The Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) Multifamily Apartment Investment Market Index® (AIMI®) decreased in the fourth quarter of 2023, but increased over the full year, with the annual gain indicating that investment conditions were better in the fourth quarter compared with one year prior. With mortgage rates persistently high, AIMI fell nationally and in all 25 regional markets measured for the fourth quarter of 2023, as did net operating income (NOI) over the same period. Despite the fourth quarter dip, AIMI finished 2023 up for the year nationally and in the majority of regional markets.
“The end of 2023 was a tale of two directions for AIMI,” said Sara Hoffmann, senior director of Multifamily Research at Freddie Mac. “The index finished 2023 up overall for the year, but fourth quarter was down across the board. The market continues to adjust to the new reality of higher interest rates, which…
Posted On Tuesday, 12 March 2024 06:01 Written by
Cyber attacks have been an ongoing challenge for individuals and businesses over the years. Previously, they manifested through emails, Trojan horses, and various forms of malware that, upon infiltrating your computer via the internet, replicated themselves and replaced code within functional programs. Today, this threat continues to persist, posing a constant danger to both individuals and businesses.
But as digital technology has evolved at unprecedented rates, so too have cyber attacks and their complexities. Recently, I discussed how Ransomware has impacted many industries — most recently, the manufacturing industry. Ransomware attacks are a Hard Trend that is not slowing down anytime soon, as cyber criminals infiltrate organizational software and lock away vital information the company requires to operate. Frankly, it is unfortunate that when these cyber criminals demand compensation, or ransom, to return the information, including sensitive customer and client information as well as valuable data, many organizations simply buckle…
Posted On Tuesday, 12 March 2024 00:00 Written by
When you talk options, be sure your clients know the true cost of their choices. I have had a number of conversations recently where my clients have won deals because they put the client in a position to succeed by sharing the true cost of their choices. We spoke a few months ago as we approached the end of the year and I suggested you drive the conversation around getting into a home prior to the beginning of the year, and the increase in demand that often creates. Some shared, others didn’t. Those that did are seeing their clients in homes that they secured at prices that are significantly lower than they would be right now, as well as the cost of that home a few more months from now. It’s simple, supply/demand is in favor of the seller. When sellers are in control, the cost to buy is higher…
Posted On Monday, 11 March 2024 00:00 Written by
There are more homes for sale as spring approaches, and house hunters are hitting the pavement. Home touring activity is rising, and mortgage-purchase applications are up 11% this week. New listings rose 13% from a year earlier nationwide during the four weeks ending March 3, the biggest increase in nearly three years, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. The boost in new listings helped bring the total number of homes for sale up 1.7%. Following eight months of declines, February is the first month the number of homes for sale has increased on an annual basis. This week’s pricing data also brings a few glimmers of hope for house hunters. Asking prices of new listings posted their smallest increase in roughly two months; additionally, 5.5% of home sellers dropped their asking price, on average, the highest share of any February since at least…
Posted On Sunday, 10 March 2024 07:23 Written by
The National Association of Realtors® thanked President Biden on Thursday for raising awareness of the affordable housing crisis during his State of the Union address. The following is a statement from 2024 NAR President Kevin Sears: “The lack of affordable housing supply is hurting the middle class and depriving first-generation and first-time homebuyers of the financial security that homeownership and the American Dream provide.
NAR first sounded the alarm on this issue with original research showing a nationwide shortage of 5.5 million affordable housing units. We commend President Biden’s commitment to an all-of-government approach to solve this problem. NAR has proposed and advocated for many of these proposals, which together would make serious headway toward fixing this crisis.  Tax incentives can help close the affordable housing gap, and we are especially grateful for the President’s willingness to explore new tax measures. NAR also supports an all-of-the-above approach to this…
Posted On Friday, 08 March 2024 15:24 Written by
Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.88 percent. “Evidence that purchase demand remains sensitive to interest rate changes was on display this week, as applications rose for the first time in six weeks in response to lower rates,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Mortgage rates continue to be one of the biggest hurdles for potential homebuyers looking to enter the market. It’s important to remember that rates can vary widely between mortgage lenders so shopping around is essential.”
News Facts The 30-year FRM averaged 6.88 percent as of March 7, 2024, down from last week when it averaged 6.94 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.73 percent. The 15-year FRM averaged 6.22 percent, down from last week when it averaged 6.26 percent. A year ago at…
Posted On Thursday, 07 March 2024 09:02 Written by
Third-party perspective and comparing one’s self to others is how we as human beings maintain a frame of reference regarding a goal we are working toward. Also known as “benchmarking,” this process of comparative analysis may benefit you as a Formula 1 race car driver or a marathon runner, but it in no way helps you reach the significance many business leaders or entrepreneurs hope to achieve. What I have come to find in the decades I have helped business leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs is that the act of benchmarking in business is a hindrance, as it does not give you and your organization that motivation to push harder. Instead, what happens time and again is a business leader looks at their competitor’s product, service, or process and consciously or often unconsciously ends up mimicking it!
Why does this happen, and how can you as a leader resist the urge to benchmark…
Posted On Thursday, 07 March 2024 00:00 Written by
Though it may sometimes seem as if millennials are destined to rent or live in their parents’ basements forever, members of the generation are among the most influential in the housing market. To highlight where millennials are looking to buy, LendingTree analyzed mortgage offers given to users of our online shopping platform across the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas in 2023. We found that millennials received at least 50% of mortgage offers made in most of the country’s largest metros. Here's what else we found.  Across the nation’s 50 largest metros, 53.85% of mortgage offers in 2023 went to millennials. Millennials received more than 50% of all offered mortgages in 35 of the nation’s 50 largest metros. Millennials made up the largest share of potential homebuyers in San Jose, Calif., San Francisco and Boston. In San Jose, 64.75% of mortgages in 2023 were offered to millennials.  Millennials in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tampa, Fla.,…
Posted On Wednesday, 06 March 2024 06:50 Written by
You only have two options when it comes to the future of technology in marketing: First, which is unfortunately appealing to many, you can hunker down, sticking to the old marketing tactics to drive sales. In doing so, you decide to let others deal with advancements in digital technology while you sit on the sidelines and see what happens. This strategy seems safe because others are taking the risks, not you. But the issue here is that simultaneously, your competition and their marketing team is taking calculated risks based on Hard Trend future certainties, and while doing so, they are also reaping the benefits and advancing into the future. Not only will your brand sit idly by, but your sales will stagnate. 
But of course, there is a second option. This option is much more beneficial to your bottom line and is the key to being the disruptor instead of the disrupted. Instead…
Posted On Tuesday, 05 March 2024 00:00 Written by
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