US government plans to unlock 850 billion in homeowners equity

US government plans to unlock 850 billion in homeowners equity

You have to hand it to the Federal government, they are always working to solve problems that do not exist.  Currently there is a new proposal from the federal government (via Freddie Mac) to insure second mortgages/home equity lines of credit similar to first...
New tax plan keeps spending by taxing real estate and eliminates 1031

New tax plan keeps spending by taxing real estate and eliminates 1031

In economics there is no free lunch and you can’t spend forever without paying the piper.  A new  recent tax proposal keeps spending while drastically increasing taxes on real estate owners. The new plan eliminates the 1031 exchange and the step up in basis upon...
Economy not as solid as headline numbers suggest

Economy not as solid as headline numbers suggest

It is interesting that the market continues to focus on interest rates and employment as the barometer for the economy while totally ignoring one metric.  As a lender I just did an analysis on our portfolio and one metric jumped off (chart above is my portfolio).  In...
Will realtors’ settlement lower home prices?

Will realtors’ settlement lower home prices?

The big premise of the commission lawsuit against the national association of realtors is that high commission fees were one of the leading drivers of real estate prices.  How true is this statement?  Will the new commission structure for realtors lead to a reduction...
Realtors Reach Game-Changing Settlement in Home Buying and Selling

Realtors Reach Game-Changing Settlement in Home Buying and Selling

Big changes to how real estate has been bought and sold are scheduled for July. Why is this settlement the most groundbreaking change in real estate since the internet.  What is in the most recent settlement?  How will home buyers and sellers be impacted by the...
Cyberattack stops all real estate closings in one large city

Cyberattack stops all real estate closings in one large city

  It is crazy how far technologically we have come, but at the same time how fragile our infrastructure is.  On of the largest cities in Atlanta (Fulton County) recently had a cyber “incident” which shut down the city and halted all real estate closings.  This...