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☆ A couple got shocked messages from friends asking if they were moving. Nope, a scammer had put their home on Zillow.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In this sluggish real estate market, it might seem like a dream — that is, if you're actually looking to sell. In 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center saw more than 880,000 complaints about internet scams totaling $12.5 billion in losses. AdvertisementReal estate scams are an especially popular internet crime. In Caldwell's case, too, a scammer told prospective buyers to contact "Mandi" in Las Vegas and send $245 to the seller's mother. Advertisement"I'm kind of stuck here," Bertram told the Kansas City Star.

Persons: —, Lauren Bertram, we're, Bertram, Burns, McDonnell, Jordan Pandy, Galen Caldwell, It's Organizations: Service, Kansas City, Business, Kansas City Star, Mandi, Federal Bureau of, FBI, BEC, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Seattle, CBS News Locations: Las Vegas, Mandi

☆ Inside 2 Texas cities where home prices are dropping, sellers are slashing asks, and buyers can get lowball offers accepted
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewAfter years of sellers calling the shots in the real-estate market, the balance may finally be tipping towards homebuyers in some US cities. But with fewer prospective buyers in the market for homes, home prices are now declining in several cities across the US. Related storiesThe trend, has led many sellers to lower their prices — though prices still remain significantly higher than a decade ago. As homes linger on the market, sellers are reducing their prices to draw buyers, she added. "It's definitely a buyers' market right now," Boatright said.

Persons: —, Nicole Marburger, Austin, Marburger, homebuyers, Sellers, San Antonio —, Mercy, Boatright, I've Organizations: Service, homebuyers, Business, National Association of Realtors, Lone Star State, Austin, Austin and New Braunfels, Real, Hunters Locations: United States, San Antonio, New Braunfels, — New Braunfels, Austin, Austin and New, Texas, Braunfels, homebuyers

☆ 26-year-old's side hustle brings in $38,500 a month, takes 20 minutes a day: This can be 'passive all year long'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Francisco Rivera quit his tutoring job in December after his side hustle brought in six-figures in 2023. DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to earning passive income online Rivera estimates 30% to 50% of each sale is profit. The success of Rivera's Etsy shop allowed him to quit his tutoring job in December. Leveraging existing skillsAfter college, Rivera worked in Apple stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for three years. Rivera started seeking new ways to make income when demand for online tutoring waned after the pandemic, he says.

Persons: Francisco Rivera, Francisco Rivera's, Rivera, Rivera's, he's, Bali —, That's Organizations: Sail University, Apple, CNBC, Outschool Locations: Bali, Dallas, Fort Worth, Orlando

☆ I left the publishing industry after 20 years and made my eBay hobby a full-time job. My store makes 6 figures.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Matt Ringler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I've always loved to shop at thrift stores, estate sales, and yard sales, and often sold on eBay. I decided to leave publishing entirely and take my eBay store full-time. AdvertisementMatt Ringler bought items at yard sales, estate sales, and thrift stores to sell on eBay. I left publishing entirely and decided to take my eBay store full-timeI wasn't sure of much except that no publishing company was getting a résumé from me. While I figured my life out, I had savings — and my eBay store kept going.

Persons: I've, —, I'd, Matt Ringler, Krug, chunky LL Bean, Fred Sanford's, I'm Organizations: eBay, Service, brac, Nintendo, Salvation Army Locations: New York, Europe

☆ I'm a New York real-estate agent who's not worried about losing guaranteed commission. Here's what I'm doing to replace those funds.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ananya Vahal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mukul Lalchandani, a 44-year-old real-estate agent from New York. I decided to become a real-estate agent so I could prevent other immigrant families from going through the same situation. I've lived in New York for 23 years and have been a real-estate agent for over 15 years. One of the rules is that the seller no longer has to pay a commission to the buyer's agent. Here's what the new commission rules meanThere is a lot of confusion around the commission rule and what it means, especially for buyers.

Persons: Mukul Lalchandani, It's, I've, REBNY, they'll, towners, Sellers Organizations: Service, Business, National Association of Realtors, NAR Locations: New York, Hong Kong, NY

☆ New Rule for Buying a Home: Fire Your Real-Estate Agent
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Albert Fox Cahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

She had never purchased a home, and as a lawyer, I just assumed I knew how the system worked: The buyer has an agent, but the seller pays a commission (typically 6% of the sale price) that's split between their agent and the buyer's agent. So my agent wasn't going to find me my dream house, and the work of hunting was basically on me. But the real-estate industry has made it hard for many buyers to understand just how little having an agent can help. The class-action settlement with the NAR is going to make it a lot harder for sellers to be forced to pay for buyers' agents. Going forward, for people like me without an agent, a savvy seller may pay just 3% of the sales price to their own agent instead of 6% to be split with a buyer's agent.

Persons: it's, vouched, Obvious, Stephen Brobeck, Alice, Wonderland, I'd, I've, —, cosmically, Brobeck Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Hunger, US Department of Justice, Realtors, Consumer Federation of America, New York City, NAR Locations: Brooklyn, New York City, McCarren, Williamsburg, New York

After I sold my home and started renting, I learned that renting was not a waste of money. My advice: Don't rush into homeownership thinking it's the only way to build wealth. Building wealth does not have to include owning a home, and owning a home is not the only way to build wealth. Don't rush into homeownership thinking that it is the fastest way or the only way to build wealth. Here are a few things I learned after going from owning a home to renting.

Persons: —, It's, it's Organizations: Service, Census Bureau Locations: American

☆ Jim Cramer shares his thoughts on Nike, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, CarMax, Airbnb, Visa and Mastercard
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nike : Analysts at Bank of America upgraded Nike to a buy rating. I think that's true, but don't pay up $2 for it," Jim Cramer said. "That's used car prices coming down," Cramer said, referring to one challenge the company faced in the quarter. Visa , Mastercard : TD Cowen's financial technology and consumer finance analysts initiated joint coverage of Visa and Mastercard with buy ratings. I think it's not resonating because these stocks are stocks that trade over time; they don't trade on a given day," Cramer said.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, They're, Jim Cramer, you've, Cramer, Needham Organizations: CNBC, Club, Nike, Analysts, Bank of America, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Sciences, CPI, Benchmark, Visa, Mastercard Locations: Boston

☆ I bought two homes with interest rates below 3.5%. It's hard work to get this kind of mortgage, but it was worth it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

(She's selling one of them, also with an assumable mortgage.) An assumable mortgage allows qualifying buyers to acquire the interest rate, current principal balance, and other conditions of a seller's existing loan. In 2020, my husband and I bought a home in Beaverton for $650,000 with a 2.5% mortgage interest rate. We purchased another home with an assumable mortgage when rates were higherWe bought another home with an assumable mortgage in 2023. Getting an assumable mortgage isn't easyAssumable mortgages can be super hard to find.

Persons: —, Lori Coryell, I've, it's, Banks, It's, We've Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Business, USAF, Veterans Affairs, Gresham Locations: Oregon, Beaverton, Our Beaverton, Gresham, Portland, Gresham , Oregon

☆ Minnesota Timberwolves sale to Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore falls apart
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Co-owners Alex Rodriguez, right, and Marc Lore of the Minnesota Timberwolves during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Target Center Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec. 30, 2023. The National Basketball Association's Minnesota Timberwolves and the Women's National Basketball Association's Lynx are no longer for sale after a deal with former baseball great Alex Rodriguez and businessman Marc Lore fell apart, the teams' owner Glen Taylor said Thursday. In a statement to CNBC, Lore and Rodriguez said they are disappointed with Taylor's comments. However, those circumstances did not occur," Taylor's statement said. Some reports suggest that the relationship among Taylor, Lore and Rodriguez became strained since the original deal was made.

Persons: Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore, Glen Taylor, Rodriguez, Marc, Alex, Taylor, Lore, Taylor's, Glen, Axios Organizations: Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Target Center, Basketball Association's Minnesota Timberwolves, Women's, Basketball, Timberwolves, Lynx, CNBC, NBA, Carlyle Group, Western Conference Locations: Target Center Minneapolis , Minnesota

☆ Bank of America helps its clients sell their art, watches, and Birkin bags. It's all part of a drive to be the one-stop shop for the art world.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Most banks, including UBS and Morgan Stanley, refer clients to third-party consultants to broker deals with auction houses. The bank secured a minimum sale price guarantee and negotiated how the house would market the painting. Courtesy of Bank of AmericaThe bank typically approaches two to three auction houses, such as Christie's, Sotheby's, and Philips. You've got to look at it in the holistic context of the sales strategy and also the financial terms," Watson explained. Advertisement"We try to get them to sharpen their pencil while we still have leverage with the other houses," Watson said.

Persons: Bank of America's Drew Watson, Watson, Morgan Stanley, Henri Rousseau, Whitney, Les, Drew Watson, Price, You've, Merrill Lynch, Birkin Organizations: Service, Bank of America's, UBS, Bank of America, Bank of, of America, Christie's, Philips Locations: Bank

☆ Consumer advocates — and even some Realtors — hail NAR settlement: 'We've opened up the entire industry to competition'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Rob Wile | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Now, a landmark settlement with the National Association of Realtors is poised to upend this model. According to consumer advocates, and even some Realtors, it's a win for homebuyers and sellers. And in the months following Covid-19 pandemic reopenings, the hottest U.S. real estate markets were tipped squarely in favor of sellers. It's the same amount of money, but now the buyer gets money instead of a buyer agent, and they can decide what to do with it." What's more, greater competition for clients is likely to result in lower costs across the board, said Ryan Tomasello, a real estate industry analyst with the Keefe, Bruyette & Woods financial firm.

Persons: it's, Mariya Letdin, Letdin, they'll, Doug Miller, Miller, Ryan Tomasello, Keefe, Tomasello, Phil Crescenzo Jr, Crescenzo Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Realtors, homebuyers, Florida State University's College of Business, NBC News, U.S, NAR, Nation One Mortgage Corp Locations: Alhambra , California, Minnesota, Woods

☆ I was a first-time homebuyer and got scammed out of $167,000 of my life savings
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Pat and Marisa Lawlor were the victims of real estate wire fraud in 2022. The realizationThe real email came exactly one week after the scammers made off with Lawlor's money, he said. The methodIt turns out that the scammers hacked into the escrow office's email server through a process called business email compromise. With real estate wire fraud, they target mom-and-pop independent brokers, escrow, or title companies like the one we used. We've started a GoFundMe fundraiser to get that money back and raise awareness about real estate wire fraud.

Persons: Pat, Marisa Lawlor, They've, —, Pat Lawlor, Marisa, We'd, San Fernando Valley, Lawlor, That's, it's, It's, we've, We've Organizations: Service, California Association of Realtors, Riverside, States Secret Services Locations: Los Angeles, San Fernando, Riverside County

☆ The fastest-growing and fastest-shrinking cities in the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Wildwood-The Villages, Florida, saw its population increase 4.7% from July 1, 2022, to a year later. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Wildwood-The Villages in Florida saw the greatest increase from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, among metros. Additionally, the data from the Census Bureau shows there were also a lot of metros with population percent declines during that time.

Persons: —, Kristie Wilder, Paul Mackun Organizations: Service, Bureau Locations: Florida, Napa , California, Ithaca , New York, Charleston, West Virginia, South, Wildwood, New Orleans, Metairie, Louisiana

☆ What a $418 million settlement on home-sale commissions may mean for you
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

As proposed, the settlement would have the NAR completely remove commissions from its MLS system by July. watch nowIn the meantime, it's "business as usual" for buyers and sellers, Cobreiro said. What the settlement could mean for homebuyersThe settlement agreement doesn't say that the buyer's agent will not be paid nor that the buyer's agent cannot charge fees. While commission fees are negotiable between involved parties, knowing what cards you have on the table as a homebuyer will be more important now than before. As a result of the settlement, the seller will no longer be responsible for commission fees for a buyer's agent.

Persons: Cobreiro, Cobriero, Amanda Pendleton Organizations: MLS, Zillow, Federal Reserve

In an AP-NORC poll conducted in February, 38% of U.S. adults approved of how Biden was handling his job. Black adults are more likely than white and Hispanic adults to approve of Biden, but that approval has dropped in the three years since Biden took office. This is stuff that requires work,” Quentin Fulks, principal deputy campaign manager for the Biden campaign, said in an interview. Still, the Biden campaign and the broader Democratic Party are confronting their own struggles, despite their cash and organizational advantages. And in Nevada, Biden will continue promoting a new housing proposal that would offer a mortgage relief credit for first-time homebuyers and a seller's tax credit to encourage homeowners to offload their starter homes.

Persons: Joe Biden, Harris, Biden, Donald Trump, They're, Trump, Jill Biden, ” Quentin Fulks, “, ”, Maria Cardona, White, Lael Brainard, Sen, Catherine Cortez Masto, —, ” Cortez Masto, Linley Sanders, biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Biden, Asian American, Bilingual, GOP, Republican National, Trump, RNC, Trump's, Democratic Party, AP VoteCast, ”, White, National Economic Council, Republican, Associated Press Locations: Nevada , Arizona, Texas, Reno , Nevada, Washoe County, Las Vegas, Phoenix, U.S, Arizona, Maryvale, Nevada and Arizona, Biden's State, Biden’s, Nevada , Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, In Arizona, Nevada, Dallas, Houston

☆ The best time to sell your home — in 2023, listings in this period sold for $7,700 more, research finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Spring, the season when home buying and selling activity kicks off, is around the corner. Available housing supply is already rebounding: The number of new listings jumped 14.8% from a year ago, the largest annual gain since May 2021, according to new data from Redfin, a real estate site. Buyers are typically looking to land a new home before their children's new school year while a seller's house benefits from the fresh flowers and renewed greenery post-winter. In 2023, homes listed in the first two weeks of June sold for 2.3% more, a $7,700 boost on a typical U.S. home, according to a new Zillow analysis. "We've learned that real estate cycles don't always happen [at this] time of year," said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage.

Persons: Amanda Pendleton, We've, Melissa Cohn Organizations: Zillow, Finance, William, Mortgage Locations: Redfin, U.S

☆ Realtor Lawsuit Settlement Will Change the Housing Market Forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementThese changes, spread out over millions of transactions a year, have the chance to reshape the housing market. Real-estate agent commissions have hovered between 5% and 6% of the sale price for decades. If sellers are in a desirable market, they might start offering less commission to buyers' agents, or none at all. This would force buyers' agents to get more creative. It has made it clear that it doesn't want sellers offering compensation to buyers' agents.

Persons: there's, Rich Pedroncelli, doesn't, they're, Bret Weinstein, they'll, I'm Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Department of Justice, NAR, DOJ, AP, MLS, Department, Justice Locations: Denver

☆ Real-Estate Agents Use 'Steering' to Hide Cheap Houses From Homebuyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Technically, the seller can promise as little as $0 to the buyer's agent; after all, why pay for someone you didn't hire? But multiple agents told me there are all kinds of ways shady practitioners try to skirt the rules. Critics say the stickiness of the going commission rate is evidence of steering's ubiquity. He said buyers' agents might call and say, "'Why is there no buyer's commission?" There are lots of willing brokers out there; if you suspect steering, agents told me, you've got plenty of options for a second opinion.

Persons: should've, Redfin, Julie —, Julie, Wendy Gilch, Gilch, they're, Doug Miller, Real, Rex, Keller Williams, I'm, Brendon Bowers, we're, Stephen Brobeck, Brobeck, they'll, you've, Rich, they've Organizations: Department of Justice, National Association of Realtors, Business, Facebook, Realtors, NAR, Consumer Federation of America, DOJ Locations: America, Minnesota, Austin, Houston, Kansas City , Missouri, Phoenix

☆ How the Canadian mortgage model could help unfreeze the housing market
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewCopying the way mortgages work in countries such as Canada and the UK could help thaw the frozen US housing market, experts say. Prospective buyers are also balking at paying such high mortgage rates, especially when national home prices are near record levels, fueling an affordability crisis. AdvertisementOffering portable mortgages would enable hesitant sellers to keep their rock-bottom mortgage rates when they move, potentially boosting overall inventory and transaction volumes. She suggested the best fix for the frozen housing market will be if inflation cools, the Fed cuts interest rates, and mortgage rates fall to historical norms. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that direct the mortgage market, would have to be on board to make mortgage portability a reality, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Persons: —, Julia Fonseca, Fonseca, Richard Martin, University of Georgia's Terry, Susan Wachter, Wachter, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Organizations: Service, Business, University of Illinois, University of Georgia's, University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, The Wharton School, Federal Reserve, Federal Housing Finance Agency, American Banker Locations: Canada, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, conservatorship

We can't predict what the Fed will do or how that will impact mortgage rates. Yes, even as high interest rates make buying a home with a mortgage more expensive! On one hand, interest rates may drop so buying a home with a mortgage is more affordable. Or we could say there's still massive demand in the Boston market despite the jump in interest rates. Get the lowest mortgage rate you canPretty obvious advice if you want to get a mortgage now, right?

Persons: —, doesn't Organizations: Service, National, ARM Locations: Boston

☆ Biden proposes $10,000 tax breaks for first-time homebuyers, 'starter home' sellers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden has floated plans to address the country's affordable housing issues, including new tax breaks for first-time homebuyers and "starter home" sellers. "If inflation keeps coming down, mortgage rates will come down as well. Interest rates still near 'multidecade highs'With soaring home prices and mortgage interest rates, 2023 was the least affordable year for homebuyers in more than a decade, according to a report from Redfin. "We're close to multidecade highs for mortgage rates," said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage website HSH. watch nowThere's a 'housing supply crisis'Of course, higher mortgage interest rates are only one piece of the country's affordable housing puzzle.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, I'm, Keith Gumbinger, it's, Janneke Ratcliffe Organizations: Getty, White, Chamber, U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, homebuyers, Housing Finance, Center, Urban Institute, Urban Locations: Cavan, seller's, Washington ,, Redfin

☆ We got a 2.6% mortgage rate this year to buy our first home. Here's how we did it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

An assumable mortgage allows qualifying buyers to acquire the interest rate, current principal balance, and other conditions of a seller's existing loan. AdvertisementGrace: An assumable mortgage is not a new loan, you're just taking over the owner's loan term and interest rate. Grace: We talked about the assumable mortgage for about a day and decided we were going to go for it. He put us in contact with an assumable loan expert, Mark McDonough, and he quickly became one of the most important people on our side. AdvertisementNow that our assumable mortgage is saving us about $2,000 each month, it makes the stress a little less because we have the option of having more money available.

Persons: —, Grace Lucchese, Mickey Ricard, Mickey, Ricard, It's, Mickey's, Grace Lucchese Mickey, Grace, Mark McDonough, they'd, Mark, Paul, We're, Grace Lucchese Grace, We've Organizations: Service, Business, Lucchese Locations: Westford , Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Lawrence, Framingham, Sudbury, Boston, The couple's Massachusetts

☆ Picking the right covered call strategy to generate income on the stocks you own
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Selling covered calls is a popular options trading strategy, especially among investors looking to generate additional income from their stock holdings. Like any investment strategy, selling covered calls comes with its own set of risks and benefits. The benefits Income generation: The primary benefit of selling covered calls is the ability to generate income on your stock holdings. Candidates for selling covered calls Stocks with moderate growth expectations: Stocks that are expected to grow steadily but not explosively are good candidates. I prefer to sell covered calls only in companies that are investment grade (S & P rating of BBB- or better), and of course, for the most part, avoiding selling covered calls through earnings.

Persons: Eli Lilly & Organizations: Micron, Eli Lilly & Company, Diabetes, Micron Technologies Locations: Downside

☆ I've been an expat for 20 years. Facebook has been at the center of both the best and worst parts of my life abroad.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Nicola Prentis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

At that point, I could see that the problem wasn't Facebook. Those Facebook groups gave me a real writing career that has allowed me to stay afloat through single motherhood as an expat. The advice I get from Facebook groups is often better and faster than I get from the accountant I have on retainer. Sometimes, my Facebook expat network and work collide, like the time I bought a secondhand kids' bike, and the seller's husband became my favorite content writing client ever. AdvertisementIf I moved again, I'd join a few Facebook local groups with the word "expat."

Persons: —, I'd, He'd, Nicola Prentis, I'm, cutie, Tobey, hadn't Organizations: Service, Business, Facebook, Cosmopolitan Locations: Istanbul, Turkish, Madrid, Spain, Girona, Barcelona, Brisbane, Australia

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