Keller Williams Posts Record Q4 Earnings
Keller Williams is No. 1 in units and sales volume in the U.S., the company announced yesterday.
Deutsche Bank, Ocwen Financial and Altisource Accused of Racial Discrimination
The National Fair Housing Alliance and 19 fair housing organizations from across the country today filed a housing discrimination lawsuit in federal district court in Chicago against a number of organizations.
Federal Appeals Court Finds CFPB Structure Constitutional
A federal appeals court yesterday ruled that the leadership structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is constitutional, reversing a 2016 ruling that found the opposite.
Realtor.com Releases ‘State of the Housing Union’
President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address is scheduled for tomorrow, but realtor.com tried to steal a little of the President’s thunder by releasing its own ‘State of the Housing Union.’
Freddie Mac Reports Portfolio Growth in December
Freddie Mac’s total mortgage portfolio increased at an annualized rate of 9.0 percent in December 2017. Freddie Mac mortgage-related securities and other mortgage-related guarantees increased at an annualized rate of 9.8 percent in December.
US Homeowners Regain $9T Lost in Crash; Recovery Uneven
The U.S. housing market has gained back all $9 trillion in value it lost when the market collapsed, but the uneven nature of the crisis and subsequent recovery has left many housing markets trailing behind, while others surge further ahead, according to a new Zillow report.
NAR Survey Finds Majority of Agents Don’t Take Proper Safety Precautions
While real estate sales can be an exciting, even glamorous job, it can also be dangerous.
ATTOM Data Solutions Releases 2018 Housing Report
Millennials named Dylan are buying far more homes than Gen-Xers named Kurt, according to an analysis of first names of homebuyers in 2017 from ATTOM Data Solutions’ 2018 housing report.
Despite Rising Rates, Purchase Applications Hit Highest Level Since April 2010
Mortgage applications increased 4.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending Jan. 19. This week’s results included an adjustment for the MLK Day holiday.
Connecticut Renters Give the State a ‘D’
Renters in Connecticut are not happy, giving the state an overall score of a D in a recent study.
Remodeling Spending Projecting to Hit 10-Year High in 2018
The coming year is expected to be another robust one for residential renovations, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Looming Government Shutdown Will Disrupt Home Sales
The federal government is running out of money and if Congress and President Donald Trump don’t iron out their differences by midnight on Saturday, it will shut down.
Redfin Expands into Connecticut
Redfin the tech-driven real estate brokerage, today announced the debut of its home-buying and selling services in Connecticut. Redfin, which also announced its launch in Asheville, N.C., today, has a mission to reinvent real estate in the consumer’s favor.
Mortgages, Tapas and Hockey
Bill Hart is a consistent top-producing loan originator who likes a challenge.
GHAR Installs 2018 Board of Directors
The Greater Hartford Association of Realtors (GHAR) held their annual volunteer appreciation and holiday party at The Riverview in Simsbury last month. The evening recognized the 2018 installation of Board of Directors and incoming President Dale Stevens, of RE/MAX Hometown, who will represent the largest local real estate association in Connecticut.
PHH Settles Suit for $45M
PHH Corp. has reached a settlement with 49 state attorneys general, including Connecticut’s.
Bridgeport Metro Home Prices Rise in November
U.S. home prices are up both year over year and month over month, according to a report released today by a property information provider CoreLogic.
NAR Explains Trump’s Tax Plan Impact on Members and Clients
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) published a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act explainer for its members. It outlines the mostly negative, but also positive impacts the plan is expected to have on members and their clients. The explainer also highlights changes the NAR successfully lobbied for.
Lending Consultant Offers Clarity On CFPB’s HMDA Announcement
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a public statement last week announcing “that the Bureau does not intend to require data resubmission unless data errors are material or assess penalties with respect to errors for data collected in 2018 and reported in 2019 under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).”
FHFA Reinstates $3B Buffer To GSEs
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Department of the Treasury agreed last week to reinstate the $3 billion capital reserve each for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
