Search results for: “NAR”
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Will NAR’s Speech Code Be Shot Down in Texas?
Recently, a notable opinion column ran in Real Estate News. Ryan Weyandt, a real estate consultant, wrote: “There’s no place for hate speech in real estate.” That’s also the view of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), which in 2020 etched this position into its formal Code of Ethics, binding NAR’s agents. Why is this…
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No Housing Market Crash on the Radar: NAR’s 2025 Prediction
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) expects a “rosier” housing market this year. If acquiring the deed to a home is on your list of new year’s resolutions, take note. NAR predicts a market rebound after our recent, two-year stall. No housing crash. Prices should keep going up — but gently, as U.S. real estate…
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Feds Target Predatory Lenders, Call Out “Nightmare” Scenarios for Deed Seekers
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is acting to block predatory financing, redlining, and zombie mortgages. What’s all this about predators, red lines and zombies, you ask? Let’s break it down.
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Legal Update: NAR’s Ready to Settle Its Lawsuit. Here’s What Home Sellers and Buyers Stand to Gain.
Sellers could soon be spending less to sell their homes. This month, after previously vowing to fight, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) gave in and made a major change, in order to release itself from lawsuits. NAR and several brokerages were claimed to have colluded to keep agent commissions high. But soon, if a…
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Now They Want a New Trial. Could NAR Ever Drop Its “Clear Cooperation” Policy?
There’s a rule most people follow in the residential real estate world. You’re likely familiar with it. The seller covers the agent fees for both sides of the deal. The seller’s and the buyer’s agents typically split 5% or 6% between the two. Of course, the home buyer ultimately pays for it all — as…
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REALTORS® Reel From Burnett v. NAR Verdict
Bombshell Verdict Promises to Transform Home Sale Deals At the end of October, a federal jury in Kansas City found some of the largest U.S. real estate players liable for inflating agent commissions. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and several large brokerages colluded to set commissions, the jury found. The verdict in the Sitzer/Burnett…
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And the Winner Is… NAR’s AI Contest “Homes In” on Phone Call Tech
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) is on the hunt for “the next big thing in real estate tech,” says Bob Goldberg, the group’s CEO. Last month, in our update on artificial intelligence for home searches, we saw NAR advertising a contest to showcase the best uses it could find for artificial intelligence in real…
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Volatility? Seasoning? NAR’s Advice on Working With Bitcoin Buyers
Bitcoin is volatile. It can change in value from one month (or day) to the next. To a mortgage lender, bitcoin is a non-cash asset. It must be sold before the deal can go through. In other words, holding digital currency is like holding a Patek Philippe gold watch. Or a retirement fund. The holder…
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The House of Representatives Said Yes to Remote Online Notaries. Senate Next, NAR Urges!
“NAR has strongly supported remote online notarization since 2018 and commends members of the House for passing the SECURE Notarization Act of 2023.” Kenny Parcell, president of the National Association of REALTORS® The integrity of notarized public records is crucial. Without it, deed transfers and other transactions could lose the public’s trust. So, people have…
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NAR’s 2023 Picks: Top Cities for First-Time Buyers
When will the real estate market be kind to first-time home buyers? Home prices are higher than ever, forming an increasingly exclusive real estate market. Mortgage rates, too, have shot up. Yet there are glimmers of hope in 2023. But where? For first-time buyers, the chances of breaking into the market depends a lot on where…
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Mortgage Companies Roll Out New Deals for Inflationary Times
As our readers know, the typical 30-year fixed mortgage rate is above 7% now — having surged several percentage points in just the past year. The tension is high for potential buyers looking for access to finance, and mortgage lenders are clearly concerned. The home loan giant Rocket Companies made $60 million in the second…
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Blockchain and Cryptocurrency: NAR Dives In
The National Association of REALTORS® is the largest U.S. real estate trade group. Now, it has a Cryptocurrency Presidential Advisory Group. The reason? To learn and think about crypto in real estate — now, and in the future. Leslie Rouda Smith, president of NAR, wrote in June: I’m excited to tell you that I’ve appointed…
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Extraterrestrial Real Estate: Is a Lunar Deed Legit?
If a company says it’s selling land on the moon, should we believe it? What about the planets? Is Martian land for sale? Is Venus available? Here’s the story so far.
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If You Inherit a House, Act. A Cautionary Tale About Putting Off Probate
Five years ago in Texas, John died, willing his house to a nephew, A.W. Today, A.W. wants to get ready to sell the house, and pay off some debt. Here’s the rub. The will never went through probate, and a different relative of John’s has been living in the home all this time. Who gets…
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You Have One Job: The Narrow Duty of a Trustee Under a Deed of Trust
In states using deeds of trust, a trustee is a third party who holds legal title to a property until the homebuyer or commercial developer pays off a loan associated with the parcel—or until the borrower defaults. When a state’s law allows for deeds of trust as instruments to hold legal title to a property: A lender financing the sale or development…
