A weekend topic starting with UCLA Anderson. "Given that home equity typically represents a serious chunk of a household’s net worth, the stakes are highly consequential when contemplating selling. While some decisions to sell are driven more by non-economic factors…
It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Founded in 2017 by CEO Yifan Zhang and cofounder Adam Stelle after she realized she could cover her mortgage by renting a room in her Seattle house on Airbnb, Loftium was expanding…
A report from Atlanta Agent Magazine in Georgia. "The country is much better positioned to rebound from the current recession than in the Great Recession, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. The housing shortage…
A report from Lancaster Online in Pennsylvania. "Shifting borrowing requirements, sudden job losses and state-ordered restrictions on real estate activity meant to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania have complicated — and in many cases halted — home sales…
A report from Bankrate. "The coronavirus pandemic has blindsided the U.S. housing market, transforming the spring selling season that’s traditionally the annual peak of sales into a deep valley. 'This industry is just doing a very slow crawl,' says Leslie…
An opinion piece from Christopher Whalen, Chairman, Whalen Global Advisors LLC at National Mortgage News. "Last week was difficult for members of the mortgage industry, especially for those members of the residential lending community who've been working in the world…
A report from the Wall Street Journal on New York. "More New York City hotel owners are defaulting on their mortgages, succumbing to a crush of new supply and rising expenses. Colony Credit Real Estate Inc. recently hired a brokerage…
A report from the Wall Street Journal. "Fair Isaac Corp., creator of FICO scores, will soon start scoring consumers with rising debt levels and those who fall behind on loan payments more harshly. The changes are an about-face from recent…
It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "The St. George Metropolitan Area has ranked among the fastest-growing areas in the country for decades. But now, there are signs of a slowdown. Construction is down substantially from its peak in…
A report from the Wall Street Journal. "In mid-November, bond investors got an unwelcome surprise from one of the main ratings firms in a hot corner of the bond market: About 25% of the bonds that it had rated were…