National News

NAR adds fair-housing training requirement to Realtor qualifications 

Realtors will be required to complete two hours of training every three years beginning in 2025. 

FHFA rescinds “unworkable” fee ahead of implementation 

The mortgage industry decried the proposed loan-level pricing adjustment for borrowers with higher debt-to-income ratios. 

MBA: Mortgage applications rise on lower rates 

Interest rates on mortgages of all types declined last week, spurring an uptick in borrowing, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported. 

Lawrence Yun: Fed rate hike ‘unnecessary and harmful’

NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said the Federal Reserve’s latest increase in its benchmark interest rate is an unnecessary threat to many small regional banks.

Keller Williams launches three more enrichment programs for agents 

The brokerage says the “business communities” — KW Operations, KW Wellness and KW Clarity — provide agents with specialized training, technology, coaching and referral opportunities. 

NAR: Low inventory drives pending-home sales lower in March  

High demand drove multiple offers on about a third of pending sales, while 28% of homes sold above list price, the National Association of REALTORS® reported. 

March brings rise in single-family construction 

U.S. government data shows builders increased the pace of single-family home construction while slowing the pace of multifamily starts. 

NAHB: Builder confidence rose again in April 

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose for the fourth month in a row in April as the construction industry remained “cautiously optimistic.”     

NAR’s REALTORS® Relief Foundation offers grants to tornado victims

The REALTORS® Relief Foundation has offered more than $1.6 million in disaster relief aid to help victims of recent tornadoes in Arkansas, Mississippi, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Optimism for spring selling season grows with third monthly rise in pending sales 

The National Association of REALTORS® Pending Home Sales Index rose for the third month in a row, suggesting the housing market’s contraction could be “coming to an end.” 

NAR Generational Trends Report: Millennials fall back while Gen Z doubles its market share

NAR’s annual Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report reveals that millennials are losing their market share — fast — while baby boomers and Gen Z make new gains.

Pace of annual home-price gains slows again in latest Case-Shiller

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index rose 3.8% year over year in January, compared to a 5.6% annual gain in December.

New-home sales rise 1.1% in February as median-sales price surges 

The supply of new homes for sale ticked lower from February, according to government figures.

NAR: Existing-home sales jump in February, ending a year of declines 

The annual rate of 4.58 million sales was up 14.5% from January but down 22.6% from the February 2022 rate of 5.92 million. 

Realtor.com: Week of April 16 is best time to list in Houston

Nationally, the week of April 16-22 is likely to provide sellers with the most favorable conditions for a successful sale of any week of the year, although the exact timing varies widely by market. 

How sellers can — and should — improve curb appeal

The vast majority of Realtors — 92% — suggest that sellers improve the “curb appeal” of a home before listing. But how exactly should they go about that?

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