REALTORS & HOMEBUILDERS

An index of overall market conditions from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo fell 2 points to 35 this month, according to data released Monday, lower than the 37 anticipated by economists in a Bloomberg survey.

South and Sunbelt cities, once pandemic seller markets, now favor buyers

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. will acquire Taylor Morrison Home Corp. in an all-cash deal worth about $6.8 billion, the first major purchase under chief executive Greg Abel and a vote of confidence in the US housing market. 

A new deal makes Wells Fargo the preferred lender of homes built by 3D-technology firm Icon, with the bank offering a 50 basis point discount to borrowers.

Starts of single-family homes declined 9%, the most since August, according to government figures released Thursday. 

Economic uncertainty and higher rates in April contributed to the first decline in applications for new homes on an annual basis since October.

The Real Brokerage's Agent Optimism Index, which measures agents' 12-month outlook, increased to 64 in April from 62 in March, but still below February's 70.3.

While not looking to take on UWM and Rocket, GO Mortgage CEO Jay Promisco said mortgage brokers want and need more options for their production.

Dream Finders Homes made its intentions public in an effort to push for shareholder approval following Beazer's rejection of two prior offers.

President Biden had issued a rule in 2024 requiring newly constructed homes to abide by an energy mandate to be eligible for FHA- or USDA-backed mortgages.

More than a third of sellers have mortgage rates below 5%, yet still plan to list their homes this spring, according to a survey from Coldwell Banker.

Builder mortgage units saw Q1 profit slides (NVR down 17%) despite an 11% rise in new home loan applications. Overall homebuilder net income dropped, and sales incentives remain high.

Toll Brothers' purchase of Buffington Homes of Arkansas will extend its national outreach with a strong presence in northwest Arkansas, the company said.

Developers including D.R. Horton Inc., Lennar Corp. and KB Home all missed expectations last quarter and estimates suggest both sales and earnings have fallen further as conflict in the Middle East unsettled buyers and raised costs.

The war in the Middle East is adding to a slew of challenges already facing the construction industry in recent years, including elevated mortgage rates, labor constraints and higher prices for materials.

Company team members, including those in affiliated business arrangements, will be eligible; real estate and joint venture agent partners will not be.

Lending for new single-family homes jumped 11% from a year ago and 26% from February, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

The artificial intelligence-based technology automates manual processes associated with the financing, including draws, for homes under construction.

Olive Branch Home Loans is the first business established through a new LoanDepot partnership model aimed to help builders scale internal lending units.

TruLookup for Real Estate reduces the need for Realtors to access multiple databases or download numerous apps when researching a potential client or property.