their hard work and experience in their fields, and their career growth should never be threatened by a company’s desire to save money on wages. My office will continue standing up for…
