Real Estatin' the Facts

Here's the weekly round-up of news. Check it out, save it for later, and/or share it with your friends.  Transparency, accuracy doubly important for hybrid appraisals    In theory, hybrid appraisals promise to speed the appraisal process, provide opportunities for agents to earn fees for collecting data and reduce delays. However, appraisers' experience with hybrid assignments raise troubling concerns. Here's what you should know.  Full Story:  REALTOR® Magazine  (4/3)  Lawmaker sets sights on affordable housing for military     Members of Congress are considering increases to the Basic Allowance for Housing and other measures to address affordability challenges facing service members. "Joining the military, especially for a lot of minority families, was really a way up the economic ladder. ... So how do we make sure that we get back to that place where families who are serving don't feel like they have these huge financial struggles?" said Rep. Marilyn Strick

   Here's the weekly round-up of news. Check it out, save it for later, and/or share it with your friends. Enjoy! Bidding wars fall to lowest level since 2020   Source: Market Watch The frequency of bidding wars on homes has dropped to the lowest level this year — the latest sign that the housing market may be cooling and reverting back to its usual seasonal patterns.  Redfin found that 58.8% of the offers on homes written by the company’s real-estate agents faced competition in August, down from 62.1% the month prior and a peak of 74.3% reached back in April. Redfin defines a bidding war as any situation where there are at least two competing bids on a home.   Budget stresses weigh on consumers   Source: Qualia Nearly a third (30%) of buyers said that, to win in a competitive offer situation, they paid more than they anticipated on their home purchase. Of those who did, 32% paid $52,000 or more over the asking price, according to the Homebuyer Sentiment Index conducted by Qualia,