Study: Homeowner wealth is 40 times higher than renters | 3 pieces of advice you can give short-term rental investors | Where marketers are finding value in social media
Where marketers are finding value in social media Marketers say that Instagram commands the best engagement and return on investment and 51% plan to increase their spending on the platform this year, per HubSpot and Brandwatch research. Instagram and Facebook were equally favored for community building, while 33% of respondents cited Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts as being strong business drivers, and artificial intelligence and social shopping will continue to be of significant interest. Full Story: Adweek (4/17)
Mortgage business goes into red for major banks Banks are reporting declines in mortgage loans, with losses coming for the first time since 2008. "The rapid rise in mortgage rates over a relatively short period of time, combined with extremely low housing inventory and affordability challenges, meant that both purchase and refinance volume plummeted," said Marina Walsh of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Full Story: MarketWatch (tiered subscription model) (4/15)
How to balance retirement savings with buying a home Balancing multiple financial priorities—such as the need to save for retirement and the down payment on a house—can be challenging. The cost of buying a home can be daunting, but experts note that homeownership can provide certain tax benefits and a valuable financial asset. On the other hand, saving for a home may force some people to delay or diminish retirement contributions. Full Story: The New York Times (4/16)
New Orleans Habitat finds no easy fixes to housing crisis New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity is working to address the lack of affordable housing in an area where more than a third of renters spend more than half of their income on rent. "Housing is complicated, expensive and slow, and there are no quick fixes," said Marguerite Oestreicher, executive director. Full Story: The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate (4/17)
Legislation & Regulation
Analysts optimistic on stability of sec finance market Analysts are generally optimistic that the securities finance market will remain stable amid lingering effects from the banking-sector turmoil in March. However, tightening of credit conditions remains a concern, and one strategist comments: "We don't know how long these stresses will persist and how deeply and quickly they will impact the real economy .... but the next four weeks are going to be crucial in terms of economic data and for the developments of the banking sector." Full Story: Finadium (4/12)
Wells Fargo CFO: CRE performance good so far, although some stress ahead Wells Fargo CFO Michael Santomassimo notes that performance in the bank's commercial real estate book has been "quite good" so far, noting that the bank has yet to see "systematic stress translate into loss content in the portfolio." However, Wells Fargo does expect stress to play out over time, and it has raised its allowance for credit losses. "It's going to be very specific to individual properties, individual cities and individual situations," Santomassimo said. Full Story: CNBC (4/14)
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