Where the racial homeownership gap has closed | How one agent found song parody fame in 'Low Places' | Report: Marketers have high hopes for online communities
Where the racial homeownership gap has closed Though the nationwide disparity between Black and White homeownership has worsened since the Great Recession, some areas of the country have achieved housing equality. Full Story: REALTOR® Magazine (2/15)
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Report: Marketers have high hopes for online communities Success this year depends on active internet communities, 90% of social media advertisers in a HubSpot survey reported, and 88% expect such communities to exist for most brands. Instagram provides the most return on investment and shares the top spot with TikTok for growth potential. Full Story: HubSpot (2/13)
Communications experts offer advice on writing copy that converts potential customers. "In a [business-to-business] capacity, think deeply about the customer experience and how the offering (product or service) will enrich their lives, make their work more convenient or add value to their business," says Advertas' Laura Cuttill. Quest Media Training's Zakiya Larry advises avoiding salesy copy to focus instead on "a goal emotion or thought that would lead to action." Full Story: Forbes (tiered subscription model) (2/14)
Real Estate Trends
Would-be sellers stay put as mortgage costs rise Rising mortgage costs are disincentivizing owners in California to list homes, leaving first-time buyers on the sidelines. "Sellers don't want to give up the price that they thought they were going to get or had in mind, and they also have locked in mortgage rates that are incredibly cheap," said Selma Hepp, chief economist at CoreLogic. Full Story: Los Angeles Daily News (2/14)
Yellen: Use pandemic relief funds for affordable housing Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says local governments should put remaining pandemic response funds toward affordable housing and workforce training programs. She said that local and state governments have been able to commit some $14 billion to support housing projects with the use of funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act. Full Story: Reuters (2/14)
Legislation & Regulation
FHFA director: More is required of Home Loan banks The Federal Home Loan Bank System needs to be on a trajectory that involves greater funding for underserved, rural and tribal communities, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson said amid a review of whether the 11 Home Loan banks are successfully carrying out their mission. "The status quo is not acceptable. We are dealing with a huge housing supply issue. ... The mortgage landscape has changed. There's more that they can do on the mission side in a safe and sound manner," Thompson said. Full Story: American Banker (2/13)
Yellen, Biden: Debt ceiling failure would be catastrophic Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told a gathering of county officials failure to raise the debt ceiling would be catastrophic for the economy, a sentiment President Joe Biden also has stressed to the group. "In the longer term, a default would raise the cost of borrowing into perpetuity," Yellen said. "Future investments, including public investments, would become substantially more costly." Full Story: Bloomberg (2/14),The Associated Press (2/14)
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The National Association of REALTORS® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. REALTOR® Magazine is the official magazine of NAR, bringing expert insight to real estate trends, tools, and business strategies.
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