Michigan cities and a bipartisan group of state lawmakers are backing a $160 million annual budget proposal aimed at increasing housing construction and rehabilitation through local zoning changes and financial incentives. Officials say it could spur 10,000 new homes over five years — or about 2,000 a year — at a total cost of $800 […]
Michigan cities, lawmakers seek $800M for housing incentives Read More »
Inside Real Estate has released HomeSearch AI — a new search and client engagement platform designed to let users input natural language to find listings and help real estate professionals reengage dormant leads. The platform incorporates technology from ListAssist — a company Inside Real Estate acquired earlier this year — along with features from BoomTown
Inside Real Estate puts forth AI-powered home search platform Read More »
Ohio-based MLS Now will offer the Rayse client experience platform at no cost to its subscribers beginning Aug. 12, the organization announced. The service will be available through the MLS Now dashboard. MLS Now serves more than 13,500 real estate professionals in 36 Ohio counties. Rayse — which integrates into agents’ existing workflow — allows
MLS Now to add Rayse client transparency platform Read More »
Mortgage applications don’t always fail with a formal rejection — many simply stall. A report released last month by Cotality found that homebuyer hesitation often predicts loan fallout, even without an official withdrawal. As a result, the property analytics firm found that 16% of buyers “ghosted” their mortgage applications last year — a trend attributed
Abandoned mortgage apps are on the upswing. Homebuyer confusion could be the culprit Read More »
While many expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates at its September meeting, mortgage professionals caution that even if it happens, it won’t significantly impact the industry. Loan officers have encouraged borrowers to continue with their home loan applications. They note that home sellers and builders are offering concessions to lower rates, while lenders
The Fed could cut rates in September. Mortgage pros are skeptical of the impact Read More »
One of the most persistent lies about U.S. economics post-COVID-19 is that Wall Street has been a major buyer of homes in America and that’s the reason home prices have escalated out of control. The role of investors in the housing market is back in the news again, but I want to look at this
Why we should be cheering for the mom-and-pop investors in the housing market Read More »
The U.S. housing market is entering a new phase defined less by competitive bidding and more by financial stress and practical necessity, according to a second-quarter Bright MLS agent survey released Friday. The findings reveal a marked departure from previous years’ demand-driven trends, with both home buyers and sellers increasingly motivated — or discouraged —
Bright MLS: Housing market shifts toward necessity, balance Read More »
Texas-based Goosehead Insurance and Baird & Warner Real Estate have launched a new franchise partnership that will embed home insurance options directly into the real estate transaction process. The venture — named Adaptive Insurance Agency — offers homebuyers access to a broad selection of insurance carriers and guidance from licensed agents as part of their
Baird & Warner, Goosehead Insurance enter franchise partnership Read More »
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE) has added digital listing and offer negotiation platform Final Offer to its Solutions Group — a curated program of preferred business resources available to its global network of 550-plus real estate firms. Final Offer provides tools that allow listing agents to share sellers’ preferred terms and timelines
Final Offer joins LeadingRE preferred vendor program Read More »
The Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) has launched a new bilingual, voice-activated home search tool designed to make real estate listings more accessible to a wider range of users, including people with disabilities. The platform — called Finding Homes — allows users to search listings using natural speech through Alexa-enabled devices or apps. It’s available
NWMLS launches voice-activated home search tool Read More »