4 Appraisal Groups Agree to Fight Unconscious Bias
The Appraisal Institute, American Society of Appraisers and two other groups collectively support additional training that addresses unconscious bias in valuations.
RE Q&A: Does HOA Board Have to Vote on Every Expenditure?
Authority can be delegated to a manager, president or other person to spend money – usually up to a set amount – without board approval, but there are steps to follow.
Nation’s Top State for Wire Fraud? Florida
Fla. has over two times more wire-fraud incidents than No. 2 Georgia. In real estate, scammers entice buyers to wire closing money to a fake address, dashing buyers’ dreams and robbing Realtors of commissions. The FTC now has a dedicated website for reporting wire fraud.
4 Ways to Increase the Chances of Getting a Mortgage
To help get your mortgage or refi OK’d while interest rates are at an all-time low, check your credit score and report, pay down debt and compare mortgage lenders.
Knock Brings Home Swap Service to Orlando, Tampa
It’s the service’s first entry into Fla. Knock uses expected equity (at least 30%) from a home sale to guarantee a buyer’s new mortgage before the original home sells.
What to Do with Old Tech? Repurpose It
An old digital camera can become a security camera. An old laptop could run marketing videos on a loop during open houses. An old smartphone can become a video feed.
Another New 30-Year Mortgage Record Hit This Week: 2.80%
Freddie Mac: The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage broke its all-time record low for the 11th time this year, dropping slightly from last week’s average 2.81%.
Fla.’s Housing Market: More Sales, Rising Median Prices in Sept.
Florida Realtors’ data: Sales, median prices, new pending sales and new listings rose year-over-year. Single-family sales up 22%; condo sales up 25.3% – and in a milestone, 2020 single-family sales over last 9 months beat the same timeframe in 2019, says Chief Economist O’Connor.
Homebuilding Is Booming – But Will It Be Enough?
While new-home numbers are up 8% year-to-year, it’s still not enough compared to buyer demand – but an uptick in permits suggests things will get better.
More Buyers Renting Airbnbs to Test Out Neighborhoods
City dwellers considering a move to the suburbs often wonder if it’s really a good decision. To find out, more are now booking two-week-plus Airbnb rentals first.