National News

Housing market hit hard as mortgage rates reach 20-year high, inflation woes grow

Mortgage rates rose to 6.9%, the highest they’ve been since April 2002.

First-time homebuyers bounce back amid rising rates

First-time homebuyers now make up 45% of current homebuyers, according to Zillow. The numbers represent a rebound from the lows of the pandemic.

Keller Williams expands to Switzerland 

The new franchise will be the brokerage’s 16th in Europe as it pursues other expansion opportunities around the world. 

Toll Brothers co-founder Robert Toll dies 

The former chairman and CEO of the homebuilder died of Parkinson’s disease at 81. 

Grady Ligon joins RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. as CIO

RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. has named Grady Ligon as its new chief information officer. Ligon brings 20-plus years of experience to the position, as well as his proven track record for integrating technology to enhance business growth.

CoreLogic: Pace of home-price increases slows for fourth month in a row in August 

Looking ahead, CoreLogic expects the year-over-year pace of home-price appreciation to slow to 3.5% by August 2023. 

Mortgage payments up 15% since mid-August

Market volatility is causing more and more homebuyers to delay or cancel plans to make a purchase.

Revive wins NAR Pitch Battle

The National Association of Realtors® has named Revive as the winner of the 2022 Innovation, Opportunity & Investment (iOi) Summit “Pitch Battle.”

National home prices see first monthly drop since January 2019, S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index shows

The price index dropped in Boston by 0.27% from June to July. Year over year, the Boston home price index is up 11.02%.

NAR: 2022 Member Safety Report for residential real estate

While 23% of residential Realtors claim they have feared for their safety while on the job, 98% reported that they have never been the victim of a crime while at work.

NAR partners with National Forest Foundation to plant 1.575 million trees

NAR and the National Forest Foundation (NFF) plan to plant 1.575 million new trees by the end of 2025, thanks to a $1.575 million donation from NAR. That many trees will reduce 750,000 metric tons of carbon in the atmosphere — the equivalent of 145,931 homes’ yearly electricity use.

Guaranteed Rate unveils new Spanish-language mortgage program

The mortgage lending and digital finance company Guaranteed Rate has launched an extensive Language Access Program to expand services to Spanish-speaking clients. The program uses language and cultural information to create an inclusive and informative experience for all clients, regardless of their English proficiency.

Two views on what the Fed’s latest interest-rate hike means for real estate

Two economists expressed concerns about the real estate industry in the wake of the Fed’s decision to raise interest rates by three-quarters of a percent. 

NAR: Charitable giving by REALTOR® associations increased 20% in 2021

The NAR’s Community Aid and Real Estate (CARE) Report shows that REALTOR® associations donated a median of $12,070 this past year, a 20% increase over 2020.

Sellers lose the upper hand as mortgage rates rise

The housing market is starting to become more balanced.

Boston named among the 10 U.S. cities with the worst housing shortages

Boston ranks No. 4 among major U.S. cities with the worst housing shortages, according to an analysis by Angi.

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