U.S. Mortgage Rates Hit Historic 50-Year Record Low in Early March

WORLD PROPERTY JOURNAL | March 06, 2020

According to Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the U.S. averaged the lowest rate in our survey's history which dates back to 1971. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a record 3.29 percent this week, the lowest level in its nearly 50-year history. Meanwhile, mortgage applications increased 10 percent last week from one year ago and show no signs of slowing down," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's Chief Economist. "Given these strong indicators in rates and sales, as well as recent increases in new construction, it's clear the housing market continues to be a positive force for the broader economy.

Spotlight

Spotlight

Related News

Investments

Curbio Releases the Official Realtor's Guide to Pre-Sale Home Improvement

PR Newswire | August 29, 2023

Curbio, Inc., the leading pay-at-closing contractor solution for real estate agents, today announces the launch of its official Realtor's Guide to Pre-Sale Home Improvement. This free playbook is intended to be a resource for real estate agents as they navigate the home sale process. In today's competitive real estate market, buyers want move-in-ready homes, with 77% of buyers surveyed saying that they wouldn't consider a home that isn't move-in-ready. By offering a turnkey, pay-at-closing concierge service, agents can not only meet buyer demand for move-in-ready properties, but can also stand out from the competition to win listings. With 47% of agents surveyed reporting Curbio's fix first, pay when you sell service helped them win a listing, agents can grow their business and stand out from the competition when other agents are simply offering sellers the status quo. "Agents know that every home, regardless of age or condition, will benefit from pre-sale home improvements, but sometimes that can be a tricky conversation with sellers. And with the hot market over the last few years, truthfully, some agents didn't have to navigate the topic. But, that's no longer the case and pay-at-closing repairs and updates are more important than ever. We created this playbook to help agents navigate their conversations with data, expertise and confidence. Our goal here is to help agents shine in their listing appointments, providing them with the tools and information they need to win listings and get them market-ready successfully," said Olivia Mariani, Chief Marketing Officer at Curbio. Curbio's Guide to Pre-Sale Home Improvement provides a comprehensive overview of pre-sale home improvements for agents, with contents including: • The benefits of pre-sale home updates • Overview of the current market and common seller personas • Guide to pitching pre-sale improvements to win listings • List of the top ROI driven pre-sale updates • Listing walkthrough checklist • Guide for getting ahead of client concerns • Comprehensive overview of Curbio's solution and process Other resources available to agents from Curbio include an agent marketing toolkit, which features everything that agents need to share Curbio with their network, such as customizable social media templates and listing presentation slides. The playbook's release comes on the heels of news earlier this month announcing a US roadshow tour offering free seminars for real estate agents looking to level up their pre-sale home improvement expertise. About Curbio Curbio is the leading pay-at-closing contractor working with real estate agents to get homes ready for sale reliably and without hassle. Curbio has modernized home improvement with an easy-to-use mobile app and five-star project management team that streamlines project work and communication, while eliminating the delays and uncertainties that have made home improvement so frustrating, especially for agents and home sellers. Our turnkey approach and pay-when-you-sell model has made Curbio the most trusted contractor for real estate agents and brokerages nationwide, including eXp Realty, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America, Long & foster, and many more. Curbio operates in more than 60 real estate markets across the US.

Read More

Real Estate Investment, Mortgage and Lending

Esusu and National Rental Home Council Unite to Empower Renters through Historic Rent Reporting Partnership

Globenewswire | July 07, 2023

The National Rental Home Council (NRHC), the trade association representing the single-family rental home (SFR) industry, and Esusu, the leading fintech company leveraging rent reporting for credit-building, announced a groundbreaking partnership. Esusu will offer its financial health platform to residents in single-family rental homes owned and operated by NRHC members, aiming to improve their livelihood and financial well-being. This collaboration between Esusu and NRHC is a pivotal moment in the rental home industry. By enabling rent reporting, both organizations champion financial inclusion and empower renters to build credit histories that can transform their lives. Rent reporting provides SFR residents with a unique opportunity to establish and enhance their credit profiles, granting improved access to credit, mortgages, and other financial services that were previously out of reach. The impact of this partnership extends beyond individuals and will benefit communities across the country and the industry as a whole. Since its establishment in 2018, Esusu has empowered millions of renters to improve their credit scores by reporting on-time rent payments to major credit bureaus. Alongside credit-building opportunities, the Esusu platform offers renters comprehensive tools, including financial literacy content, community resources, and rent relief funds to navigate financial emergencies. With this partnership, Esusu will significantly expand its reach within the growing SFR industry, addressing the needs of a vast and diverse segment of the population that has often been underserved. NRHC, known for its commitment to advancing the SFR industry and fostering sustainable communities, recognizes the immense potential of rent reporting as a catalyst for positive change. By partnering with Esusu, NRHC demonstrates its dedication to improving the financial well-being and stability of SFR residents, encouraging SFR owners and operators to provide this meaningful and differentiated amenity to their residents. “Esusu and NRHC share an unwavering commitment to preserving economic mobility and fortifying the financial fabric of neighborhoods throughout the nation,” emphasized Samir Goel and Wemimo Abbey, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Esusu. “This momentous partnership will empower communities across the country to tap into Esusu's comprehensive platform for resident financial health. By joining forces with NRHC, we aim to catalyze significant strides towards our vision of bridging the racial wealth gap and paving pathways to prosperity for residents in single-family rental homes.” “NRHC is proud to be at the forefront of this transformative partnership with Esusu,” said David Howard, CEO of NRHC. “Together, we are ushering in a new era of financial empowerment for residents of single-family rental homes. By embracing rent reporting, we are laying the foundation for a more inclusive and equitable housing landscape, ensuring that all residents have the opportunity to achieve their financial goals." “Progress Residential is proud to have been a pioneer in offering positive rent reporting in the single-family rental industry through our partnership with Esusu,” said Adolfo Villagomez, Chief Executive Officer of Progress Residential. “Since launching in March 2022, 57 percent of our participating residents have seen increases in their credit scores, and more than 5,000 residents established first time credit scores, unlocking greater financial potential. We commend NRHC for advocating for the expansion of rent reporting, and we are excited about the transformative impact today’s announcement will make on the financial well-being of so many individuals and families across the SFR industry." “We are pleased to work directly with Esusu on free reporting of positive rent payments for our residents, and this partnership between NRHC and Esusu is a powerful build that provides many SFR residents the full suite of financial planning tools that Esusu offers,” said Dallas Tanner, CEO of Invitation Homes. “Our residents appreciate the choice and flexibility offered by a single-family rental home, and the partnerships with Esusu offer tools that can further help SFR residents realize their financial goals.” The collaboration of all involved is a testament to their shared vision of a future where financial opportunities are accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic background. This historic partnership will propel the industry forward, empowering millions of SFR residents and fostering a more prosperous and inclusive society. About Esusu Esusu is the leading financial technology platform that leverages data solutions to empower residents and improve property performance. Esusu's rent reporting platform captures rental payment data and reports it to credit bureaus to boost credit scores. This allows renters to build and establish their credit scores while helping property owners mitigate against initiating evictions, powered by differentiated data and insights. Founded in 2018, Esusu reaches over 4 million rental units across all 50 states in the United States. About NRHC The National Rental Home Council (NRHC) is the nonprofit trade association representing the single-family rental home industry. NRHC members provide families and individuals with access to high-quality, single-family rental homes that contribute to the vitality and vibrancy of neighborhoods and communities.

Read More

Real Estate Technology, Real Estate Investment

United Real Estate Announces Second Strategic North Alabama Expansion

PRweb | June 30, 2023

United® Real Estate (United) announced its second expansion in Huntsville, Alabama today, solidifying its position in the top three residential brokerages in the local market. United’s Leading Edge Real Estate Group, which joined United’s national network in 2022, and Huntsville-based Revolved Realty have merged operations. The combined companies and their 300 agents will operate as Leading Edge Real Estate Group. Revolved Realty co-founder, Tim Knox joins the team as President to advance the long-term success of the combined operations and will remain the managing broker of two former Revolved Realty offices in Huntsville. No role changes are planned for Leading Edge Real Estate Group’s founders, Danny and Charlene Sullivan. Agents will gain additional new tools, training and resources deployed through United’s Bullseye™ Cloud proprietary productivity platform. "The merger of these two great local brokerages, combined with the backing of our national partner United Real Estate, offers limitless opportunities for buyers and sellers across north Alabama and southern Tennessee. And for the thousands of REALTORS® who call this area home, our commitment to helping agents build long-term, legacy businesses has never been greater," stated Tim Knox and Chelsea McKinney, founders of Revolved Realty. "That's the banner we will carry as we go forth and expand our market share here and eventually statewide." In today’s market, brokerages have a tremendous opportunity to join forces for long-term competitive advantage. “Tim and his team bring new energy into the company. Together, we have great synergy and focus and can leverage each person’s expertise to accomplish goals that previously seemed insurmountable. The services and tools we’ll bring to our service footprint will be huge for our market and for the agents. Together, we are now the third-largest in unit sales in our marketplace, and our combined strengths are a catalyst for continued growth,” commented Danny & Charlene Sullivan, founders of Leading Edge Real Estate Group. Over the last decade, the real estate industry has shifted from commission-split brokerage models to transaction-fee models. New-generation models that entered the market have shown growth, while legacy models have reported declines in agent count, sales volume and unit sales. COVID-19 magnified those trends. According to a data-backed study examining brokerage profitability by real estate tech strategist Mike DelPrete, United was one of two national brokerages to be profitable in Q1 2023. As brokerages move further into the new real estate market, change and innovation will become imperative for survival. In hindsight, we will look back and realize 2023 was the turning point for both legacy and new-generation models. “Danny, Tim, Charlene, Chelsea and their respective employees and agents are creating forward momentum. What’s very exciting is that we have a carefully crafted strategic plan to navigate their agents successfully into the future. Today’s real estate landscape is vastly different than just five years ago, and these entrepreneurs are leveraging their unique talents and United Real Estate’s national resources to great advantage for their company and agents,” stated Rick Haase, President of United Real Estate. About United Real Estate United Real Estate (United) – a division of United Real Estate Group – was founded with the purpose of offering solutions to real estate brokers and agents in the rapidly changing real estate brokerage industry. United provides the latest training, marketing and technology tools to agents and brokers under a flat-fee, transaction-based agent commission model. By leveraging the company’s proprietary cloud-based Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, United delivers a more profitable outcome for agents and brokers. United Real Estate operates in 33 states with 148 offices and 18,500 agents. The company produced over 77,900 transactions and $27.9 billion in sales volume in 2022. About Leading Edge Real Estate Group Founded in 2013 by Danny and Charlene Sullivan, Leading Edge Real Estate Group’s mission is “Leading the way, using cutting-edge technology to sell your home quickly and effectively while having fun in the process.” The company is committed to professionalism and quality and serves the real estate needs of clients throughout North Alabama. About Revolved Realty Founded in 2018 by Tim Knox and Chelsea McKinney, Revolved Realty was built on the premise that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction: it’s a life-changing experience. Their team of highly-seasoned real estate professionals is dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all clients throughout North Alabama. A champion of relationships, Revolved Realty agents work relentlessly on the client’s behalf to achieve their real estate goals.

Read More