Daily Dose

National lender purchases Illinois-based firm, adding approximately 15 branches, and nine satellite offices in 17 states to its growing national retail network.

“The steep decline in sales driven by the rapid rise in mortgage rates seems to be behind us, as the initial shock of higher mortgage rates has worn off,” said Mark Fleming, the Chief Economist for First American Financial Corporation.

While HELOC activity surged in 2022, a new report from CoreLogic showed that demand slowed significantly in the first half of this year as Freddie Mac revealed the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reached its highest level in over two decades.

Despite the increasing risks of flooding, heat waves, and hurricanes, Americans are still flocking to metros such as Las Vegas, Sacramento, and Tampa, which topped the list of most popular migration destinations in Redfin's latest report.

Researchers from Finance of America Reverse report that a lack of education about their options could be preventing Americans’ use of their homes as both a shelter and financial springboard.

“Some buyers are hoping they can get a home for under asking price to make up for high interest rates because they’re hearing the housing market is slow. But what’s happening nationally isn’t necessarily true [locally],” said Kristin Sanchez, a Redfin Premier Agent.

Bringing more than 20 years of experience to his new role, Andrew Strickman has been tapped to lead a team of more than 50 to grow New American Funding’s efforts in branding, events, insight, strategy, and audience marketing.

Hitting levels last recorded in 2001, Freddie Mac reports the fixed-rate mortgage at 7.23% this week, forcing more prospective buyers to back to the sidelines and pushing purchase activity to a 28-year-low.

“Prospective homebuyers continued to face challenging conditions in July, with elevated and volatile mortgage rates and low housing inventory serving as a formidable one-two punch that suppressed mortgage applications and sales activity,” said Edward Seiler, MBA’s Associate VP, Housing Economics, and Executive Director, Research Institute for Housing America.

As many Americans return to work, a new Realtor.com report showing the Hottest ZIP Codes of 2023 revealed homebuyer demand is being fueled in part by the desire for more commute-friendly locations and additional space.