In years past, agility has been the cornerstone of business success, and it is something I frequently address in my teachings. The ability to react quickly to disruptions as they come is not a terrible thing, though while agility may have kept companies and executives at the top of their industry for many years, it is no longer enough. Agility puts you in a position that is only useful after disruption has occurred. Essentially, you have no edge on the competition, no matter what that competition is. Crisis management and reacting to problems as they are hitting you is immensely stressful, as by the time they occur, you have already lost profits, customers, or operational efficiency.
In a time where Artificial Intelligence (AI) and massive technological transformations are happening at beyond-exponential rates, being reactionary and having a wait-and-see attitude will be what both allows your competition to surge ahead but…
Posted On Tuesday, 30 January 2024 00:00 Written by
I wanted to share a situation that took place this week with one of my clients, and I thought it might provide a good reminder to all of us that just because we said it, doesn’t mean people heard it! Often people will hear what they want to hear, not necessarily what you did say. This holds true when people want the answer they want and not what you said. Case in point, a client is a veteran and has used a VA loan before but is not using a VA loan this time because they don’t have enough eligibility to keep their current house with a VA loan already in place, and rent it, and buy the next primary residence. This client was fixated on a VA loan and couldn’t get past it. The LO explained over the phone that they couldn’t use the VA loan but had other…
Posted On Monday, 29 January 2024 00:00 Written by
High mortgage rates and an uptick in housing supply took some pressure off price growth, but prices aren’t falling because inventory is still low U.S. home prices climbed 0.4% month over month in December—the smallest increase since June—according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. December represented the third straight month of slowing price growth. On a year-over-year basis, prices rose 6.6%. This is according to the Redfin Home Price Index (RHPI), which is similar to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Indices but publishes more than one month earlier. December data covers the three months ending Dec. 31, 2023. Read the full RHPI methodology here.
"Many home purchases that closed in December were negotiated in November, when mortgage rates were near the highest level in over two decades. That likely depressed home price growth because buyers were grappling with limited purchasing power,"…
Posted On Friday, 26 January 2024 06:52 Written by
-- Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.69 percent.
“The 30-year fixed-rate has remained within a very narrow range over the last month, settling in at 6.69% this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Given this stabilization in rates, potential homebuyers with affordability concerns have jumped off the fence back into the market. Despite persistent inventory challenges, we anticipate a busier spring homebuying season than 2023, with home prices continuing to increase at a steady pace.” News Facts The 30-year FRM averaged 6.69 percent as of January 25, 2024, up from last week when it averaged 6.60 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.13 percent. The 15-year FRM averaged 5.96 percent, up from last week when it averaged 5.76 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year…
Posted On Thursday, 25 January 2024 15:59 Written by
Cassandra Lennox is an Author, Freelance Creative Writer, and “Inspirationalist.” She’s become known as “Where Mother Goose meets Dr. Seuss” based on her imaginative rhyming style. Whether through rhymes, quotes, stories, articles, posts, copywriting, speeches, videos, mastermind groups, or even some lyrics or comedy, she thrives on making people smile, evoking thought and emotion, and encouraging everyone to grasp their star. She grew up a small-town girl with elaborate goals who believes that big dreams are well worth the chase. She is on a mission to inspire and help others get their thoughts and words out there to the world. When Cassandra is not writing or working on the business side of life, you can find her surrounded by her 4 kiddos and husband, Joe. She loves dancing around the living room, playing outdoors and gardening, vacationing, taking part in personal growth endeavors, board games, making up new recipes in…
Posted On Thursday, 25 January 2024 00:00 Written by
Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) Multifamily today announced its 2023 volume totaled over $49 billion, including $48.3 billion in multifamily financing and over $883 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity investments. The company met its mission-driven affordable housing targets, supporting 423,177 affordable rental units across the United States. The Freddie Mac data released today indicates that the company will achieve all of its 2023 Multifamily affordable housing goals set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
A total of 66% of 2023 production volume qualified as “mission-driven affordable housing,” far exceeding the 50% goal set by FHFA. More than 67% of goal-eligible units financed through loan acquisitions were affordable to low-income residents earning less than 80% of area median income (AMI) and more than 20% were affordable to very low-income residents with incomes no greater than 50% of AMI, surpassing both goals. In total, 92% of all units…
Posted On Wednesday, 24 January 2024 07:00 Written by
Some superheroes are born, and some are made. The same is true of leaders in the professional world. Whether an individual leads a for-profit company, a nonprofit organization, a government body, a pedestrian organization, or a university, truly extraordinary leaders are continuously created through education and endless learning to perfect their craft.
During the latest Opportunity Hour: Conversations with the Masters, I had the pleasure of speaking with a longtime friend of mine, Dr. Nido Qubein. Dr. Qubein is first and foremost an entrepreneur, serving on several Fortune 500 boards, including La-Z-Boy and Truce. He has authored 12 books and received numerous awards as a leader himself. His abundance of accolades and entrepreneurship capabilities have enabled Dr. Qubein to effectively speak on what it takes to be an extraordinary leader, which is the foundation of today’s blog post. Back in 2005, Dr. Qubein became the president of High Point…
Posted On Tuesday, 23 January 2024 00:00 Written by
People fail to succeed for only one of two reasons; they either don’t know what they are supposed to do, or they won’t do what they are supposed to do. Coaching has always been a way to help people learn the first part, knowing what to do, and then help guide them toward actually doing what they are supposed to do. As a coach, I know all I can do is provide the answers and the client needs to provide the actions in order for it all to come together. Many people desire coaching, but often can’t find a program that fits their needs, or they can’t make the investment (or won’t make the investment) to hire the coach to help them. For years I have dealt with that issue; knowing that people will succeed if they just invest in themselves, but they don’t believe the investment will pay off…
Posted On Monday, 22 January 2024 00:00 Written by
2024 is shaping up to be more active than 2023 for homebuyers and sellers, with mortgage applications and new listings rising. But Redfin economists believe demand and listings would be rising more if not for harsher-than-usual winter weather. Mortgage-purchase applications are up 8% from a month ago, and Redfin agents report that lower mortgage rates are piquing buyers’ interest, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. On the sell side, new listings increased 8% year over year during the four weeks ending January 14.
Buyers and sellers are making moves largely because mortgage rates are holding steady in the mid-6% range, down from 8% in October. The typical U.S. homebuyer’s monthly housing payment is $2,456 with this week’s average rate; while that’s up 10% year over year, it’s down from October’s record high of over $2,700. Redfin economists say buyer demand and…
Posted On Friday, 19 January 2024 14:54 Written by
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