Mortgage rates continue to slide despite Fed hike | What can a mentor do for you? Improve your lead funnel | YouTube launches podcast support tools, analytics
YouTube launches podcast support tools, analytics Creators can now develop podcasts and highlight podcast playlists within YouTube Studio, keeping them separate from video clips. YouTube also will roll out analytics for podcasts, has enabled video downloading from within YouTube Studio's mobile version and added a Studio shortcut link to its Creator Music library. Full Story: Social Media Today (3/22)
Sales of new-build homes continue to rise Newly built home sales rose for the third straight month in February, according to data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. While overall sales are down significantly from a 2022 levels, sales of new-construction single family homes were up slightly from January. Full Story: CNN (3/23)
Low mortgage rate keeps some owners from selling The low-interest rates offered in recent years could be keeping some people in their homes as they are wary of paying higher rates. "For some, it may also start to feel like a sort of low-rate-induced house arrest—they feel trapped in their home," investment adviser Adam Jordan writes.
Are interest-rate hikes construction's main enemy? In today's business environment, high interest rates are not always the prime culprit of suppressed construction activity, as surprisingly few projects, even in vulnerable markets such as office and retail, are completely dissolving due to rate increases, says Ken Simonson, chief economist at the Associated General Contractors of America. Homebuilding has fallen off, but Simonson says that's more directly tied to expensive construction and mortgage interest costs than federal interest-rate hikes. Full Story: Daily Commercial News (Ontario) (3/23)
Technology & Innovations
Why small businesses should consider specialized phones Cloud-based phone systems for small business help keep customers engaged, writes Christina Orieschnig for Benzinga. The best systems facilitate integration with other business apps, offer voice-to-text transcriptions and host auto attendants with artificial intelligence. Full Story: Benzinga (3/21)
Fannie Mae seeks to calculate climate risk to its portfolio Data suggests that the housing market doesn't account for climate risk in home prices, and neither does mortgage underwriting, according to Tim Judge, Fannie Mae's chief climate officer. Judge is undertaking a major effort that includes hiring climate risk modeling firms as he strives to determine the risk facing Fannie Mae's balance sheet. Full Story: CNBC (3/20)
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