Consumers rated mortgage servicers’ customer service higher during the pandemic. Much of that satisfaction, however, is driven by non-bank servicers, which offer more digital solutions for consumers. Traditional banks are starting to lose their edge over non-bank lenders, according to the J.D. Power Mortgage Servicer Satisfaction Study.Bank-affiliated services have historically outperformed non-banks by a large margin in customer satisfaction.
Borrowers with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $150,000 or less—financial aid for businesses stemming from pandemic-related distress—may be able to apply for forgiveness directly through the Small Business Administration’s new portal.The SBA is launching a new application portal to streamline forgiveness requests: Directforgiveness.sba.gov. The platform will begin accepting applications from borrowers on Aug. 4. It will help
Investors are snatching up homes and are being blamed for contributing to the inventory shortages in several markets across the country. Investors are buying homes and then holding on to the properties, often turning them into rentals, and not returning very many homes back onto the market from their growing portfolios. Housing experts say that in some markets it's exacerbating housing shortages.Investors have been blamed for taking away the most
It’s cool to have a pool in the pandemic. The backyard swimming pool has been in demand since the COVID-19 outbreak. But pools in real estate haven’t always been a slam dunk moneymaker. Real estate pros have expressed mixed opinions on the value they add to a home, especially given their high price tag.Porch.com, a home improvement resource, analyzed how a swimming pool can impact the price of a home in the 500 largest cities across
More than one-third of over 500 college students surveyed say they cannot afford to rent an apartment in their college town, and many of them have not finalized their living plans for the school year, according to a new survey from realtor.com®.They’re blaming the hot housing market for pricing them out.The shortage of affordable housing inventory in the U.S. has pushed prices to record highs and forced more prospective home buyers into the re
Mortgage rates plunged this week as home prices reached new record highs. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.78%, Freddie Mac reports. “Concerns about the delta variant and the overall trajectory of the pandemic are undoubtedly affecting economic growth,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While the economy continues to mend, Treasury yields have decreased—and mortgage rates have followed suit.”But the low r
Gen Xers—the highest-earning generation, with a median income of $113,300—make up a quarter of home buyers, according to National Association of REALTORS® data. And they’re choosing specific areas to call home.SmartAsset, a financial resource, identified the top states where Gen Xers who earn at least $100,000 annually are moving. Southern and Western states dominate the list. Some have no state income tax, which could be a factor driving
Homebuyers are seeking affordability, in turn driving new cities to the top ranks of the hottest housing markets in the second quarter of this year. The result: Smaller, more affordable markets dominated the rankings in The Wall Street Journal/realtor.com® Emerging Housing Markets Index, which identified the top markets for both buyers and investors in the second quarter of this year.The index evaluates the nation’s 300 largest metro areas, lo
The multimillion-dollar trophy home has been in hot demand since the pandemic. The number of homes that were sold for more than $1 million has increased by a whopping 81% over the past year, according to a new analysis from Point2 Homes.In the Midwest alone, the volume of homes sold for more than $1 million has doubled. In the Northeast, the number of luxury home sales climbed by 98%, and in the South sales were up by 94%.Point2 Homes tracked the
Just how wild is the real estate market right now? You don’t hear National Association of REALTORS® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun say this every day: “We’ve never seen price appreciation of this magnitude.” It’s a sobering message in NAR's latest home sales video, which covers the month of May, when the median home price rose nearly 24% year over year from $283,500 in May 2020 to $350,300 in May 2021.Higher prices have sidelined so
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