By: Equity National July 28, 2015 No Tags Closing, Title
MBA: Housing market has 'shifted into high gear'...
The Mortgage Bankers Association has significantly hiked up its mortgage forecasts for this year after a strong spring buying season. In 2014, total originations reached $1.12 trillion, according to a press release on the increased projections. The trade group estimates that figure will jump 23 percent to $1.35 trillion in 2015 and then likely fall to $1.26 trillion in 2016. Previously, the forecast for 2015 had been a 14 perce...By: Equity National July 20, 2015 No Tags Closing, Title
Millions of borrowers can save through refinanci...
Around 6.5 million mortgage borrowers are eligible for, and could benefit from, refinancing options for their home loans. Black Knight Financial Services’ “Mortgage Monitor Report” found that substantial savings wait for borrowers who alter their home loans through refinancing options. The financial services firm took a look at 30-year mortgages as well as current underwriting criteria to determine how many people wo...By: Equity National June 17, 2015 No Tags Closing, Title
Is your website making a good first impression? ...
Buying a home isn’t an easy decision, and for many people, their first bits of information on the process come from Internet searches. The search for a home has gone digital, and housing professionals who don’t keep their websites up-to-date could be left behind by those that do put an effort into maintaining a responsive and informative online presence. That’s because 90 percent of all home buyers begin their searches with an ...By: Equity National June 1, 2015 No Tags Closing, Escrow, Title
Freddie Mac: Still weak housing market continues...
Though recent statistics from one government-sponsored enterprise indicate a relatively weak housing market, a deeper look into the numbers shows increasing stability through the months and years. The Multi-Indicator Market Index, or MiMi, is a measure used by Freddie Mac to determine the stability of both the national housing market as well as that of metro areas. The national MiMi value was assessed as 75.4, a figur...By: Equity National May 22, 2015 No Tags Closing, Title
Millennials not pleased with housing options [Vi...
The majority of millennials are still renting, but not because many of them want to. Some of these young potential homebuyers just aren’t happy with the options available to them. A report released by the Urban Land Institute, called “America in 2015,” attempted to illustrate various age groups’ satisfaction with their communities and housing options. The goal was to measure quality of life for Americans of various background...By: Equity National May 18, 2015 No Tags Title
Housing performance continues creeping up [Video...
Gradually, the U.S. housing recovery continues in the approximately 360 U.S. metro markets. Of those locations, the National Association of Home Builders/First American Leading Markets Index has identified 68 that have reached or exceeded normal housing and economic performance levels. Seven of those markets saw a year-over-year net gain. Nationwide LMI score edges up Based on current permit, employment and price data, the ...By: Equity National May 14, 2015 No Tags Title
What's important to millennial homebuyers? [Vide...
A new wave of homebuyers is set to wash over the housing market and with it comes new sentiment about what’s important in a home and how the buying process should go. Mortgage rates are low, housing inventory is high and the cost of rentals is soaring – the perfect storm has come together and people in their twenties and early thirties are primed to leave a significant imprint on the home buying process. These days, following the cra...By: Equity National April 27, 2015 No Tags Title
Congressman proposes new title insurance rules [...
One congressman believes that the practice of real estate agents and sellers referring clients to title insurance firms has to stop, because many of the consumers receiving these recommendations aren’t fully aware of why they are. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduced legislation regulating title insurance referrals to ensure that clients are being guided toward the best deals, rather than being given information that sta...By: Equity National April 21, 2015 No Tags Title
'Rogue' CFPB targeted with transparency bill [VI...
It’s always sunny in Philadelphia, but apparently the same isn’t true for Washington D.C., where one agency has been subject to accusations that it hasn’t been as transparent and accountable as it should be. Many government agencies are subject to a 1972 sunshine act meant to shed light on their practices. The Federal Advisory Committee Act was passed to ensure that the public and Congress would be completely aware of what was...By: Equity National April 13, 2015 No Tags Title