Category: Real Estate
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Fannie Mae Was Going to Save Mortgage Borrowers Thousands by Dropping Its Title Insurance Requirement. Never Mind.
The Biden administration was working with loan backers to delete title insurance charges from closing costs. The move would have saved quite a few home buyers hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Noting that the plan had been silently scuttled, the Wall Street Journal said pressure against it came from “an obscure industry.” The obscure…
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Get in Early, Make a High Down Payment: The Case for Assertive Home Buying
Have you noticed the big home finance companies desperately touting their low-down-payment deals? You’d think no one wants to put 20% down anymore! But interest rates are high, so keeping your debt high is a pricey thing to do. Therefore, it can make sense, for those who can swing it, to: Let’s explore the case…
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KeyBank Talks Fair Housing—Putting Its Money Where Its Mouth Is
KeyBank® is putting $400,000 into NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania. Why? To make housing accessible to Black communities — as they have been disproportionately left out of homeownership. Sure, $400,000 is a modest sum these days. But it’s part of a bigger picture. In recent years, KeyBank has contributed close to half a billion dollars to Greater…
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Fair Appraisals Matter—To the White House, and to Us
Have you heard about PAVE? Most people haven’t. It stands for Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity. When it comes to homeownership, fair appraisals are not just a matter of numbers—they’re a cornerstone of equity and financial prosperity. Enter PAVE. This initiative, championed by the White House, is more than just an acronym; it’s a pivotal…
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If, Why, and How to Donate Real Estate to a Cause
Wondering how to donate a house? Charitable donations can keep supporting your causes long after your lifetime. Gifts of land, homes, or easements make a lasting mark. Of course, there are various reasons for real estate donations. Some donors are less interested in the cause than they are in offloading an investment property, or in…
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The “Post-MLS” Market: Is Being Your Own Agent the Future of Real Estate?
Some hopeful home buyers don’t want an agent. “Why, in the age of online marketplaces and bank apps,” they might ask… “Can’t I find a home myself and make a deal with the owner?” Some write to owners, asking who wants to sell person-to-person — no agents. No bidding wars. No agent commissions. “And why…
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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…
