Home and Design
PRnewsiwre | August 10, 2023
Weidner Apartment Homes, a real estate investment and property management company, recently joined the Anchorage Affordable Housing and Land Trust (AAHLT) to aid the organization in its mission to expand and preserve year-round housing rental opportunities that are affordable to low and very low-income households.
In March 2023, Dean Weidner, Weidner's Chairman and Founder, matched the Rasmuson Foundation's $250,000 donation to AAHLT to provide initial working capital for the Trust to begin operations. One of the first projects undertaken by the Trust is a renovation project that will convert The Lake House, a downtown hotel in Anchorage, AK, into a 45-unit multifamily property for low and very low-income citizens. The Lake House is an older, well-maintained hotel purchased by the AAHLT in 2023 using ARPA funds granted by the Municipality of Anchorage.
"Dean Weidner invests in these projects because he believes we all have a responsibility to be involved in our communities and give back however we can. As a housing provider, we are connected to those who are unhoused, and it's a natural issue for us to gravitate towards and bring some focused expertise to the process." Said Greg Cerbana, Weidner's VP. of Government Affairs.
Weidner has been a multifamily rental housing provider in Anchorage since 1981 and owns 5,696 units across six cities in Alaska. Through the company's long-standing relationships with various Alaska-based housing providers, they have partnered with several nonprofits to significantly improve the region's housing instability issues.
"Since Weidner is a market-rate housing provider, our investments in various affordable housing projects allows us to fund a different need of the area's housing market. Every sector in the industry needs to be healthy for it to thrive, and our recent involvement with AAHLT enables us to support the industry outside of our primary line of work." Said Cerbana.
"Anchorage is uniquely positioned to find workable solutions for the challenges associated with homelessness. The city has a history of cooperation between its businesses, nonprofits, and public sectors. I encourage everyone to come together and prioritize fulfilling the needs of the most vulnerable in our society." Said Weidner.
As of August 2023, Weidner has committed over $10 million to fund solutions for homelessness in Anchorage. Weidner is excited to expand its efforts to support the full continuum of Anchorage's housing market by joining the AAHLT to provide much-needed housing for low and very low-income citizens.
About Weidner Apartment Homes
Founded by W. Dean Weidner in 1977, Weidner Apartment Homes is a multi-faceted real estate investment, and management company recognized industry-wide as an efficient provider of quality rental homes and a creative developer of new housing. The vision of the Weidner Company is to distinguish ourselves as the apartment industry leader in each of our markets, which includes Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Canada. We can only achieve that vision by having the best apartment managers, leasing consultants, maintenance managers, and service technicians in the business.
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Home and Design
EasyKnock | August 17, 2023
Ribbon, powered by EasyKnock, announces today that RibbonCash – its pioneering cash offer solution – has relaunched in Atlanta and Charlotte.
As one of the pioneers of powerbuying solutions, Ribbon has considered Atlanta and Charlotte as its historical home base, driving the company’s success since its founding in 2017. Ribbon’s product reached around 2 percent of the overall closings in the Atlanta market in 2022, an achievement indicative of the appetite for homeownership.
“The EasyKnock and Ribbon teams could not be more excited to announce the return of RibbonCash to Charlotte and Atlanta,” said Jarred Kessler, CEO of EasyKnock. The Southeast in general remains competitive according to Bankrate’s Housing Heat Index. According to the index, despite price declines elsewhere in the United States, the Southeast has held steady due to comparatively affordable prices. Ribbon aims to tap into this reality for everyday homebuyers who seek ways to achieve homeownership for themselves or their family.
“We believe the Southeast maintains a culture of homeownership that withstands shifts in the market. Mortgage rates and inventory may ebb and flow, but achieving homeownership - and seeking the leading tools to compete - has not,” Kessler said.
“We continue to be bullish on Atlanta, Charlotte, and the Southeast overall.” By working with real estate agents and loan officers, and not competing with them as a direct-to-consumer offering like iBuyers, Ribbon sustains its reputation for empowering the real estate ecosystem.
EasyKnock acquired the assets of Ribbon in 2023. Both EasyKnock and Ribbon have forged strong partnerships in residential real estate by using best-in–class technology that connects consumers with loan officers, real estate agents, and other participants in the homebuying and home selling experience.
Together, Ribbon and EasyKnock are ushering in a new chapter for the real estate industry, creating a one-stop shop for financial solutions that serve homeowners, buyers, and sellers across the country.
About EasyKnock
EasyKnock is the first-to-market, technology-enabled residential sale-leaseback company in the U.S. Through innovative and accessible solutions, American homeowners who sell their property to EasyKnock can remain in their homes as renters while still getting the cash they need to pursue their financial goals. Headquartered in New York City and founded in 2016, EasyKnock has team members nationwide working to help homeowners unlock their financial freedom through non-loan programs so they can pay off debts, buy their dream home, fund a venture, and more - all while maintaining the ability to stay in their homes and communities. In 2023, EasyKnock acquired the assets of Ribbon Home and continues to offer Ribbon products to customers.
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Real Estate Technology, Real Estate Investment
PRnewswire | June 29, 2023
Reggora, an appraisal management software company that is modernizing residential real estate valuation for mortgage lenders, announced today the launch of its appraisal review solution, Reggora Appraisal Review. This innovative software is set to transform the appraisal analysis process for mortgage lenders by significantly reducing repurchase risk and ensuring every appraisal meets the correct quality standards.
Reggora Appraisal Review leverages cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms to automate and streamline the appraisal review workflow. With its advanced natural language processing capabilities, the software swiftly analyzes appraisal reports, identifies key data points, inconsistencies, and potential red flags.
For example, the solution uses advanced AI technology to detect bias in reports far more accurately than lexicon-based tools — so underwriters remain confident in the objectivity of their appraisals, without wasting time reviewing false positives. For instance, consider a report that mentions a property located in the city of "Race Point Beach." While the term "Race" would trigger a keyword-based bias detection tool, Reggora's AI-powered algorithm can discern the context and understand that it is simply the name of the city. By analyzing the report's language, tone, and content comprehensively, AI ensures that lenders can swiftly identify genuine instances of bias, avoiding unnecessary scrutiny and enabling them to focus their review efforts on reports that truly require attention.
With this groundbreaking solution, manual appraisal review becomes far more efficient. Reggora Appraisal Review significantly reduces human error, enhances efficiency, and ensures accuracy. By thoughtfully automating the review process, mortgage professionals can expedite their review cycles, reducing turnaround times and accelerating the loan origination process.
One of the critical features of Reggora Appraisal Review is its ability to reduce repurchase risk. By customizing rule sets and quality control checks, mortgage lenders can align their appraisal review processes with industry regulations, investor guidelines, and internal policies. This comprehensive compliance and risk mitigation capability empowers mortgage professionals to mitigate costly repurchase demands, protecting their financial stability and reputation.
Seamless integration with existing loan origination systems further enhances operational productivity. The user-friendly interface allows users to effortlessly navigate through appraisal reports, highlight critical information, and annotate directly on the documents. Comprehensive audit trails ensure transparency and facilitate collaboration between stakeholders.
"Reggora Appraisal Review represents a significant step forward in the mortgage industry," said Brian Zitin, CEO of Reggora. "We are committed to empowering mortgage professionals with cutting-edge technology that drives efficiency, reduces risk, and ultimately allows them to originate loans much faster."
This all-new review solution accompanies Reggora's existing suite of integrations with leading third-party review tools.
Reggora Appraisal Review caters to the unique needs of diverse stakeholders, providing customizable features that can be tailored to individual business requirements. Whether a small regional lender or a large national lender, this software offers a flexible and scalable solution.
About Reggora
Reggora is driving appraisal innovation with a modern, two-sided platform for mortgage lenders and appraisal vendors. Through advanced and configurable workflows, Reggora streamlines the entire appraisal process for everyone involved, while improving the overall borrower experience. Lenders and appraisers benefit from payment processing, automatic appraisal ordering, rule-based reviews, appraisal delivery, status updates, and more, creating unprecedented operational efficiency.
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