#appraisal-delays

#appraisal-delays

Rocket Companies contends that the plaintiffs failed to plead injury, a qualifying referral, a thing of value, or an agreement, which are essential for their claims under RESPA.

The Gibson plaintiffs claimed that eXp negotiated the agreement with the Hooper plaintiffs after conducting prolonged, unsuccessful settlement negotiations with Intervenor Plaintiff counsel, conducting a reverse auction in an attempt to gain a sweetheart deal.

Ginsburg stated that treating builder business as a core pillar rather than a side channel reflects a broader industry shift. He believes a healthy balance of builders should be around 15% to 20% of the overall retail book of business.

"When deciding whether to sell quickly or rent out the home, many homeowners underestimate the logistics involved with moving only part of their belongings or staging while relocating. Storage may seem like a simple add-on, but it actually introduces multiple steps, additional labor, and can significantly increase costs, sometimes even doubling them."

Mortgage rates are near 6%, which means it costs builders less to do a buy-down, and because they sell homes as a commodity, they're trying their best to manage this cycle and their profit margins. This means selling a new home in recent years has been more of a calculation on how much builder credit they can and need to give.

As investors become more sophisticated and debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) lending continues to grow, the appraisal has moved from a back-office requirement to a central risk-control mechanism, especially for income-driven loans. STR income does not behave like traditional rental income; yet, it is often evaluated using tools and assumptions designed for long-term leases. When nightly pricing, seasonality, operational intensity and regulatory exposure enter the equation, the old appraisal playbook starts to break down.

The relatively flat trajectory for rates reflects the market's belief that the federal funds rate won't change anytime soon. Federal Reserve policymakers didn't offer any surprises last week when they ended their rate-cutting cycle by holding the policy rate at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. And the CME Group's Fed Watch tool showed that the next rate cut isn't likely to materialize until June or July.

HousingWire's Rising Stars awards recognize standout professionals ages 40 and under who are driving innovation, leadership and meaningful change across mortgage, real estate and homebuilding. Many past honorees continue to shape the industry long after earning the Rising Stars distinction, taking on expanded roles, leading major initiatives and helping modernize the housing ecosystem. As nominations for the 2026 Rising Stars awards continue to roll in nominations are open through Feb. 28 we're highlighting voices from last year's honoree list

Realtor Todd Luong of REMAX DFW Associates in Frisco said his recent experience reflects meaningful improvement for buyers, even if affordability remains strained. Here in the Dallas real estate market that I serve, affordability remains a challenge, he says. However, there is a significant amount of data showing that buyer conditions have improved over the past year and that buyers are gaining affordability ground. This should eventually increase housing demand to some degree as we head into the busy spring buying season.