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NAR Op-Ed: ‘Cooperative Compensation Will Continue to Be an Important Option for Consumers’

Last month, the National Association of REALTORS® announced a settlement that would resolve nationwide litigation over claims from home sellers related to broker commissions. The $ 418 million settlement, and the practice changes it will usher in, have led some to speculate that real estate agents are at risk of becoming obsolete. As someone who […]

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Mortgage Rates Continue to Slide Down

Seeing their fourth week of declines, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 7.29% this week, down from last week’s dip to 7.44%, according to the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) from Freddie Mac released Wednesday, Nov. 22. This week’s results include an adjustment for the observance of Thanksgiving. This week’s numbers:  The 30-year FRM… […]

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Mortgage Rates Continue Gradual Recovery

Mortgage rates hit 6 month highs by the end of last week, but they’ve been cautiously recovering since then. The rebound traces a similar pattern in the bond market, as is typically the case considering lenders rely on bonds as the primary ingredient in the interest rate recipe. In simpler, more normal times, bonds would […]

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Are Rates Doomed to Continue Higher?

Posted To: Mortgage Rate Watch After a calm summer at historic lows, interest rate volatility has ramped up heading into the fall. What are rates worried about, and is this just the beginning of more drama? In a word: maybe! Because they’re based on bonds, rates are always worried about anything that can have a […]

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Attitudes About Buying and Selling Continue to Diverge

Fannie Mae said “Consumers are increasingly adamant that it’s a good time to sell, bad time to buy a home” as it released its June Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI). The index, based on the company’s monthly National Housing Survey, shows a growing difference in the number of consumers who hold one or another of […]

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Layoffs Continue to Drop to the Lowest Level Within the Last Two Months

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell further for third straight week to the lowest level in the last couple of months. It seems that the worst months for the labor market could be behind us. www.nar.realtor – Research

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Improvements in Forbearance Continue to Slow

Posted To: MND NewsWire A decline in the number of forborne loans in those portfolios serviced for banks and private label securities (PLS) accounted for most of the modest downturn in overall numbers last week. Black Knight said the number of active plans dropped by 9,000 loans or 0.3 percent compared to the previous week. […]

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Housing Affordability Declines in September 2020 as Median Family Prices Continue to Surge

At the national level, housing affordability declined in September 2020 compared to a year ago but rose compared to August. www.nar.realtor – Research

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Existing-Home Sales Continue Record Pace, Soar 24.7% in July

Existing-Home Sales Soar 24.7% in July Each of the four major regions attained double-digit, month-over-month increases, with the Northeast and West seeing the greatest sales growth. Media Contact:  Quintin Simmons 202-383-1178

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